This was one of my better dinners, from "Amigo Emil" inside a 400 year old stone building in the Christian Quarter. It is minced lamb and beef kebabs, and crispy hot fries. Yummy!

I had walked down this street a dozen times, but had never noticed the paving stones beneath my feet until I walked back in the evening after the hawker's stalls had all closed. They were so beautiful, I stopped to study them for a while....

Then saw this plaque embedded in the street, and realized why they were polished with such a luster.

A view of the Old City of Jerusalem by night.

Since the Western Wall was open 24/7, I wanted to see if there were people there praying at 10:30pm....sure enough, there was a nighttime crowd!

However, never was it more crowded than "Shabbat," or Friday evening, the sabbath when crowds of people come out to sing and dance in giant circles. It is requested that no photos be taken during Shabbat, so I complied out of respect, but it wa

This wooden ramp is somewhat of a bone of contention. It is the entrance ramp for non-Muslims to enter the Muslim-controlled Temple Mount, yet it is somewhat obstructing a portion of the Western Wall.

I took a bus to visit Masada, and we passed some expansive date plantations along the way.

The bus ride continued for quite some time along the shoreline of the Dead Sea. (Taken from the bus window.)

The Dead Sea is 1,200 feet below sea level, making it "The Lowest Place on Earth!" Ten times more salty than the ocean, with a salt concentration of 30%, it is impossible to sink.

A view of the rock plateau, Masada, from the bus window.

Climbing Masada along the "snake path" is part of the Jewish experience, but in 100 degree heat, I opted for the air conditioned cable car instead.