It was a great day, really superbe and a wonderful meeting … and yet the day didn't start well. We left home around 9:30 AM. First, there were no direct buses from Petah Tiqwa to Jerusalem. So, we had to take a "Monit Sherut", minibuses which are driving the same itinary like the normal public ones (thank goodness, we caught right one) to head towards "Zomet Sirkin" in the middle of nowhere. At "Zomet Sirkin", we were waiting and waiting. In Israel, if you go to the "tachanat merkazit" (the central bus station), you get a timetable, but at the stops on the itinary there are just none.
So, we were waiting and waiting. It was really very hot (normally, we love that … but not if you have to wait (!) at a bus station without knowing when the bus is going to come). Mama understands her tourists pretty well, her usually clients ;-)! She also started to speak to an older lady. That's Mama ! She's a very talkative person ! It came out, that Madame was originally from Paris and so, so happy to speak french with someone. You see, good that Mama spoke :-). So, if you speak while you're waiting, time past quicker, so it's more bearable and the bus arrives at the end … finally !!!
First Mama smiles to the driver, so he thinks, that we're pretty nice … so he made us pay less. Advice: smile to the driver, you'll pay less :-)). Second, apparently there was a big "balagan" (that means "chaos") on the usually road to Jerusalem. A big traffic jam and "if we take the same road, we'll never arrive to the holy city." So, the driver made a detour via the palestinian territories. Hum, pretty interesting, a bit weird, too. We finally arrived to Jerusalem, nothing is impossible. It was already late, we should have met Javier around 11:30 AM and it was already 1 PM ! Mama didn't like to look like a tourist (why ???) so she took the citybus n°1 to go to the old city (instead of a taxi). That was stupid !
But problem, she didn't know when and where to get off the bus. That's great ! So the driver told her, he'll give her a hint when the stop arrives. "Dung Gate", we got off like the driver said and the "New gate" was the meeting point. Imagine a hysteric Mama ! "We can't go through the old city without a guide ! We have to pass all the different quarters: moslem, jewish, armenian, christian ! I don't know where the New Gate is …". Miss Mai had to calm her down. So in this panic attack, we were running back to the bus which didn't get so far, because of the jam. Stood another 1 hour on the incredibly hot, overcrowded bus (no air conditionning, kaputt).
The driver was discussing the bible with two Hassidims. It was loud, the bus didn't moove forward, we were hungry, thirsty, tyred and hot ! Suddenly "Aval ma atem ossim adain po ???!" "But what are you still doing here ???" The driver noticed us. Hum, we also didn't know why we're still on the bus … .He led us down in the middle of the itinary and told us to cross "Mea Shearim", "New Gate" is just straight behind. Ooh, it's not pleasant at all to cross "Mea Shearim" (the jewish ultra-orthodoxe quarter), you totally feel that you're not welcome ! The people just ignore you and when you ask your way, they just say they don't know.
Well, that was an experience and each experience make you more intelligent, no ?! So, after a long walk we arrived again to the old city, but again not at the right gate. Mama walked straight to the Franciscan house for pilgrims "Casa Nova", called Javier from there (no charge on her mobile anymore !) and told him to fetch us there "she won't move an inch, until he arrives" ! 3:00 PM ! The minute Javier appears (such a good friend of Mama, she knows him since she worked in Lourdes in 1985 (!!!)), everything was wonderful. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Javier knows everything about the old city in Jerusalem and he knows everybody. If you don't know the old city, there are hundreds of small corners, tunnels, entrances … find Javier ! Or …
you just get lost very easily in a quarter you don't know … .Going through the old city with him … everything seems so easy. Next time, Mama will know, too ;-). And we enjoyed very much his company, he's just so funny ! Muchas gracias, querido !
Laila tov, good night, my wonderful family!
My wonderful family 