After unsuccessfully queuing up for the Temple Mount, I went for a walk on the morning of day 3 to the Mount of Olives. The Church of Mary Magdalene on the right and Church of All Nations on the left.
The beautiful interior of the Church of All Nations.
And in the Church of Mary Magdalene.
Looking out from the Rehav'am lookout on the Mount of Olives onto the Temple Mount and old city. Al-Aqsa Mosque middle left, the third most holiest site in Islam, and the (Gold) Dome of the Rock to the right.
At the Chapel of Ascension, where Jesus ascended to heaven.
Orthodox Jews praying at a cemetery on the Mount of Olives, with the old city in the background.
A bar mitzvah underway, with everyone joining in
.
Prayer's at King David's Tomb, Mount Zion.
The sun beginning to set at the Tower of David.
Looking over the old city with the (gold) Dome of the Rock on upper right, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the top middle left.
Prayers at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church is at the location where Jesus was crucified, and one of the most important places for pilgrimage for Christians.
The main dome and below, the Aedicule which contains the Holy Sepulchre itself.
Due to rivalries between different Christian factions, the keys to the church are kept by a local Muslim family, who open and close the church each day
.
Getting a burger in the Jewish quarter. The lady on the right had a strong New York accent and was busy giving orders for the different burgers for the small army of kids she was looking after
.
Bon Apetit
!
Got up at 3:30am on the morning of day 4 to catch a mini-bus for the 1.5 hour drive to Masada. Arrived at 5:30am, and then walked up the 450 metres in the dark up this windy trail
.
Masada is an ancient fortification in Southern Israel situated on top of a rocky plateau. From 73-74 AD, the Romans laid siege to the Jewish people living there. After holding out for almost a year, the people committed suicide rather than be enslaved by the Romans.
The beautiful sunrise over the Jordan mountains, with the Dead sea just to the left.
The Star of David on the Israeli flag in the early morning sun at Masada.
We then went to Ein Gedi, and saw some wild Ibex doing some tree climbing
.
And then walked up to David Falls.
And further up to get a good view of the Dead sea.
We then drove along the coast of the Dead sea, crossing over into the West Bank.
And stopped for a swim
.
I initially thought the hype about being able to float was overblown, but after jumping it was literally like floating on a sun lounger! Tried to do some breaststroke too, but it was literally impossible as your legs just stick out into the air
.
Got back to Jerusalem at about 1:30pm. It was Friday afternoon, and with Shabbat only hours away, I walked down Jaffa Road and had some pizza at a cafe for 39 shekels ($US11).
Definitely no 'ham' burgers here
.
Some cool looking Kippa's
.
As the shops were close to closing for Shabbat, the markets were literally a mad rush
!
Protection
.
Some final souvenir shopping for my last night in Jerusalem
.
Up early again on day 5 to catch the mini-bus to Allenby / King Hussein Border Crossing.
Back on the bus for the journey through no mans land after paying the 182 shekel ($US52) exit tax. The Allenby / King Hussein border crossing is unique as Israeli citizens are not allowed to use it. Palestinians in the West Bank are not allowed to travel via Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, so have to travel via Allenby / King Hussein to Queen Alia Airport in Amman for international flights. It is also the only land border where Jordan don't stamp your passport, so handy for avoiding any evidence of a trip to Israel.
Catching a taxi to Amman. I shared the cab with a Canadian girl I met at the border. She was working at a Syrian Refugee camp as a Pharmacist for Médecins Sans Frontières, and had some interesting stories to tell, as well as about her time working in Pakistan.
At the Citadel in downtown Amman. I had 6-7 hours to kill before my flight back to Dubai, so did the walking tour recommended in the Lonelyplant guidebook.
Looking down at the houses.
At the Roman Theatre.
Looking over the forum, a newly rebuilt plaza, from the top of the Theatre.
At the Fruit & Vege souq.
Bakery.
Hashem Restaurant, the oldest in Amman and very popular with the locals, and King Abdullah
.
After 3 hours of walking, I headed up to the famed Al-Rainbow Street for a late lunch
.
I had a few dinars left, so bought some yummy arabic sweets, made of jelly & pistachio nuts, & covered with flower petals
.
At a kunafa (arabic dessert) shop, with a queue around the block
!
One last photo before heading off to the airport.
Catching a taxi to the airport. I had a happy Palestinian guy, who cranked up the volume for some arabic pop songs and got carried away with a bit of singing
!
At Queen Alia Internartional Airport, with the portraits of the late King Hussein, King Abdullah, and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah. Never thought I'd say this about an airport terminal, but it was very elegant, beautiful and also very functional
. It opened in March 2013, and was designed by Foster + Partners, the same architects used for the 'Gherkin' in London.
About to board the Royal Jordanian A330 back to Dubai, and on time too
!
