Ramallah Things to Do

To get to Ramallah from Israel most people go through the Qalandia checkpoint, a barren area of barbed wire and watch towers - with absolute hectic chaos on each side as taxis, buses and shoppers grind to a standstill. Getting in to the West Bank is no problem - just walk through the gate. Getting back into Israel requires queueing (or rather pushing and shoving!), passport checks and turnstiles. Behind it all is the towering concrete "Security Wall". It's all quite a depressing but fascinating sight.

Not so much a "must-see" as a "can't avoid seeing". When he was alive Arafat's face popped up on posters, billboards and walls all over town. Since he died his presence has grown even further. This huge billboard stretches right across one of the main streets.

Ramallah, like most of Palestine, is a very political place and it seems nearly every wall is covered in political slogans, posters and graffiti. Most are calls to free prisoners and commemorate people killed in the Intifada

The lion statues are one of Ramallah's best known landmarks. Sitting under the towering metal tent-like structure right in the roundabout that marks Ramallah's centre, they are a common meeting place, a great way to find your bearings, and an ideal place to meet some of the locals.

If you're coming from Israel then this is where the markets get that bit more Arabic and Middle Eastern - you know, hectic, exotic, loud and colourful. The whole of Ramallah city centre is full of stalls and shops selling... well, pretty much everything!

The Muqata is the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, who control Ramallah and various parts of the West Bank. In 2002 it was shelled by Israel and part of it was pretty much destroyed. Yasser Arafat was kept under house arrest here ever since the Israeli attack. The compound is also home to several Palestinians on Israel's most wanted list, who would be arrested and/or killed if they left. Needless to say they're not in much of a hurry to go!

Now that Arafat is dead the Muqata has actually got busier, particularly with the elections coming up early next year. The place is often swarming with politicians and soldiers. At the back entrance you can now find Arafat's grave and memorial.

Behind the grave the wall has been covered with wreaths and bunches of flowers sent from around the world. Well, most are of course from the Middle East but there are also some in English and French. There's one from the EU, France, Ireland, Japan, even from Britain... but nothing from USA or Israel. Can't imagine why not!!

In a highly unusual move, Arafat's body has been placed in a concrete coffin, allowing it to be easily moved in the future. Palestinians stil hope that he will be able to be buried in East Jerusalem... Israel says not a chance. Until that day may come he's staying here in Ramallah, flanked by PA police and visited by streams of supporters and intrigued foreigners.