Giro D'Italia

Night market at
Damascus Gate

Streets along the Tsahal Square and west Jerusalem have already been closed for the bike race "Giro d'Italia". Which is very strange because it's a bike race all around Italy but somehow it's staring the 1st 3 legs here in Israel. People are talking about the money paid to move the "Italian Bike Race" to Israel. In fact the Tourism Ministry had even invited the Pope to come and open the race. It's meant to draw the crowds ... and ultimately to raise the economy.

Anyway what everyone is talking about is the weather ... today is 29 degrees here in Jerusalem and in Eilat it's 36 degrees. How will those cyclists manage the heat? It's a 6 hour ride through the Negev desert to Eilat. We here in Jerusalem already find it unbearable at 29 degrees. Let's see how many will faint or collapse with heat stroke tomorrow.

Some good tomatoes

Well for one thing security is at maximum red alert. Helicopters have been flying above us since 2am last night. They still are flying above as I write. They're police security helicopters. Tonight and tomorrow will be dreadful for us here in the Muslim Quarter as everything will be under heavy surveillance.

Yes today is very hot. In fact there's a sandstorm in the south. The sky is terribly yellow. But the effects of last week's storm is now affecting us - few fresh fruit and vegetables. The night markets are quite empty of village produce as the storm destroyed much of the fruit and veggies. Only few produce are of saleable quality ... most were damaged, bruised and sold at cheap prices. Good quality produce are expensive.

My ankle continues to hurt very much but I still have to walk to work. And under the heat, walking the 1km uphill becomes so much more difficult. I still have to hear confessions later and then accompany a student to hospital after that. It'll be a late night but after all is done, I think I can rest my ankle. Thank goodness I'm not in the bike race ... I won't make the first 50 m. with this ankle.