We travelled to Jerusalem by the non-official border crossing over the King Hussein bridge. The Jordanian entry visa from the airport is valid for about 3 months so we could use this. The process made K slightly uncomfortable as they hang onto your passports and you have to wait in a tiled room (think Midnight Express) and then on the bus, before having them returned to you. Said the crossing was much easier than 30 years ago – 2/3 hours compared to a half day and they now have scanners so don’t need to squeeze out the toothpaste!
We spent 2 nights in Jerusalem – mega busy – Jewish feast of Passover – the city was amazing as always but quite difficult to move around and very hot.
Fantastic market with all the spicy smells and colours you would expect, where we bought wine and European (!) cheeses for our supper.
We caught a bus to see the outside of the Knesset, the seat of the government. Next door was a rose garden with many Orthodox families with their throw away BBQs.
We did a free walking tour for the best part of three hours; tip at your discretion. It was really excellent as the guide explained the history and the character of the four quarters of Jerusalem. We popped back in the evening to go inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to see the site of the crucification,the tomb and the rock where Jesus was laid.
Found ourselves back in Jerash for a late lunch – we found a fish restaurant and having chosen our fish from a pool, we had a fabulous lunch looking up at the Roman remains – only £12!
Clune Gap Years 