Yerushalayim

ONE week today, assuming Emirates flies on time, about now I shall be casting around Amman airport attempting to find the Royal Jordanian desk. Alternatively, catch a shared taxi across the King Hussein Bridge and on to the Damascus Gate, final destination a five minute sprint through the Old City to Jaffa Gate. The walk in the opposite direction is pleasant. Walking through the Gate and turning right takes you past Christ Church, where I used to live and David's Citadel across the road. Live concerts and fireworks free of charge to us... Keeping left takes you right into the heart of the Old City, cobbled, steeply sloping streets teeming with hawkers, buyers, sellers, the the streetwise, the curious and the gullible. In the Arab quarter, you almost have to 'eyes front' since catching the eye is perceived as an invitation to haggle. A fast left past the Church of the Holy Sepulchre gets you back to the Damascus Gate, where squatting street sellers display fruit, vegetables, nuts and just about everything else which might fetch a price. There's a juice shop at the top of the hill that sells the finest in the city. OK during the day but sometimes iffy at night, a friend had to fend off an attack. Still, might be safer than Karachi at the moment. Nonetheless....I can't wait. Can I, Susan......