Bethlehem

We took a bus to Bethlehem, which is not a part of Israel. It is under the control of the Palestinian Authority. As we were on the outskirts of Jerusalem, our bus was stopped by Palestinian authorities and everyone had to get off the bus. I had to show my passport to them but when they saw the cover and the fact that I was an American, they let me back on the bus. It was not until when everyone was back on the bus when I realized 4 people were not allowed to continue traveling to Bethlehem. It could be that they didn't have their travel papers or because they were Israeli.

As soon as we arrived to Bethlehem, which was only a 20 minute ride, we went to the Church of the Nativity. This was the place where Jesus was born. The church is maintained by the Greek Orthodox and below the church was the spot where He was born. The thing is that before you enter the church, you have to duck because the door is so low that you can bop your head on it.

Afterwards, we went across the street for lunch and for 76 shekels we got a plate of hummus, falafel, salad, and shawerma. It was so good. We also hit up some stores for rosaries and other gifts for friends and families. After spending three hours in Bethlehem, we took the bus back to Jerusalem.