second day here in Jerusalem

Plane journey was not to bad, left on time, although my screen on the seat in front of me stopped working, pressing any of the buttons would not respond, the screen was just black, after a couple of presses of the alert steward button, someone came after a few minutes, he then pressed some of the buttons making me feel somewhat stupid. Got chatting to the guy next to me who was returning back to his home in Haifa as he had been on the way back from Los Angeles which required 3 different plane changes, so he was obviously very tired. Also spoke to a British girl who was only 18 but was bravely coming on her own to see some family here, so we chatted whilst waiting to go through security and waited as she went to buy a new mobile phone from kiosk in the airport, then we got a Sherut (taxi van) which gets you from TLV airport to anywhere in Jerusalem for NIS50 (£10ish) this is great as you can get to the door of where you want to go, but the taxi only leaves when it has enough people, and it took a few hours going all around different bits of Jerusalem dropping other people off.

My phone has decide to not work doing roaming here which is odd as its worked before. In my flat I share with an American called Josh, and once I arrived I had a Cellcom SIM card, some food, and few books and literature about the charity waiting for me.

Today I got up about 9.30, and don’t have to work till next week, so got a free day to take a wander and look around town. There was a demonstration on a road nearby for the release of the young 18 year old soldier who was captured by Hamas a few years ago, he is meant to be still alive somewhere in Gaza, so continued to pray for him that he will be released soon. Jerusalem has changed a bit since my last visit here in 2006, there’s a huge bridge held together by some steel wires, looks like a big expensive and ambitious design, its not finished as there were workman there as there is no actual road surface on it. In the middle of town there is a lot of work going on as well and its obvious a new light railway that is going to through the city is underway.

Its not easy negotiating round the city as the street signs are small and directional signs are a bit vague. As I was hoping to get to the Shuk (main market in the middle of Jerusalem) it became apparent as it was 1pm the chances are it will be shut already or soon because everything closes for Shabbat. I got a few items in this medium sized supermarket, but things like falafel or bagels were not to be found, and this shop like a few others for some strange reason do not sell drinks in bottles smaller than 1 litre. It was slightly worrying my carrier bag I had these items nearly broke half way walking through the park, think I must of walked a good six miles today in exploring the city, but not got see the juicy bits like the old city, the Shuk and the tomb of Jesus.

My room has wireless and Cellcom sim seems to work all ok, I also have a land phone as the international rates we have seems extremely cheap too. My housemate is making me dinner so will call this journal a night I think.