Mimi Rippy

Discovering Jerusalem

When you enter the stone gates to the Old City, you’ll feel like you’re walking through history. The Old City is a really remarkable place where you can see, literally see, historical monuments that are thousands of years old like the Western Wall (which later became known as the Wailing Wall) and the dome of the rock.

Jerusalem offers an interesting mix of history, culture, religion, and modern-day fun. That said, during the day, it is best to dress modestly (shoulders covered, knees covered) because it is a very religious population and it’s wise to avoid offending people.  But at night, in terms of dress, it's pretty much fair game.

The cobblestone streets of the Arab souk (or market) are lined with merchants selling scarves, Israeli flags, and jewelry. Some of the jewelry is beaded and hand made, while other pieces are sold in nice shops. There is also some impressive silver work that you can get engraved with whatever you want in Hebrew. You'll also probably be approached by an eager vendor selling the red strings (you can get something like 10 for 10 shekels, equivalent to a few dollars) that are customarily worn on the left wrist to ward off misfortune brought about by the evil eye. But, these men are all over Jerusalem, especially on Ben Yehuda, a major pedestrian shopping street in downtown Jerusalem.

We chose to explore the city on our own, but there are a variety  of Jerusalem sightseeing tours available. You can embark upon tours slanted towards various religious perspectives (Jewish Tours, Catholic Tours, Christian Tours) or more generic ones (Holy Land Tours, Pilgrimage Tours).

Aside from the idea of Jerusalem as an ancient city, it's actually pretty contemporary.  The 'downtown' area (King George, Ben Yehuda and Jaffa streets) has several modern restaurants and coffee shops (there's even a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) and clothing stores (including an American Apparel).  

Also, while people tend to think of Jerusalem as a holy city it also has an amazing night life! Dancing on the bar at Kings Bar or sitting at one of the tables outside of Zolly's or getting down at Bonita – all makes for a great night out. There's also a 24-hour tattoo/piercing parlor.

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