Jericho

March 1990

We had a lovely time. I particularly remember  the Friday we (my American friend and I) had struggled through the crowds at Damascus Gate, just before a riot had broken out,(Somebody had been killed.) in order to reach the Arab bus station, to catch a bus into Jericho, which is in the West Bank. It was pleasantly warm and very pretty in Jericho. I remember some spectacular fruit stalls. I bought these lovely Jaffa oranges.

Source:Glen Campbell

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvVFz78gcXwM8wgP8h8Cw4w

Somewhere out there, are some fantastic shots of the fruit stalls and also likely one or two of me, as my friend had been a very keen photographer. who had had an awful lot of very professional camera equipment.

We then hired a couple of bikes and headed up to the monastery. I had sat in the sun with the bikes. whilst my friend had finished the climb. I was soon joined by Palestinian children begging for money. I shared my oranges with them.

It is a lovely memory.

I have just been surprised to learn (from the video) that the monastery is the Monastery of the Temptation, where Jesus is supposed to have been tempted. I had not known that at the time. I had just wanted to visit Jericho.

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