Day 3: Monday 26 December, of my adventure
The rain finally let up so this morning I took the hostels free city tour, it is a 3hour walking tour that was very informative and we had a great guide that made it a lot of fun!
We walked through little alleyways and past so many old buildings it was a bit overwhelming.
We went to the Western Wall where everyone goes to pray. I also put a small paper with a prayer in the wall, they say you have a better than average chance then that it will be answered.
I met a Canadian Girl that morning, Bobby, she was also staying at the hostel and decided to join me for the days outing.
The two of us took a small local bus number 75 up to Mount Zion. We went into the Mosque of Ascension where there is supposed to be a footprint of Jesus in stone. Couldn’t actually make out the footprint, it looked distorted but was still interesting.
Unfortunately the Church of Ascension was closed for the day. We walked down the mount and entered the Paternoster church where the Lords prayer is in tablets in every known language. This church is built over a cave in which Jesus was said to have taught the disciples the prayer that begins "Our Father who art in heaven". It was absolutely beautiful and I even found the prayer in Zulu and Afrikaans.
Leaving, we stood looking out over the graves that fill the side of the hill right next to the city and enjoyed the stunning sunset.
Right after sunset we went into the Garden of Gethsemane, the last remaining rays shining through the trees and we watched the sun disappear behind the olive trees and the Old City walls.
There are eight olive trees in this garden that may be at least 2,000 - 3,000 years old. They still bear fruit. If they are not the actual trees in the area where Jesus prayed, then they could have been young saplings when Jesus came here with the disciples on that night after the Last Supper.
Stunning end to a great day!!
