Off I went to the Bethlehem checkpoint. I started taking pictures for the blog as soon as I approached the terminal in order to convey the difficulty and sheer humiliation of trying to move in and out of Bethlehem [or any other part of the WB, for that matter]. I had about 10 or so pictures, of the multiple turnstiles, the endless lanes [similar to what you see at amusement parks and equally long], soldiers behind bullet proof glass, x ray machines...you get the picture.
No one said anything to me about the pictures, I walked through [i wasn't allowed to drive my car into Bethlehem; had to park it outside], hopped a taxi and called Maha [engineer extraordinaire and a new friend] on the way. She was waiting for me when i got there and we went straight to the site. We had the drawings, maps, measuring tape, etc. and figured out the best spot on the new nature reserve. Of course, I took some pictures there, too. The location is on top of a hill, so, again, the view was breath-taking. You could see clear to the Jordan border and I was told that on some days, you can even see the Dead Sea from there. Rolling hills dotted with homes that have nestled within the landscape [in contrast to the large settlement developments that carve off and violate the hills to accommodate building plans].
Anyway, I got a chance to survey the location and to chat with Maha a bit more. She and I got a bit of a workout too going up and down that hill. Finally, we left in her car so she could drop me off at the terminal.
A note about the Wall: it is really truly obscene. In some places, you can avoid seeing it, but not if you venture to the main road to anywhere in Bethlehem. For many homes, what used to be a view of rolling hills, green valleys, and adjacent towns, is now a vulgar grey cement slab. some homes are circled on all three sides. It's worse than any maximum security prison wall, with ominous watch towers interspersed along its length. When you look at it, it feels like the hand of a dark angel covers your heart. I understood [partly at least] what Maha meant when she said it was suffocating.
Maha was kind enough to drive me all the way to the walkway into the terminal. I got my camera out to take pictures of the walk back through the endless maze of that terminal, thinking i'd get back to my cousin's house within the hour, have a hot meal, update the blog with all the pictures I took and head on to see a couple of friends whom I've been wanting to see since i got here. Boy was I wrong...
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