Travel update

On Friday evening we returned to the Western Wall for the start of Shabbat. Lots of singing, thousands of people - all dressed up, many Haredi (ultra-orthodox). An incredibly emotional experience being at the epicentre of judaism.

Saturday *everything* was shut, except in the Arab sections of Jerusalem. We walked around the Old City before entering at Damascus Gate and wandering around the Muslim quarter. So different to the Christian and Jewish sections - incredibly vibrant and colourful. Then we continued into East Jerusalem and had coffee in an Arab cafe, before going to the Rockefeller Museum of Antiquities. A great collection of objects dating back up to 100,000 years. Absolutely worth seeing with some beautiful statues, old skeletons, ceramics, glass, metalware and amazing old objects. We then walked as far as the Mount of Olives before it became a little too unfriendly. We jumped in a taxi and in 10 minutes were back standing outside the King David hotel. Sat in the sun in Yemin Moshe (the area where we're staying) then dinner in Ein Kerem (a village near Jerusalem) with the son of friends of my parents and his Israeli wife.

Today the Western Wall tunnels which were absolutely incredible. A voyage into Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple and even earlier. The tunnels travel most of the way along the Western Wall (the Western retaining wall of the temple complex) and were dug out after 1967 - they are fascinating beyond description. Followed by the City of David (Jerusalem as conquered by David - it sits outside the Old City and is even older than it). Not as impressive as a tourist site. Then shopping in the Old City and a quick walk through the City Centre. Tomorrow the Holocaust memorial and more.