Heading out just before noon, myself, O and V went on a day trip to Bethlehem last week. Geographically, Bethlehem is fairly close to Ramallah; probably about 15 miles or so, if not less. However because Palestinians can not drive directly through Jerusalem to get there, they have to circumnavigate the city and approach Bethlehem from the east as opposed to the north. This route goes through the notorious Wadi Nar or Fire Valley, which is essentially a road that has been poorly constructed and planned and is one of the steepest, windiest roads I have ever been on. Last time I went on this road as a passenger I was extremely ill. However this time, thanks to the joys of dramamine, staying hydrated, and a decent driver I managed to escape Wadi Nar unscathed!
We dropped O off for Friday prayers in Beit Sahour (a village just east of Bethlehem) and while he was there V and I decided to take our chances at the Orthodox shepherds' fields. There are 2 "shepherds' fields" in Beit Sahour. The first one is a place I have visited before, where it is traditionally believed that the shepherds saw the star of the nativity before Jesus' birth. This is where the majority of tourists visit when in the region. However, most don't know that the Greek Orthodox church has an entirely different place that they believe to be the actual shepherd's field. V has tried to visit here at least a dozen times before, but they have always been closed. As we pulled up we saw a tour bus outside of the gate and thought that it must be a good sign. Alas it was! To our surprise the place was open. We went inside to an immaculately well kept garden courtyard. On the right was the Orthodox-style, red-roofed church rising high into the contrasting blue sky and on the left was a path covered with bright green blooming grape vines leading to ruins of an ancient monastery. It was beautiful.
After exploring, we headed back to the mosque to pick up O. From there we went to an area of west Bethlehem called Crimson, where there are some really lovely views of the olive groves and Palestinian hills. This place was off of the beaten path and the road was a dead end that led to a nunnery hidden in the hills. We parked the car and got out to admire the view. The sad part was that almost everywhere we looked we could see Israeli settlements or signs of Israeli interference. The bridge in the following photo cuts right through Palestinian land, yet can not be used by Palestinians as it was built purely to transport Israeli settlers "safely" back and forth from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Oddly enough, as we sat there a car drove up and a man got out. He asked us if there was a place around there that sold wine. O, being suspicious, asked where he was from. He said Spain. Immediately V approached him and started to speak Spanish. It seems that she knew him and that he and his sister, who currently live in Palestine, had also lived in Colombia for some time. More and more each day I discover just how small a place Palestine really is!
Next we made our way to the Church of the Nativity -- a definitive stop while in Bethlehem. After swinging through the grotto so that V could say a quick prayer, we were invited by the head Armenian priest at the Church of the Nativity, a close personal friend of Os, to visit him in his office. We had to approach a door that is normally off limits to tourists and be buzzed in. We then entered the priest and staff only area of the church. It was amazing. They had a beautiful garden with grape vines everywhere, huge sunflowers, mint, etc. It looked and smelled lovely. All of a sudden I heard this raspy, robust voice coming from up some stairs. I looked up and saw a jolly man in his 50s with a big pot belly waving at us. It seems this was him. Up we went into his office where we listened closely to this chain-smoking, loud-mouthed, wonderfully happy priest of a man tell dramatic stories in Arabic to O. What I forgot about while witnessing this was the religious aspect. V reminded me. Here is Father --- sitting with O, an extremely devout Muslim and they are the best of friends. A prime example of how it could and should be especially in this part of the world.
After thanking Father --- for his time we headed to a new restaurant in Manger Square called, fittingly, The Square. Such a wonderful place to sit and people watch, drink a refreshing limon ma nana (pictured), and just plainly enjoy Palestine. Such a perfect ending to a fine day in Bethlehem.
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