106 days

Well this post is extremely overdue. My last day in Greece was lovely. I started at Firopotamos, which was probably my favourite beach on Milos. Lay there for a couple hours reading, swimming, and occasionally patting the cats that came my way.

Rode up to Trypiti and visited the ancient Roman theatre before having lunch at Ergina; an eggplant salad/dip kind of thing and some garlic pasta that is apparently a Milos speciality.

After lunch I went back to Sarakiniko for a rest and a swim, then headed home to relax for a bit. Had to drop the scooter off in Triavassalos so headed up there and wandered down the hill back to Adamas. Stopped at a bar overlooking the port for an Aperol spritz on the last night of my holiday, then walked along the shore to a restaurant called Mikros Apopoulos for dinner. Another Greek salad and some zucchini fritters, both of which were excellent. Both restaurants at lunch and dinner gave me a cute little dessert on the house - lunch was a coffee pannacotta in an espresso cup, and dinner was the lemon meringue pictured. So courteous and kind of the perfect treat after each meal.

My final task of the day was picking up a hire car from town and taking it back to my accommodation, as the lady whose place I was staying works at a hire company, and it was her solution for getting me to the airport without having to take a taxi. I knew when I agreed to this the car would be a manual, and I didn’t want to cause a fuss by asking for an auto. So I took a few deep breaths and got the car into first, and crawled out onto the street. I ended up at the main road in town and stalled a couple times on the corner, trying to find a moment to make the turn and get into gear. After a couple of aborted attempts I rolled the car along, praying that I wouldn’t have to brake again to make the next turn. By some small miracle a gap opened at the exact moment I needed to go left and I sailed along smoothly all the way back to my flat, getting up to third gear relatively comfortably. It was such a relief to get back and park the car!!!

Spent the rest of the evening packing my bag for the last time of the trip. The next morning I had to drive back to town in the little fiat again, which was okay. Katerina (the host) then took over, kindly, and dropped me at the airport - which was basically one big room. We walked out to the tiny plane with its propellers and flew to Athens. The views of Milos from above were stunning - it was cool to see lots of the spots that I’d been from the air.

Transited pretty quickly, picking up some duty free booze as a gift for Zeb for having me in London. The next flight was possibly one of the longest in my life, in that I finished my book on the first leg, and my earphones lost battery maybe halfway in… so the only entertainment I had for the better part of 2.5 hours was a couple of shitty games on my phone, and occasionally checking where we were on google maps.

There were some delays landing at Heathrow and then getting to our gate but eventually we got off and I hurried to immigration. The officer seemed generally non-plussed by my presence but she did wish me good luck after I told her I was moving over for a couple of years. When I got to the baggage carousel the sign said all the luggage had been delivered and my bag was nowhere to be seen. I registered it as missing, poked around a bit, felt sorry for myself, and then took myself down to the tube station to get to Zeb’s. Really wasn’t any point in hanging around.

An hour and a half later I’d made it to his apartment. Was great to see a friendly face. I wish I could say we took it easy but I had to hurry to Hackney post office to collect some ID before we headed to Westfield Stratford so I could get some underwear, t-shirts and toiletries to get me through the next few days without my luggage.

On Monday I didn’t do a huge amount. Had a lazy morning at the apartment before having a massage (my last treat of the holiday) then heading to Achivadolimni beach, which unlike the rest of the beaches I’d visited, was inside of Milos’s harbour or caldera. It was beautiful, water sparkling in the sunlight. At one point a bunch of people gathered in one spot and were walking up the beach, looking at something in the water. Turned out to be an octopus! It basically came to shore before realising its mistake (and after being ogled by tourists) and swam back off into deeper water. Pretty cool.

Sunday was a big day of exploring the north coast of Milos. I started at Firopotamos, which might just be my favourite of the beaches. It’s a bit pebbly, a bit sandy. The water is turquoise and clear. There are a few little buildings around with accommodation in them, mostly, and a whitewashed church, plus some ruins at the top of the hill over the sea, which gives it some character. And there’s a beach bar for coffee and drinks, should it tickle your fancy. The cove is sheltered from wind (as long as it’s not coming from the north) and is generally just beautiful.

I stayed there for a couple of hours reading, cooling off in the water. Had a beer once it hit midday (or did it?? I don’t know) then scooted off to Mandrakia for lunch, which has Gerania beach just to the west of it. The restaurant I went to was called Medusa; recommended by Naya from the yachting day but clearly pretty well known, it was quite busy when I was there and it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere.

Had another Greek salad and some fried Mastelo cheese with honey, plus a glass of crisp rosé. All excellent. Lingered for a bit before riding off to Myrtakas beach, further to the east. Myrtakas was a sandy beach and more exposed to the wind, but still quite lovely. Just as I lay on my stomach, about to doze off after lunch, a freak wave soaked me and 80% of my stuff! Jumped up, managing to rescue my book, shorts, and bag, and hung up my towel to dry.

Next I rode around to Papafragas caves and the nearby rocky beach, much like Sarakiniko from the other day. Finally I paused in Pollonia, at the north-easternmost point of the island, for another freddo espresso and a little wander. You can see Kimolos from Pollonia - it’s just across the little channel. Before coming to Milos I’d read Pollonia is more family-oriented and it is - pretty quiet, mostly populated by mini-resorts and tourist accommodation, around a quiet long bay of a beach. Glad I didn’t decide to stay there, seemed a bit dull to be honest.

On Saturday I headed south again, this time to Fyriplaka, for kayaking. We got so lucky with the weather. There was no wind, no breeze whatsoever, and the water was like glass. We headed east through some caves and around to Gerakas (which I'd visited on the sailing day), where we stopped to explore the 'hot springs.' Basically, due to ongoing geothermic activity, there are spots along the corner of the beach and a bit further around where the sand is hot underwater and the water is warmer due to the presence and release of sulphur. You see the bubbles rise up from the sand with a snorkel mask on. And the sand can burn - in some patches it was impossible to stand.

We paddled some more, went for a swim in a cave, and came back around to Tsigrado beach. The water in the caves goes this kind of luminescent turquoise as light gets in, pretty magical. And the contrast between the blue of the water and the red in the rocks at Fyriplaka is stunning.

After kayaking I tried to lay on the beach for a bit but it was just too hot. No breeze and no shade meant the sun just beat down. I poked around the shore for a bit, picking at and examining the pebbles and rocks on the beach - they were so many different and unusual colours, cus of the volcanic nature of the island. Reds, yellows, purples, clear rocks and white or cloudy ones, and even greens.

On Friday I took it pretty easy. Scooted down to Paleochori beach around 9.30am. When I first arrived I was basically the only person there. Lazed around, read, went for dips to cool off, lazed some more. Left around lunch time and headed back to my flat for a siesta.

Later in the afternoon I popped down to Adamas and browsed some of the shops and had an espresso freddo, before setting off for Klima - one of those fishing villages I mentioned before. It was very pretty and peaceful, water lapping gently, some people around. I will say the former fishing huts aren't the most private places to stay - there were a few people like me wandering past, looking in.

My final stop for the day was Plathiena, which I'd been told has beautiful sunsets. It's true, the sunset from that north-west facing beach was gorgeous, but the main road down was closed for some unknown reason and the alternate road down was very gravelly, very pot-holed, and slightly stressful on a basic road scooter. I've seen people about on quad bikes and after experiencing some of the 'roads' here, I now see why.

So I sat on the beach and read some more, while the sun sank lower, but eventually I just decided to scoot up the bad section of the road and watch the rest of the sunset from up on the hill. It was incredibly serene up there, the quiet interrupted only by the sounds of a few nearby goats munching on hay and head-butting the metal fence.

On Thursday, as a reward to myself for the job interviews (and the getting of a job) I went on an all day yacht trip around Milos. Scooted down to Adamantas and grabbed a coffee (a really good coffee!) and sat in the sun by the port to drink it. Patted one of the local cats. Gave my friend Ainsley a quick video call as she's looking after my girl Soda - tried to rouse Soda from her sleep but she kind of just squinted at the camera and twitched her ears about a bit while I was calling her name.

Went over to the meeting point and boarded the catamaran we were travelling on for the day. Met the other people in the group - exclusively Americans - and set off. The tour I chose turned out to be family operated, we had a girl named Naya and her brother (Antonio, I think?) and later in the day we bumped into their parents on the seas; as they were on a week-long privately chartered trip, taking people around the Cyclades.

Set off north out of the harbour and around to the west. Our first stop was Sykia, a massive cave (the second photo) with striking, contrasting volcanic rocks in black and white. Jumped in for a swim. It was beautiful. The water sparkled and reflected against the cave. It was incredible to just float and look up to the rocks encircling us above. Had a quick breakfast on board too - fresh bread with homemade marmalade, made by Naya's mum.

Sailed on around to the next stop which was Kleftiko. As the name suggests, it's an old pirate bay. Their boats used to hide in the natural caves and ambush passing vessels. We swam again in a cove nearby. The water there was beautiful and turquoise but possibly a little colder than our earlier stop. I swam over to one small stretch of beach then across to caves on the other side and perched myself on some rocks. Saw lots of teeny fish. The water is so unbelievably clear that you can see everything below you. The boats cast a shadow and from above they look like they're floating on glass.

Our next stop was Gerakas beach. I paddled to shore to cool down, as it was getting hot on the boat, then swam back. A lot of the places we visited are completely inaccessible by land as the beaches and coves are at the bottom of sheer volcanic cliffs. It was spectacular.

After Gerakas we stopped for lunch, which was simple but so tasty. Naya and her brother had prepared grilled eggplant and zucchini, Greek salad, fresh tzatziki, boiled potatoes with capers and lemon, grilled chicken for the meat eaters, and a vegetable orzo pasta for me. It was soooo good. Spent the time sailing around lying on the (super new and very comfy) deck of the boat, reading, chatting with the others.

The final stop was Galazia Nera bay at Poliegos - an uninhabited island only about 4km east of Milos. It's also known as the blue lagoon. Hopefully the photos above demonstrate why. I have never seen such incredibly cerulean blue waters in my life. I had a go at stand up paddle-boarding around, which was slightly comical given how unfit I am after 6 weeks of no pilates and eating what I want on holiday, but I managed to stay on the whole time - then I gave up (once my legs started trembling) and jumped in to cool off.

Took about 2 hours to sail back to port, this time around the north side of the island. The wind picked up a bit for a stretch, but once we turned into the sheltered harbour it was calmer. Motored past the old fishing villages that dot the coast. They basically used to be small two level buildings with a garage for the boat at the bottom and a mezzanine above for the fishermen to sleep, to spare them having to go to port and home every night while working. In recent years they've basically all been transformed into Airbnb's for tourists to stay in during the summer months.

Wednesday was my first full day in Milos but I spent most of it at my place preparing for and then doing three job interviews. By some small miracle they all went well, and I got to choose which borough I’ll be working for come mid-June.

As soon as they were done I grabbed my cozzies and headed to Sarakiniko beach. If you’ve ever seen photos of Milos it’s almost certainly Sarakiniko. It’s a white cliffed beach with crystal clear water. Had a little swim, walked around, parked myself in the evening sun, and read for a bit.

Short post as Tuesday was mostly a travel day. Up early, metro to the port, boarded the ferry. Had an espresso freddo and some spanakopita and read my book for the almost 4 hour journey to Milos.

When I arrived there were two people waiting for me - the scooter hire guy and one of the ladies staying at my accommodation, sent by the owner to show me the way to the place. I followed the little fiat up the hill (pinching myself at the views the whole time I was riding) and in less than 10 minutes was at the gorgeous flat I get to call home for a week.

Settled in properly, unpacking all my stuff. Pottered around before scooting up to a nearby supermarket for some groceries. Had a late lunch of dolmades, giant beans, and tzatziki then did a video call with a friend of a friend who I’ve paired up with in an attempt to find somewhere to live in London - trying to join an existing house share is proving near impossible, demand is so unbelievably high at the moment.

Met a friendly cat who I initially thought was female and pregnant because it was so friendly and so affectionate. After talking to another person here I’ve learnt his name is Marius and it seems he’s been desexed, which is more than I can say for almost all the other cats I’ve seen around.

Monday was my only full day in Athens. It started pretty lazily, I will admit. Eventually I headed over to a nearby laundromat and put some stuff on, breaking my cash with a delicious espresso freddo. I love Greek iced coffees.

Did some shopping while I waited for my things to dry. Headed to a cute third wave coffee place to have a phone call with my recruiter in London, then went to an all vegetarian and vegan cafe for lunch. Had a satay tofu poke bowl which was expensive but worth it - been so long since I had anything that resembles Asian food (Sri Lanka not included).

Found a new pair of sunnies I quite like after going to probably 6 or 7 shops… my faithful Ray Bans were really on their last leg this whole trip, then I smashed my head into a roof with them on my head on Sunday, and it really was the end.

Dropped stuff off at the flat, bummed around a bit. Read in the sun on the day bed outside. Went back down to the shops for other bits and bobs. Changed for the evening and headed up to the acropolis - it’s been 9 years since I was there last. The Parthenon has still got scaffolding all over it, so I only really took photos of the east side. Suppose it has been standing for about 2,500 years, needs all the help it can get.

Got up early on Sunday for my flight to Athens. Walked to the light rail, took the tram, took a train, got to the airport - terminal 3, where the train arrives. Waited for and took a cramped and winding shuttle bus to terminal 1, for check in. Was asked a bunch of questions at emigration. Think I got a nice officer. Someone on the day trip to the West Bank told me they ask you questions to see whether they're going to blacklist you from re-entering the country. Don't know how true that is. The questions he asked didn't really lend themselves to answers that wouldn't let me back in.

Checked my backpack, thank goodness (it's really starting to weigh a tonne - I don't see how it could've gotten heavier cus I haven't really bought anything... perhaps I'm just much weaker), then stood in another security line. I was directed to the one on the right, with a few other foreigners, where officers opened my bags and checked everything I had for explosive residue, then it all went through the regular scanner, and I repacked it again. Down to the tarmac to take a bus back to terminal 3, where I originally arrived. El Al said it was due to congestion at the airport. Tedious but fine.

Wandered the airport for the better part of 2 hours before boarding. The flight was only a couple of hours and the views were pretty magnificent. Pretty sure the island in the photo is Paros.

Everything at Athens went pretty smoothly and I made it to my lovely little apartment around 4.30pm. The studio itself was basically a raised bed and a bathroom with a tub, with the best part being the outdoor terrace and its incredible view of the Acropolis. Ran a bath, because I could. Put in some shower gel and turned on the jets, accidentally turning into a foam party. Relaxed for a bit before taking myself off to the pastel streets of Plaka for a delicious and possibly the most nutritious meal I have eaten in quite some time - just a Greek salad, zucchini fritters, and a wine.

After dinner I wandered a little further. The streets were positively bustling. It's such a stark difference from the last time I was in Athens in 2013. I'd remembered the city as grey and grimy and kind of sketchy - but I still liked it a lot. It's seemingly transformed. Restaurants and shops everywhere, clean and freshly painted streets, people in every cafe and bar. Ended up at a slightly chaotic sports bar (people were spilling out of it and onto the street - both sides of the premises) where two of the final soccer matches of the English Premier League were being broadcast - the Man City and Liverpool games. Those two teams were vying for the premiership and it all came down to Sunday afternoon. In the end the expected happened and Man City beat the team they were playing to come out on top. I have a feeling the bar was mostly full of Liverpool supporters - not a lot of people celebrating when it was over.

On my last day in Israel I got up early and hotfooted it to a hostel that runs tours, to see if I could get on the West Bank tour for the day, as Saturday in Jerusalem is pretty bloody quiet. There was almost no one in the streets, and literally everything is shut. I was impressed by the cat in the first photo's resting spot - probably the only day of the week she gets to sit up there.

Got on the tour but the bus was an hour late coming from Tel Aviv because of some marathon that was on there. I think this meant our guide had an hour less of the day to take us around. His name was Ashraf and he joined us in Ramallah, where we made our first stop at Arafat Square. Told us a bit about the history of the sculpture on the flagpole; about how it was forbidden to show or fly the Palestinian flag after the war of 1967 until the Oslo accords in 1993. Also picked up some quick breakfast - managed to get a bottle of water, two little cheese triangles, and two coconut macaroons for 5 shekels - unheard of on the other side of the border.

Our next stop was Al-Manara Square, just up the street, where a big digital billboard displayed a tribute to Shireen Abu Akleh and stone lions sat in the centre of the roundabout, representing various significant families who hail from the area. The square is frequently a site for protests.

The last stop in Ramallah was the tomb of Yasser Arafat. He was a divisive figure and even Ashraf said that Palestinians were unhappy with the terms of the Oslo accords, but they respected Arafat as a leader and so they accepted his acceptance of the agreement. We were also told that Palestinians expect that when they retake Jerusalem ('when'...), Arafat's body will be moved there.

Back on the bus for our trip to Jericho. I'll say I was awake for maybe 20 minutes before my late night and early start had me dozing pretty soundly. Woke up groggy as heck and got off the bus to be slammed in the face with 39 degree heat. Jericho is possibly the oldest continuous settlements in the world (or at least it lays claim to it), having been potentially inhabited since 9000BC. Jericho is ostensibly where we went from hunter gatherers to farmers, and there's an ancient grain silo (the grey rocky cylindrical thing in photos above) to show for it. The remnants of what was a palace, also in one of the pictures above, dates to 2450-2350 BC. You can also see the ancient walls, which were up to 2m thick. No surprises as to why they were necessary... being in the rift valley, Jericho was often under attack.

We didn't stay all that long which was kind of disappointing but also welcome given the stifling weather. It was also very hazy that day, with very little visibility into the near distance. Usually you can see across into Jordan easily - not on Saturday. I read today that there have been dust storms in the Middle East, the 10th in two months - but they seem to have been affecting Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait for the most part.

Stopped at the Jordan River at the purported spot where Jesus was baptised, noting that Jordan also has such a location on the Dead Sea; clearly it could be anywhere. The river was more of a creek (because Israel has diverted so much of the river upstream to irrigating the Negev desert for agriculture) and Jordan was just on the other side. There were also a lot of people dressed in white, ready to be baptised / re-commit their faith or whatever. I didn't stay out there long.

Back on the bus for the drive to Bethlehem, during which I caught up on some of the federal election. Eventually we arrived and had lunch, which I found to be pretty average, then went up to the Church of the Nativity and the separation wall again, which I'd seen two days before. It was fine, didn't mind going again. Then it was time for Ashraf to leave us and for us to be driven back to Jerusalem. Our Palestinian bus driver tried one route where upon showing his permit at the checkpoint, the Israeli soldiers took it, and must have told him he couldn't take us through. I didn't understand a word they were saying (except the bus driver definitely said excuse me and something about Tel Aviv, as he had passengers that had to be taken to another minibus to be taken to that city) but it was clear they weren't going to allow us in there.

The bus driver swore loudly and a lot, ranting to himself, as he drove the coach up the road 50m, did a 3-point turn, and passed by the soldiers again; collecting his permit from them through the window and probably saying something not especially nice as he drove away - judging by their facial expressions. So we drove the 10mins back up the winding hill and took another route, passing a car accident on the way. Given how maniacally people drive in the Middle East, I'm surprised it was the only one I saw in my 3 weeks there.

Friday was a long day. Had breakfast at the hotel again - shakshuka this time. It's funny how it's different each time you get it. This one was chunkier rather than saucier, and had more onions. Was delicious. Came with crispy, chewy flat bread. Yes I ate it all.

Checked out and schlepped up to the checkpoint. It was (obviously) worse going in to Israel, rather than coming out. Passed through the revolving doors, lined up in a queue for two more revolving doors. The gate would lock and buzz and a red cross would come on above it as the IDF let a handful through a security scanner before turning green to let a few more through. The soldiers were sitting behind plexiglass, barking orders at people through a fuzzy speaker. It was basically like going through airport security - belts off, bags through a scanner, show your ID/permit - to go to work. After the scan you come up to electronic barriers - some people had electronic permits they could scan and pass through. Other people, like me, just had to hold their papers up and hope. There were two older Palestinian ladies in front of me. One was allowed in, the second was held back, as the solider behind the barrier waved me through. It's just generally a horrible, dehumanising experience - and I had it easy as a Westerner.

Got to Jerusalem old city and dumped my bags at the hotel before setting off on a walk to the Israel Museum. Saw the Dead Sea scrolls (or a facsimile of many of them; unsurprisingly the originals do not hold up well outside of very specific conditions) and the Aleppo codex, which was cool. Explored the contemporary art wing (there was a temporary Magritte exhibition which was great), the Jewish arts and crafts section (they've completely rebuilt 4 synagogues inside the museum - an Indian one from Cochin, a German one, one from Suriname, and one from near Venice in Italy), and the archaeology section. The museum also has a huge model of Jerusalem c. first century CE which was neat.

Took a bus back to the centre of town. It was so busy. Last few hours before Shabbat began and there were people everywhere. Had planned to get a sabich but the queue at the place was nuts so picked a falafel joint instead. Never disappoints.

Moseyed back to the hotel where I tried to nap to no avail. Around 7pm I went and stood outside Jaffa Gate to wait for the German girl I met in Tel Aviv, Stella, to join me. Watched streams of Orthodox Jews hurrying in for prayer. Fascinating.

We went to the bustling Western Wall and watched people dancing and chatting and praying. The sunset was stunning. Waited for Courtney and Gem from the tour on Monday to join us before setting off to the Jewish neighbourhood of Ma'alot Dafna for a Sabbath dinner. We got there super early and were a bit lost, but thankfully a local took pity on us outsiders and showed us the way to the family home that has hosted all three Sabbath meals every Friday and Saturday since 1979, I think - the Machlis family.

We were a bit early so we hovered around. While we did, a couple more guests showed up. Some of the orthodox people came up to us and checked if we were Jewish before asking us to help with things... Gem had to go to someone's house to help turn on the lights; a Belgian guy had to do something similar for the host family. I respect weird traditions and ritual but not being able to turn on a light switch or an oven just seems to make life way too complicated.

Dinner was... an experience, for sure. We were sat, squished up on a trestle table, inside this family home. It was a regular living room jammed with people, the host sitting at the centre back; men and women separated, unless they were married. A couple of young Orthodox ladies from North America were on our table - one from Chicago, one from New York, and the other Toronto. I worry we pestered them with ignorant questions all night, but it was necessary. So many things happened and I had no idea what was going on 90% of the time. The food was pretty good - I mostly had the bread and salads that came out first. The second and third courses were gefilte fish and chicken, and some kind of strudel, noodle thing for dessert. The dinner went from 9pm till about 11.30pm, because food was interspersed with random preachings and teachings from the host and friends. There was also singing prayers at the beginning of the meal, and various bits of singing throughout.

It is incredibly kind of the family to open up their home every week to everyone - it's not just tourists. It's for anyone that doesn't have someone to have Shabbat with, so there were actually a lot of other Orthodox and also some less Orthodox Jews there too. The whole thing was kind of bewildering - I find Judaism a bit mystifying in general (largely due to my own ignorance, I suspect) - but I'm glad I went.

On Thursday I woke up relatively early, didn't feel very well slept. Had a delicious breakfast of oats, yoghurt, and fruit - which is quite basic and doesn't sound unusual, but isn't something I've had since my last week in Sri Lanka. Basically sat around for a few hours, having coffee and reading election coverage until 10am, when the tour of the separation wall & Aida refugee camp began. It was myself, the German dad and daughter that had been sharing the dorm room with me, and an American couple - but the lady spoke Arabic (and I think her family hailed from Palestine originally). The guide, Marwan, took us along the wall and pointed out various artworks by international artists - Banksy being the main one, but there was also one called cakes from Poland, and art by Australia's own Lushsux.

Our walk wrapped around the wall and went through a Palestinian cemetery. There are several watchtowers along this stretch of wall, and loads of rubbish on the ground chucked out of them by belligerent or bored Israeli guards. Including bottles filled with piss, that they chuck on the cemetery. Even the staunchest IDF supporter should think that's fucked up.

We headed up to the refugee camp, the entrance of which has a giant key across the top of the gate. The key symbolises the house keys that Palestinians took with them on the night of the Naqba in 1948, expecting to be able to shortly return to their homes. 74 years later, they're still waiting.

Aida isn't what springs to mind when you think 'refugee camp', in that it isn't a bunch of white tents clobbered together with families pouring out of them with red cross or medicins sans frontieres centres providing aid. It's basically organic development that has grown into a proper neighbourhood out of necessity. Refugees since 1967. They just build up.

When we got to Aida, Marwan handed over to another, younger guide, whose name I didn't catch, but had lived his whole life in Aida and has never left Palestine. Not because he doesn't want to, but because he and his ex-fiancee, an Italian, are both blacklisted. It sounded like he was telling us his marriage was off, because he can't leave the West Bank and she (due to supporting BDS against Israel) can't enter.

The guide took us around and showed us what the original buildings in the refugee camp looked like, which was stone kind of cobbled together. Those first one-storey buildings have steadily been replaced and they now have a lot of taller buildings in the area, around narrow lanes. They have these measly little pipes (about an inch or so wide) that are used to funnel water throughout the camp, with pumps at ground floor to try to get them up to people's homes. They can't install infrastructure as that would require Israeli permission, which funnily enough, is not forthcoming.

Aida also holds the undesirable title of being the most teargassed place in the world. We went up to a rooftop of one of the buildings to take a look out. There were a few teargas canisters littered on the floor.

We also heard about the 13 year old boy, Abdel Rahman Shadi, shot by a sniper from one of the watchtowers, from about 200m away, for throwing stones during clashes in 2015. It is unclear to me how a kid with some rocks could pose an immediate threat to soldiers way up the road. He's obviously not the only one but it's literally criminal that the IDF can get away with killing a teenager.

After the walk I went back to the hotel for a while to decompress and cool down - it was sweltering in Bethlehem that day. Ended up napping. Went out later in the afternoon to see the Church of the Nativity and the Milk Grotto Church. Both fine, churchy. When I was in the Church of the Nativity, one of the staff members came up to me and asked where I was from. I said Australia. He said where are you from, originally. I said Russia & Armenia. His eyes lit up. "Armenia? I am Armenian! Welcome." He shook my hand and asked me to come around to the left side of the altar, where he handed me a candle and offered for me to go downstairs to the cave (to the spot where Jesus is supposed to have been born) and light it. So I did.

There were some very religious tourists down there, kneeling on the stone, kissing it, taking photos of the manger with their iPads. I poked around for a minute, lit the candle, and got out of there. It was very kind of that gentleman... As he walked me around the left (when the entrance to the cave is on the right), a priest gave him a look and he replied back 'Armeni!' pointing at me. Hahaha. A privilege. Like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the various Christians (Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Catholic, and sometimes Coptic) administer different parts or sections of significant churches. The Greeks get the entrance to the cave, the Armenians the exit.

Walked around the Catholic church that was tacked on to the main one in the 1800s, and some more caves underneath - not entirely sure what they were for but they were cool (in temperature). Headed back out and around to the Milk Grotto Church, where it's said milk from Mary dropped onto a red rock, turning it white. Can't say I found that particular rock. These places just remind me how ridiculous religion is.

Went looking for a restaurant that had been recommended by the hotel. Google Maps sent me through the souq, on a Thursday afternoon (their Friday afternoon/start of the weekend). Not the way I needed to go but it was nice to walk around the markets, if accidentally. Found the right place eventually and demolished a lemon and mint drink before moving on to a pizza place for an early dinner. It was pretty good. Mistakenly ordered a beer the side of my head. Me and the couple across from me had a good laugh.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I decided to walk back to Jaffa for breakfast on the recommendation of a friend, who suggested a place that does exclusively hummus, called Hummus Abu Hassan. On my way I wandered through Florentin again, and took that first photo with the corner shop absolutely covered in Israeli flags. It’s probably the only picture I’ve taken, other than the one of the Tower of David, with the flag so prominent and visible. Not to say they’re not everywhere - heaps of people drive around with them sticking out of their car roofs and loads of apartments have a flag hanging off the balcony. They just make me a bit uncomfortable. But I figure… it’s how it is, should document it.

Anyway, back to the hummus. Had their plate of three kinds and some foul - the paste-like mush of beans, which was served with a spicy watery chopped up pickle, chunks of white onion, and fresh bread. All delicious - even the onion. I was hesitant at first and fearful that all I’d taste all day was remnants of onion but it was actually sweet and crunchy. The meal on the whole was insanely filling and I gave up about 2/3 of the way through.

Walked back through Jaffa, stopped at the post office (where it deadset took me 20mins to buy 4 stamps; that cost about $15AUD - there are processes less efficient than AusPost), and headed back to my place via Neve Tzedek, one of the oldest suburbs in TLV.

Gathered all my stuff and navigated my way to the train station, where I just missed the half hourly train to Jerusalem. Killed time reading. The train is really quick, which is a blessing. Took the light rail to Damascus gate then bus 234 from start to finish, ending at checkpoint 300.

Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t what I went through, which was two narrow metal revolving doors either end of a long, enclosed concrete corridor. Came out the other end to a bunch of yellow taxis, which I’d been told by Hussam would be jostling for my business, apparently aggressively. Maybe one or two guys offered me a ride or asked where I was going. Just said I’d walk and they promptly left me alone.

Walked maybe 5 or 10 mins in the afternoon sun up to the hotel and checked in. Got some kind of cloudy apple drink on arrival, the sugar hit helped. Was shown my room, which is a bunk in a room of 6, decorated with old army surplus furniture and antiques/knick knacks. Got changed and parked myself in the lounge area to update this blog and have a coffee.

On Tuesday I walked through Florentin to Jaffa and had shakshuka for breakfast. Love the side salad and tahini that came with it, and the sauce was delicious. Walked down to the sea wall, parked myself on a bench, and read in the sunshine for a while. Was a beautiful morning.

Met up for a walking tour at the clock tower at 11am. We went through what was left of Jerusalem gate, up past the canons that commemorate Napoleon’s taking of the city, to a square next to St Peter’s church that sits on what was formerly houses, razed to the ground during British occupation. Headed through the gardens into the winding alleys of the old town, stopping at the home and gallery of a sculptor named Ilana Goor (apparently quite famous, big in the 80s I think?) to take a look at some of the views from her house and at her art collection.

The tour finished back in town, after which I went for a walk up much of the boardwalk that lines the coast of Tel Aviv, and through Carmel Market, on my way to pick up a sabich for lunch. Holy crap, it was so delicious, and I was grateful for the change from falafel (not that I’m sick of it yet!). Scoffed it sitting on a bench on the street, and some pickles that it came with, before going back to the beach for a laze and a swim.

Walked back to my place, showered and changed, finally worked out how to top up my transport card, and sat down at the cute little bar/restaurant called Depi that I’d spied from my balcony. Had a couple of cocktails (something with gin and basil, and then a white negroni - how it differs from a regular one I’m not clear on, as the drinks menu was exclusively in Hebrew, but it tasted great) and some Jerusalem artichoke arancini. Have to say, after a week of not really drinking in Jordan, as it’s predominantly Muslim, and not really drinking in Tel Aviv, cus it’s prohibitively expensive, I was quite tipsy after two drinks.

Went for a slightly drunk grocery shop where I was impressed with the myriad of dips, pickles, and salads available in Israeli supermarkets (however I emerged with peanuts, chocolate, and Pringles… mostly cus they were about the only cheaper things in store) then chilled at home; re-packed my bag for the twentieth time and watched trash tv. Starting to look forward to not living out of a backpack!

On Monday I found a cute cafe nearby called Cafelix in Florentin before taking myself off to Jerusalem for the day. I'd heard about these 'dual narrative' tours where you're guided by a Palestinian and an Israeli around the historic city and I really wanted to hear both sides. The tours are only seemingly operated on Mondays, so I took the train from Tel Aviv - I think it was only like 40 minutes or so.

Got there too early so set about trying to find something to eat. Found an Arab run patisserie north of Jaffa Gate and got a quiche. Sat outside watching a massive truck and about five surrounding people navigating it through a tiny ancient street. Everyone came out to watch, of course.

Met the tour group outside the gate; the two gentlemen introduced themselves. Hussam was Palestinian - how religious he was was unclear. As a youth he'd thrown rocks at the IDF in the first intifada, and had gotten himself arrested and locked up. He was released and did the same again, becoming a wanted man. I can't remember exactly how he got away, but once the intifada was over, he studied social work, then moved to the US for a master's degree in conflict studies. He also studied mythology. He's been a tour guide since the 1990s. Emmanuel was Israeli, and a Jew, who originally hailed from Manchester but made aliyah to Israel when his daughter was a child. He'd been a teacher in the UK and taught in some schools in Israel and decided to become a tour guide because he thought it would be fun. They both knew a lot about biblical stuff, which I guess is a prerequisite in Israel/Palestine and especially in Jerusalem.

We started at the Tower of David, then went to the Armenian Quarter (the sculpture in the second photo commemorates the victims of the 1916 genocide - also, fun fact - Kim Kardashian baptised her daughter at St James church); through the Jewish Quarter to the church of the holy sepulchre; and finally through the Muslim Quarter. Hussam pointed out some of the 12 stations of the cross, which was pretty dull to me. He also explained a lot of the Christian symbolism in the church itself through mythology, which was more interesting.

After the church we went up to the Western Wall (i.e. the wailing wall - but as Emmanuel explained, Jews don't call it that) which was pretty fascinating to watch. Emmanuel explained the significance of the western wall to Jews and how important it was for them to visit. Men went on one side and all had to wear a kippah, tourists and Jews alike, women on the other. Women weren't allowed to pray at the western wall until 2016. Even now, they're not allowed to access Torah scrolls that men can, or bring their own. Charming!

Watched people praying for a bit, which felt kind of creepy on our part, but it was moving all the same. Lined up for access to Al-Aqsa mosque before heading in and taking a seat in the shade to listen to Hussam explain how it is that the Jordanian Waqf administers the site, how frustrating he found it that clothing is so strictly policed (in the 80s and 90s women could visit in shorts and t-shirts - not saying I'd feel comfortable going to such lengths, but I was made to wear my jumper on 27 degree day because my t-shirt showed my forearms - and we got accosted by a guy towards the end telling women to cover up their hair, to which Hussam said no, and told the guy off for telling us off), and how little the Palestinians and Arabs trust the Jews in terms of access to what the Jews call Temple Mount. Since the war in 1967 there's been a law forbidding Jews to pray at Temple Mount, but increasingly, orthodox Jews and ultra-nationalists visit and pray at the site, accompanied by a security detail. Arabs fear this continued incursion will result in another significant site annexed by Israel, as has happened with Rachel's Tomb and others. For me, visiting these contested sites just magnifies how intractable the problem is. All of that aside, the dome of the rock is stunning and I feel privileged to have been able to walk around it, even if non-Muslims are no longer permitted inside (not since the second intifada in the early 2000s).

After the tour was over a few of us and the guides stayed back and had a coffee and got a falafel pita in the Muslim Quarter, heading out Damascus gate. Second cheapest meal yet, at 10 shekels ($4.20). Myself and the other Aussie in the group, Courtney, wandered back to Jaffa Gate where we parted ways - both in Jerusalem this Friday night though so might go to a Shabbat dinner together. I headed back to the Armenian Quarter to see if there was much I'd missed but it seemed like most things were closed to the public - seems very insular in that part. One Armenian gentleman asked me to check out his jewellery store, which I was too hesitant to - you get stuck there and feel obligated to buy something and it's probably all outrageously priced...! If I feel guilty enough I might go back on the weekend, if it's open, we'll see.

Sunday morning was a bit shambolic, in that the first two cafes I tried to go to for breakfast were both closed. I finally stumbled across a place called Cafe Pina in Florentin, the hip (and probably most recently gentrified?) neighbourhood in Tel Aviv and got a long black and an artichoke sandwich. Both great.

Eventually made it to the nearest train station where I set off for Haifa, about an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv, and home to the Baha'i Gardens. Tried really hard to see them, expecting that you could walk the whole way up (given there is a central staircase around which everything is meticulously, symmetrically designed) but discovering that no, you can only access the lower bit, then the middle bit, then the upper bit separately. Took a bus to the middle; much of it is blocked off, and you can't access it without a guide. Still, the parts that were open were beautiful and incredibly varied.

The balcony at the top section provides incredible views out over Haifa, which seems to be a massive port, and to the north. I stopped for lunch at a place called Cafe Deyoma and had a spinach and cheese pastry that came with some spicy condiment, sour cream, pickles, olives, and an egg. Delicious but almost too filling.

Took the funicular down a few stops to the area called Wadi Nisnas, wandered around and down to the station. Hopped on a train up to Akko - the ancient fort that has been conquered by almost everyone. The crusader castle there is actually really well preserved and I think they've done an excellent job with the audio tour, and telling the story of the coastal town. Spent a while navigating the rabbit warren that is the streets of Akko, passing through the market and walking under the fort in the old Templar tunnel. Made it to the sea wall and had a refreshing lemonade that cost me way too much, before finding a way up to the ramparts to try to get a glimpse of Akko from above.