We continue to tour sites in and around Jerusalem. Ventured outside the city to see Soreq Caves National Park, a fantastic limestone cavern ala Carlsbad Caverns National Park in the states, albeit not nearly as big. But very impressive, just the same. Then down to Bet Guvrin Maresha National Park, a series of caves and dwellings from Biblical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times. In the area of Beit Shemesh, a city that recently had an ugly incident where ultra orthodox men surrounded a bus and pounded on the outside with hammers because a woman would not sit in the back - shades of Rosa Parks...
Then we spent some very enjoyable time with Shanie. Walked Hezekiah's Tunnel in the Jerusalem Walls National Park - that was quite the experience on a number of levels - first of all, it entails walking through ancient Jerusalem's water system - a dark, extremely claustrophobic 500 meter walk through water ranging from ankle to knee depth. It is steep and slippery in parts and I was using Michelle's iPhone flashlight app. Believe me, I had a death grip on that phone because if I had dropped it, the doghouse would not begin to describe where I would have ended up!!
The walk was made even more interesting because we got trapped behind a large, orthodox family that proceeded to walk very slowly, stomping, clapping, baruch hasheming and screaming their way through the tunnel. The tunnel is very narrow, low in parts and of solid rock so the noise, echo and general cacophony really added to the experience. Shanie kept yelling at them to let us pass but they refused to do so...and so it goes.
Ended up with some falafel and a short tour of the Burnt House, an excavated home of a high priest of the Second Temple. Finally, relaxing in a restaurant situated in a 900 year old building.
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