We're part of the Siraj Summer Celebration. You can fid out more about the overall program at http://www.sirajcenter.org
Arrival in Tel Aviv was almost disappointingly uneventful - immigration whooshed us through with no apparent suspicion. I don't know whether I was more relieved or insulted. The bus to Jerusalem left us at the gate but we quickly negotiated our way to Damascus Gate and through the market area on to the bus to Bethlehem. When we got off the bus at the Bethlehem checkpoint we had no idea what to do.
When a fellow passenger realized that yes, these Americans actually want to go inside the Wall, he said "do what I do" and went ahead of us, but also clearly trying to look like he had nothing to do with us while we went along the long maze-like path through multiple sets of iron turnstyles, to the place where one young pimple faced soldier leaned against the gate staring at us sullenly, hands at the ready on his machine gun (we look so dangerous)while another checked our passports, "welcomed us" and we continued on through the Wall.
It is so Big, so permanent, so much like entering a prison.
Only once in "the prison" on the other side of the wall the people greeted us and we zoomed off in a taxi to Beit Sehour. (That's the last time I had seat belts -- seems Palestinians don't wear them as a kind of low-key protest against laws.)
A mix up about our arrival time (the person to make the arrangements was off getting beat up by soldiers at a peaceful demonstration against the Wall) meant that instead of going to our host family we spent our first night in a beautiful hotel (didn't matter where B & P were -- they just slept 12 hours!)
Here's where we spent our first night in Bet Sehour.
