March 27, 2002

After school today, Marthame headed down to Jerusalem in a borrowed car with the University's development person for a series of meetings. They could've traveled through Jenin, but things are just so up in the air now, and they don't know the road with the new Qabatia construction going on - instead, they chose to take the only other road open which winds along old dirt and mud tractor trails. Not knowing the road, they hired a Zababdeh taxi to lead them out. The trip to Jerusalem was long - a combination of Passover traffic and random security checks set up around population centers. But it sure beat the tractor trails.

Damascus Gate.

East Jerusalem was a ghost town - most stark of all is the construction work taking place around Damascus Gate which means a large metal wall runs alongside the road - ironically the old 1967 border. It virtually cuts off Damascus Gate from the West of the city.

They arrived at a nearby hostel to find everyone crowded around the TV - a suicide bombing in Netanya had killed at least 15 (a number which would continue to rise) celebrating Passover. At the hostel and in Zababdeh, Marthame and Elizabeth saw grisly scenes of the hotel's dining room, rent apart by the blast, with food still on the tables and pools of blood still on the floor. You know you've been here a while when the first reaction to violence is not the horror of the tragedy, but how it will affect your day and the coming ones. Remaining human can be difficult in the midst of all this.