Day 3. Oversleep. Awoke at 10:15 and rushed downstairs to try to make breakfast which ends at 10. You think I talked these ex soldiers who now claim to be in the hospitality business to seat me 20 min after they stopped. Well I don't understand Hebrew but I'm pretty sure they all got a good laugh out of me that morning.
I walked to the Mamilla shopping mall, had a coffee and poppy roll and walked to the old city via the Jaffe Gate. I walked down David's walk which separates the Christian quarter from the Armenian Quarter. Bought two pair of sandals. Keep walking and wandered onto the Western Wall. What a place. The women partitioned on the right. The men on the the left. It's Thursday and it's Bar Mitzvah day. I counted 7 different groups at the moment I was there. I made my way to the wall, pulled out my Union Prayer book that was given to me at my Confirmation in 1967. Touched the wall with my book said the Sh'Ma and made room for others. Now those of you who know my feelings about organized religion will be surprised to know that I was almost moved.
I walked out the Dung Gate and down the hill to the City of David Exhibit. This is a fantastic tour of the history of King David and his conquer of the city of Jerusalem 3000 Years ago. It is competed by a walking tour of the underground aqueduct complete with thigh high running fresh water. It is absolutely the darkest and most confining place I have ever been. You take a mile walk I this underground tunnel. I sort of felt that over the past couple of years I was developing claustrophobia . Now I am sure of it.
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