Our guide stops us at a display near a Jewish museum which includes this poster. It shows the Jordanian army expelling all Jews from Jerusalem (1948) and also the photo (near the bottom) of a young girl who had run back to her home get her missing shoe. The Jordanians found her and pushed her out the gate of the Old City, with the others. Many years later, the British photographer who had taken these (and many other) photos of the times, came back and tried to find the now-older people who had been in his pictures. He found the young girl and in a "where are they now" story, he published current photos of everyone, including this girl. Our guide, who had been showing people the original display and picture, saw the current photo of the woman and realized that the young woman in the original picture....is now her mother-in-law. Quite a story.

The Bazaar in the Old Town was great fun - wonderful colors, smells, music, and sights. And then there's the Alabama stall. (no idea)

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - including the Golgotha Rock and the Stone of the Anointing.

Almost all the signage is in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

The Kidron Valley and the Church of the Agony.

In order to get to Bethlehem, one has to pass several checkpoints, going into Palestinian Authority territory. It's a little depressing seeing the concrete barriers and graffiti on them, perhaps reminiscent of the Berlin Wall. We are warned not to take pictures of the Palestinian soldiers, as they will confiscate cameras. Thus.....no pictures.

The Church of the Nativity - and a shrine in the grotto, which traditionally marks the birth of Jesus.

What a day in Jerusalem! Seems like we must have walked for 20 miles.

Thriving commerce in Bethlehem. Yes, from "John the Baptist" and "Stars and Bucks".

Yes. You have your choice. You can either go to the Church of the Nativity, or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Or, as our guide referred to it, "Kentucky Fried Camel".

The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.

What a magnificent city! The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount is in gold toward the left!

We do a nighttime tour around beautifully-lit Jerusalem, including a visit to the Western Wall. Tomorrow we will do a more comprehensive walking tour of the Old City.

The Dead Sea, lowest point on earth, at some 1,200 feet below sea level. A thriving place for bathing and spa stuff, as well as selling mineral-rich cosmetics from the area.

Down at the Masada visitor center, this fellow strolled up and asked if anyone had anything to eat. Great hat.

The diagonal ridge going up toward the left is what is left of the rampart the Romans built to attack the settlement. It took them four years to build the rampart and finally take the city, but the night before, the men killed their families, then killed each other until there was one left, and he fell on his sword.

More Masada.