Tourist Attractions in Palestine

After getting lost in the old city of jerusalem on my own I decided to get a tour guide for a couple of hours who showed me around. At noon I thought it may be worth it to take a trip to Bethlehem and my palestinian tour guide wanted 300 Shekels for it!!! He alleged it would be very difficult and complicated to get through the checkpoint and that he would take me there. Thanks goodness I declined his "offer" and caught a bus to the checkpoint, walked through the wall and got a palestinian taxi on the other side. No complications, no difficulties, it was too easy! Alltogether I spent much much less than 300 Shekels and was shown around the entire Bethlehem area and some sights away from the town and met many nice lovely people there I wouldnt have met with an organized tour. By the way: This is also no problem for a girl travelling on her own.

This picture surley speak for it self, especially nowadays I think it is not worthy to contact these guys for a chat. As I have heard, the West-Bank is closed for tourists these days (nov 2000), but just keep distance and ask before you 'shoot' at them with your camera.

The Dead Sea is normally as calm as a mill pond, with barely a ripple disturbing its surface, but it can become turbulent. During most days, however, the water shimmers under a beating sun. where rocks meet its lapping edges, they become snow like, covered with a thick, gleaming white deposit that gives the area a strange, surreal sense like that of another world.