COVID-19 in the Holy Land


  • The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected all countries, but life in Jerusalem is particularly unusual.
  • Israel, known for its penchant for security, quickly took the most severe steps, which were soon followed by other countries. The Palestinian Authority, with far less capacity (and no control over its borders), went even further.
  • Each day has brought forth new rules, restrictions and guidelines to the point where almost every business is closed and all residents must stay within 100 meters of home, except for groceries and medical needs.
  • Telework is the new norm and social distancing is all the rage - Israelis and Palestinians having perfected this practice for over 70 years.
  • Schools are closed, but Lena's teacher leads daily online e-lessons. So now we are also the teacher’s assistants.
  • In fact, the first thing that one could say is the pandemic has made life boring. 
  • On the other hand, with tourists having departed the region, we took the opportunities get outside and enjoy the land. 
  • For example, our favourite places are Israeli national parks. Ein Gedi spring was devoid of tour buses with few tourists.
  • UPDATE: national parks are now closed and we are now stuck in the house full-time.
  • So now we wait for the lockdown to be lifted. Based on the track record, it may be a while...

Location: Jerusalem

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home

Image
We arrive at our apartment in East Jerusalem, a disputed area between Israelis and Palestinians. Our colleagues welcome us at our apartment. It is even better than in pictures.   Maleaha’s luggage plan was perfect. Still barren, but we have all the essentials, including kitchen gear.   We take a driving tour of nearby supermarkets for essentials. They seem to have everything but meat.   Our first meals: falafel for lunch and dinner. Lena has mac n' cheese from a box… ahlan, baby!   Garden full of trees: olives, figs, lemons, others to be identified later. And two tortoises we named Shelly and Diesel.   Watched the sunset from the neighbourhood park, which is a rare green space in this area.   Palestinian families also come to the park to relax in the evening and children come to invite Lena in Arabic.   The park includes a famous abstract statue ( “Emouna” by Alexander Liebermann ) known as the Elephant or Toilet Paper Rolls.   Slep...
Read more

Jordanian Getaway

Image
After several weeks in Jerusalem, we took the advice of seasoned residents and booked a getaway to Jordan. Our bus tour took us to the ancient Roman ruins of Jerash, a massive archaeological site. The town was destroyed by earthquakes in the 8 th and 9 th centuries and discovered only in the 1800s. Jerash is highly walkable and Lena enjoyed scaling the various ruins, especially the amphitheatre.   Next was a day in Petra, the Nabatean “Rose City” carved into sandstone valleys made famous by Indiana Jones . We walked over eight km past ancient tombs, caves, temples and a church, then hired mules for the trip back. We camped nearby Bedouin-style at a hotel with passing camels, starry skies, tea and – most importantly – puppies.   Our last stop was Wadi Rum, site of King Abdullah I and T.E. Lawrence 's 1916 Arabian revolt (and more films). We rode in pickup trucks around the Mars-like landscape, climbed a sand dune and Lena joined a camel caravan. Th...
Read more

Ten Things About Camels in the Negev

Image
On our way to the Red Sea, we decided to stop for a night in the desert at the Negev Camel Ranch near Dimona. Dromedary camels are found throughout the region and are still a major part of Bedouin culture, including in Israel's Negev Desert. The Israeli-owned, Bedouin-run ranch offers rides and Bedouin-style stays in huts, with dinner, breakfast and generous servings of sweet tea. The camels are well-treated by regional standards, with plenty of fresh hay, modern equipment and a light walking schedule. Lena also made friends with an adolescent she named Charlie, who followed her and enjoyed neck scratches. Camels move slowly, but do play, especially juveniles, who frolic, wrestle (with their necks) and chase each other in circles. W e took a morning ride near the Nabatean ruins of Mamshit (real place), where our guide told us many, many camel facts. All our riding camels were female, as the males are more aggressive, particularly during mating season. Dromedari...
Read more