of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world: Aftermath: Jesus's Jerusalem

YAY! So, Jesus was and is my particular chosen savior guy. Though it might sometimes seem like I am taking up my yarmulke/kippah and converting to Judaism (whatever, I still like matza balls and manischewitz), I am still Catholic through and through. And Jerusalem is truly the town of Jesus. I honestly found myself touching (I am a creature of touch anyway, akin to a small child who has to touch EVERYTHING and ask why why why just to hear themselves speak) the walls of the old city of Jerusalem, just in the hopes that one day, some two thousand years ago, Jesus had touched that exact spot. Or Mary his mother, or Mary Magdalene, or an apostle, or the guy who made Jesus's shoes, or a donkey that once aspired to give Jesus's third cousin a ride to temple. I truthfully wanted to stop at some corners, ones that spoke to me probably from years of Catholic education having watched old religious videos, and hug them.

For years, I have been wandering the earth, mostly on North America and Europe, finding places and faces that feel like home. I've found many things that feel safe and comfortable, which is both surprising and unsurprising, almost every time I travel. Jerusalem was different. It certainly felt like a home, and it felt like my home, but it was the first place I've ever been that felt like I had been there before. It felt like my long lost home, one that I had been separated from at birth and never knew existed. People say that a pilgrimage to Jerusalem is life-changing, and I try not to buy into those speculations when I travel because it's an easy way to set yourself up for failure or disappointment. But Jerusalem took me. Jesus's Jerusalem took me. No assemblance of photos or stories that I can tell can give even half the justice that my experience is worth to me, but all good things must still be shared. :)

Walking from my hostel to the old city towards Jaffa gate. This is the outer wall of the old city from the outside (I asked about the foliage of this place. I saw palm trees and pine trees and everything in between. PICK AN ARBOR.):

A bigger view of the outer wall from the outside:

Jaffa Gate! My main entryway into my favorite place in Israel (as of now):

Looking into the old city from Jaffa gate:

First steps down into the Old City. Jaffa Gate spits you out on the edges of the Muslim/Jewish quarter, so walking in lands you in prime real estate for Muslim wares and shops:

The Roman Cardo in Jerusalem:

THIS PLACE IS SUPER OLD:

DONT MIND ME, JUST WALKING AROUND LIKE JESUS. TOUCHIN EVERYTHING:

This was my first glimpse of/visit to Holy Sepulchre Church. The church itself was originally a church built on the site where Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and rose from the dead. Multiple additions have been added on to the exterior, so now it houses a large set of rooms and tombs (nothing inside was renovated to accomodate additions, the additions were merely built around the current structure). The courtyard below is where Jesus finished carrying the cross, was stripped and nailed to it before being crucified. BIG. FREAKING. STUFF.

Touching (told you) the stone Jesus was laid on when he was taken down from the cross!! I haven't washed this hand since (ebola be damned):

The oil lamps hanging over the stone where Jesus was laid:

A view from above of the dead Jesus rock and the cliche tourists rubbing their clothes and wares on it:

This is the cieling of the room in Holy Sepulchre that houses the tomb where Jesus rose from the dead. Theoretically, Jesus would have floated (or however it is you rise from death) through this hole in the cieling, had the church actually been around when he died. Etc.

Side view of the entrance to Jesus's tomb. In this pic, I just missed the crazy Greek Orthodox caliph that was yelling at people for not covering their legs and shoulders.

*No pictures of any kind were allowed inside Jesus's tomb. And for good reason. It was incredible. If you're not in-the-moment while you're in there, shame on you and shame on your cow.*

A chandelier in Holy Sepulchre:

A hallway in Holy Sepulchre, showing the difference between the original structure and additions made to it:

An old door inside Holy Sepulchre that used to be a clergy entrance to the church from the city streets, but now resides pretty deep inside the church walls:

THIS, lady and gents, is the spot where Jesus was crucified. There's a hole in the floor underneath this crazy ornate alter where the cross was actually stuck in the ground. People (yours truly included) wait in line to kneel and reach their hands into. I did it, don't get me wrong, but it's like putting your hand into a pitch-black garbage disposal. Like, WHAT IS DOWN THERE. This doesnt seem safe.

I think that's a nun under there? Watch your hands, sister.

This is Lions Gate, the entrance to old Jerusalem closest to both the Dome of the Rock and the Via Dolorosa (the stations of the cross). It took me a full 30 minutes to walk from Jaffa Gate here, but I wanted to do the Stations of the Cross right (without a cross and without the whole condemnation, lashing and suffering part I guess?):

Just happened to find the birthplace of Mary, Jesus's mother, while searching for the first station of the cross (who knew?):

Looking back at Lions Gate from the beginning of the Via Dolorosa:

The entrance to a now-garden which houses the first two stations of the cross, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate and took up the cross:

The plaque marking the second station:

VIA DOLOROSA! IM ON A BOAT:

The 4th Station, where Jesus meets his mother (both photos below). AWWWWWW:

The 5th Station, where Simon of Cyrene is plucked to give a brother a hand. A nice Italian man offered to take my picture (insert WARNING here about tourists who offer to do nice things and then rob you blind), soooo yolo:

Italian tour group getting in my way at the fifth station. I ran ahead of them when they stopped singing long enough to genuflect:

The sixth station, where Veronica wiped the face of Jesus and got a really cool hand towel out of the deal:

7th Station: Jesus falls a second time. Big tree probably fell hard.

Skipped posting pics of a few stations, but the majority of the rest of them happened here! The entrance to Holy Sepulchre:

Holy S again (holy s that's a lot of Holy S. <-- did="" i="" p="" see="" there="" what="">

SO THEN

I left the old city to walk to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed and agonized over his impending doom.

View of regular Jerusalem from the castle walls outlining the old city:

Marchin along the castle walls of J-ru:

Just over the hedge there is the City of David:

This place is serial pretty.

Made it to the Mount of Olives. A lot less green than I expected? Those little white dots are graves (yeesh):

I'll take the Last Path please (wait what):

The Garden of Gethsemane! The public is not allowed to walk in the garden, but I stole a rogue olive branch. Probably bad karma. And maybe gross. Long hair, don't care.