Last Day in Jerusalem

Today's plan was to travel to Rechovot to stay with cousins - Yitzhak and Shoshana. Before I left Jerusalem, there was still some sightseeing to be done. I went back to the Western Wall in the hopes to do the underground tunnel tour, where you go underneath the current ground level to the base of the Western Wall. I get to the ticket counter, and the ticket agent tells me you need to book tickets 3 months in advance!!! I pleaded with him to sell me a ticket, as I was only one person, and it was my last day in Jerusalem. Thankfully he did - for 4PM, which meant I had the entire day to kill before the tour. I walked to the ancient city of David (5 minute walk from the Old City walls). I had just missed the first tour, and I was not able to do the second one because of the conflicting times. Something to do the next time I'm there.

Finally 4PM - the tour starts. What you see of the Western Wall is only 1/3 of the actual wall. When the city was destroyed numerous times, people began to build on top of it, thus there is constant excavations going on, and things being discovered. The tunnel tour took us all along the Western Wall below ground. An underground portion of the Western Wall. The brick at the height of people's heads is ONE piece - and it didn't even fit in the entire picture. Still about 10-15 feet extra beyond the size of the pic!

At the 'market' area of the time of the first temple. The pillars are indicative of separation between stores.

The tour took us all the way across the old city to the other end of the Muslim quarter. Once back at the existing ground level, guards led the way back to the Western Wall Plaza area, where the tour ended.

After a long day of walking, I had to go back to the hostel to retrieve my luggage, and then I headed off to Rechovot. I had to catch a public city bus to get to the main bus terminal, and then a coach bus to Rechovot - about an hour and a half away from Jerusalem. Amazingly I didn't get lost! Exhausted, I finally arrived, and Yitzhak picked me up from the bus stop.

We got to their house, and food was ready for me! I relaxed for a while had a nice meal, and before heading to bed, we planned out tomorrow's activities.