On the Road

"The purpose of life lies at the intersection of the heart's deepest desires, the mind's keenest talents, and the world's greatest needs."

OPT - The West Bank

There are [39] photos in this gallery.

Includes: Hebron, Ramallah, Arafat's tomb, The Wall

Young men chatting in Hebron in front of a graffiti-strewn brick wall Views[13] Radioactive-coloured pickled veggies in a tiny alleyway bazaar in Hebron. Most bazaars have withered away because hardly any tourists visits anymore and locals have so little money to spend. Views[19] Views[15] One savvy vendor catering to the few tourists that do make it to Hebron Views[14] Tender shoots breaking through the misery... Views[20]
 
This home was hit by some sort of projectile arms (I'm not sure if it was a small rocket, but it made quite the explosion), fired by the Israelis, because the residing Palestinian family brings tourists to the roof to show them the encroaching Israeli settlements. Views[16] Palestinians talking about their lives and selling paraphernalia Views[14] The Israeli flag. I was told by several different people (though all Arab Palestinian sympathists) that the two blue lines represent the Nile in Egypt and the Euphrates in Iraq, the two natural boundaries to which Zionists aspire to expand their land. Views[14] The view of Israeli settlements encroaching upon Palestinian homes. Israelis have been expanding their settlements well beyond the legal borders of 1967 into the Palestinian Territories, despite condemnations and calls from the international community to halt them. They often bulldoze entire Palestinian farming communities without warning and during the night, leaving thousands homeless and displaced from their traditional lands. Views[15] A young Palestinian boy flies a kite, somehow still smiling, high above the Israeli settlements. If that's not a metaphor for the resilience of a marginalized people, I don't know what is. Views[15]
 
(see previous) Views[16] A fully-covered woman (except her hands) doing her shopping in a bazaar in Hebron Views[14] The Palestinian shop-keepers installed wire fencing above the alleyway to protect themselves from the garbage thrown down by Israeli settlers Views[17] A teenage boy retrieving a wayward football near an Israeli checkpoint in Hebron Views[11] Flowers growing through the cages Views[13]
 
Roadside view on the drive from Bethlehem to Ramallah. A young Palestinian woman I was with said that her drive to work (a youth sports and development NGO) should take 10 minutes but usually takes at least an hour because of the number of Israeli checkpoints. Views[12] One of many powerful lines spray-painted on the walls of Ramallah. There were many more in Arabic that I couldn't read but were surely even more heart-wrenching and/or inspiring. This one reads: Stars & Bucks Cafe, a hilarious appropriation of the more well-known American version, in central Ramallah Views[22] The Palestinian flag. The colours represent four different Arab dynasties throughout the ages and the overall design is a variation of the one used for the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1916. Views[19] Views[20]
 
The icon of Palestinian identity and defiance is also known as Handala, the character drawn by political cartoonist Naji al-Ali. Though he is drawn all over the walls in the West Bank, I found this mosaic in the basement of the museum in Ramallah Views[21] Views[21] One of my favourite Middle Eastern delicacies - falafel!! Views[18] One of the busy streets of Ramallah Views[20] Views[21]
 
A sidewalk vendor dispensing some tea to a customer Views[22] A colourful market in Ramallah overflowing with fresh fruits and veggies. I would often get strawberries for a late dinner - could only get a half kilo at a time, because I couldn't resist eating them all in one sitting! Views[23] Local men enjoying the ubiquitous smoke and chai (tea) Views[30] There's little Handala again, the symbol of Palestinian identity and defiance... the entire wall, stretching on for half a block, was covered in incredible graffiti Views[18] No shortage of Palestinian flags - possibly even as many as in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat! (though I much prefer the rationale for the ones in Pal) Views[21]
 
The tower next to Yasser Arafat's tomb in Ramallah. Arafat was Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), leader of Fatah (one of the two main political parties), and president of the Palestinian Authority (the governing body of the Palestinian Territories). Views[19] Arafat's tomb Views[16] Views[20] Views[14] The gated security entrance into Israel from Ramallah. The Israeli guards locked the rotating gate every few people so that someone was stuck in between the bars for a few minutes. It was an incredibly humbling experience and a daily one for hundreds of Palestinians who identify it as one of the many psychological tactics waged in the war Views[16]
 
Head hung low... in humiliation, anger, or both. Views[16] A mother and infant were the next to be locked in the rotating security gate. Views[15] A bitter look back at the revolting Israeli checkpoint from Ramallah before driving onwards to Jerusalem Views[15] The one and only Wall. Israel has been erecting this wall for several years now around the Palestinian Territory of the West Bank, going well past the legal borders of 1967 and cutting off sections of the West Bank for further control. Critics around the world have referred to it as our generation's Berlin Wall - something that MUST come down in the name of humanity. Views[16]  

About shrummer16


Photo Galleries

Where I've been

Favourites

Highlights

My trip journals

  Learn the Lingo on your iPod - Our free language guides

Find us on these social networks  Flickr YouTube Vimeo Facebook Twitter

Insurance
Travel Insurance
What we cover
Prices & Benefits
Get a Quote
Claims
Faqs
Safety
Travel Safety
Safety Hub Blog
Adventures
Features
Destinations
Photos
Stories
Videos
Tags
Create your journal
Footprints
Open projects
Completed
Footprints Network
Positive Footprints Documentaries
WorldNomads.com
About Us
Press Room
News of the World (Nomads)
Contact Us
Partner Network
Privacy

Copyright © 2004-2009 World Nomads. All rights reserved. Patents pending 2002