Massive sandstorm

Sandstorm at 6.30am

It's a nightmare for every asthmatic in the Holyland today ... a sandstorm of biblical proportions! You can't see beyond 100 metres. The sand is so fine it gets into every crevice. And the wind is hot ... it feels like 40 degrees.

Tourists and locals have bought every single mask from the pharmacies. Everyone is coughing and rubbing their eyes. It's a terrible experience ... I think it's the worst sandstorm we've had in 25 yrs ... that's as long as I can recall.

The Old City is half hidden by sand

My nose has been bleeding all day. The heat and sand is causing chaos in my poor nose. Now after the operation, my nasal canals are open and more air is getting in ... now more sand as well. It irritates the nasal membranes and then starts bleeding. Awful. And I've been having asthma attacks since yesterday when the sandstorm started. It's suffocating and the worst thing is there's nothing you can do. Despite all advances in technology, Mother Nature still rules.

The Mt. of Olives disappears

I've decided not to go to work today but stay locked in my room. But that's too good to be true. Telephone calls, visits by friends, friars and professors ... I've been busy all morning. And the asthma kept coming. This is not good. I think I'll have to turn off my phone and just disappear from the radar ... just like the Mt. of Olives disappeared today under the cloak of desert sand.