Returning

The airport was still the same. The immigration officer asked where I was going, and after repeating my answer three times, she just said ‘Jerusalem?’, so I agreed, and was on my way. Due to both Jewish and Muslim religious holidays, Jerusalem was empty. The bus to Ramallah drove through the checkpoint – I don’t think it’s possible to drive around any more. Ramallah was also quieter than usual due to Ramadan. I don’t know if the market and food stalls opened later in the day, closer to il iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset - roughly 5:30), but they weren’t open in the morning. Then on to my destination, where a misunderstanding left me homeless for a couple of hours until I sorted it out. Despite extreme fatigue, there was a problem with the plumbing, and so I sat like a zombie, waiting for them to finish, until finally crashing at 1pm, and sleeping fitfully for 16 hours. My accommodation is much nicer than last time. A family who are in Jerusalem used to live here I think, so it’s much more like the other houses in the village (except for the lack of television and oven) as opposed to just a roof with four walls and some basic furniture. I’m living opposite a school and a restaurant, and on one of the main roads through town, but my fatigue has been far greater than the noise so far. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep in past 7:30 though, except on Fridays. Now that I’ve slept well for two nights I feel better, and I’m happy that I’ve returned.