First Impressions - Israel

Once we landed in Israel, we joined a group of people who were also headed to Jerusalem University College for the same tour we were taking. We arrived at the Gloria Hotel and met Moria, the student assistant for the college, who let us know about our "no room in the inn" situation. The hotel did not have a room available for us that night so they escorted us two blocks down the road to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. A very simple room with working air conditioning and a few unique features:
The electricity only worked if your room key was placed in a slot on the wall.
The shower head was handheld.
This is actually a church, so you could very well be eating breakfast with a priest or group of nuns.

This is called Jaffa Gate. It is named after the city it points to (Jaffa on the Mediterranean).  One note on names, there are multiple names for places here. There might be a hebrew name (Sha'ar Yafo), an english name (Jaffa Gate) and arabic name (Bab el-Khalil or Bab Mihrab Dawud) for the exact same gate!

We headed out the next morning (4/05) to find the college and attend our orientation class.

This was a moving sight for me, to see normal life happening in a place we think of primarily in terms of historical context. 

The view from our room at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Church.

Entrance to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Church

Another view of Jaffa Gate. Behind me is the road leading down to JUC. 

Right inside the opening of Jaffa Gate. 

Trying really hard to not look like a tourist but still amazed at everything we see! 

Mom is tired of the pictures already! 

Something in bloom. 

This is the Old City Wall just down the road from Jaffa Gate. This whole wall around the city was built during the the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (1538). He was a Turkish ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566.  

Arrived!