Normally, I plan out my vacations... I don't fill in every minute of everyday but I like to have an idea of what I want to do and when I want to do it. I am flexible with my plan but it is a plan nonetheless. This trip was so not my normal vacation. I had no idea how long I was going to stay back in Jerusalem. I thought maybe a few days... I stayed a week. I had no idea what I wanted to see or do or eat. And it ended up being one of the best vacations.
And I owe it all to this guy...
This is Tarek. I met him when I was a student in Jerusalem and we have stayed in touch. He did all the planning and driving and deciding. And I can't tell you how great it was. I'd been having to make a lot of decisions and I was sick of it. I was starting to feel a little suffocated in Jordan and this was the greatest escape. It was the perfect vacation at the perfect time and I don't think I would do anything different. Except take more pictures.... but even that I might not change. We saw beautiful places and ate amazing food and had all of these incredible moments. Instead of taking pictures I was able to just be 100% there. I have a suitcase full of memories and only a few pictures to prove it.
The first day we caught up over the worlds most amazing waffles. Kinder Bueno's are my favorite candies and this waffle was covered with them. And Nutella. And Whipped Cream. And ice cream on the side. If they don't have these in heaven I don't want to go.
The plate was actually more like a platter. I promise not to make a habit of
posting pictures of food but really, this is a work of art and I am therefore forgiven right?
After consuming my weight in Nutella, we wandered around the German Colony in Jerusalem. It is a (dare I say) quaint area with little cafes and fruit stands and beautiful homes and fun shops. Bethlehem Street. You should go.
Next, I pretended to be a student at Hebrew University while Tarek put in a few hours at work. They have a great little bookstore and a pretty campus so I was happy. I even found this little piece of wisdom there:
After an awesome dinner with outdoor seating and sparkling apple cider (what more can you ask for?) we headed to a park for a stroll. It has all of these paths that twist and turn and are covered in flowers. And at the top there is this hilly, grassy area that overlooks the Old City. We sat down to take in the view just as a firework show started. I love it when the universe aligns without you having to do the aligning.
One of the days we wandered around the old city, bought souvenirs and walked through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a massive building and so much how I remember it. One night Tarek and I were talking about Jerusalem. He said something that I haven't been able to shake: "Here, stones are more important than people. I hate that." That makes me sad. I don't want to turn this into one of "those" posts so I'll just insert a few pictures I took in the church instead.
After some German Apple Pie, I did some wandering on my own. I didn't have a destination in mind and I wasn't in a hurry so I was able to just take it all in. The colors and people and food and smells and trinkets and sounds are so alive and vibrant and strong. It was really nice to move slowly while the world around me moved so quickly. I spoke with shop keepers, locals, tourists and even a few BYU Jerusalem students. I sipped lemonades and smiled and remembered.
Later that evening I met up with Malak, this adorable girl that I met in Bethlehem 6 years ago. We chatted in a cafe, window shopped, spice shopped, and then sat at Damascus gate and chatted some more. We talked about life, babies, Palestinians, school, Israel, teaching, war and family. She is tiny but she is strong. She has trials in her life but she sees the beauty around her. She has this contagious laugh and smile that filled our conversation with joy. She is happy and kind and I am so blessed to know her. I am so grateful for good friends who are all so wonderfully unique. And I am so grateful that life has connected and reconnected me with those people.
The next day we hit up Ein Karem (pictured above and the two pictures below). This is the place where they say Elizabeth (John the Baptists Mom) lived and where Mary came to visit. It is beautiful, green and quiet. The churches were beautiful and the monks were friendly. I even got a flower from one so now, my life is complete.
After lunch we drove through the area with my feet hanging out the window and Franky playing in the background. It always amazes me how many surprises new and old places hold. They never meet expectations and if you let them, they will always exceed them.
After a stroll and chat through the woods it was time for a movie. Yeup. The Hobbit Part 2. Movies are always fun no matter what country you are in.
One of the nights we went to this fancy restaurant with the happiest waitress I have ever had... and not the annoying, fake, I want to smack her kind of happy. She was just a genuine, good person. I want to be like her. I want to bring people greater happiness just by being around them. It doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing, we can always make peoples lives better. And to top off an awesome night - an outdoor concert and perfect weather.
After the amazingness that was my lunch we headed to a little outdoor market where people make and sell their own stuff. It was really cool to see everyones personal style. And Tarek was a super good sport about the shopping thing. How did I get so lucky with my friends? After sufficient shopping torture we headed to the beach.
You can hear it before you see it. Not the ocean. The paddle games. Hundreds and hundreds of people line the shore and smack a ball back and forth, back and forth. They are hard core. They have gloves and are crazy serious about it all. It was so loud. And funny. And I feel like there needs to be a reality TV show or at least a documentary about it. I have this twisted desire to see the underbelly of this beach paddle society. We all have our thing right? We finally walked far enough that the sound was muffled by the ocean. We sat on the pier and watched the waves and the people and the sun.
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