Tourists are back

Sunrise today

The past 2 days had been hectic hence the tardiness in updating the blog. Sunday I was out the whole day and Monday as usual is filled with classes from 4am to 4pm. Utter exhaustion. All I could do when I got home yesterday was sleep. I am no longer as strong as before and fatigue easily. Still with fever and pain. But the weather was great though ... very sunny but cold. Max. temp. for the past few days was merely 7 degrees. Winter doesn't seem to want to go.

Tourist groups being briefed at
Damascus Gate

Tourists have been coming by the swarms again ... picking up from last year's cancellations. And this is very unusual because February is the low season of tourism due to the rains, snow and short daylight time. Today the tourists don't seem to mind that. I noticed that many groups now stop at Damascus Gate and are briefed by their guides there before entering the Old City.

Well the weather has changed again ... right now it's drizzling. The sky is very dark and we're expecting rain for the next 72 hours. Wish i could just go to sleep in this weather ... but there's so much work to do still. This morning I had to accompany one of our indian sisters to the dental surgeon in Bethlehem for an impacted molar. It was a one and a half hour surgery but it was successful and we came home by 12pm. We had to take a taxi because public transport does not pass by that way. Let's hope sister will recover soon. And that reminds me I'm due for my operation on March 12. Scared. I go alone to the Tel Aviv hospital. The first time I was operated on last year, I came home by taxi but was robbed by the taxi driver as I was still partially sedated. He dumped me at Jaffa Gate and went off with 600 shekels ... double the amount for the ride. I need better planning for my next op. to avoid another unpleasant situation.

Tensions have been rising in the Old City because America closed it's consulate for the arabs, and the police are determined to reclose the Gate of Mercy in the Al Aqsa mosque. The car ramming that injured 2 soldiers yesterday didn't help ... and jewish graffiti calling for the deaths of arabs are found sprayed on walls. Iranian military have pulled up to the border of Israel and Syria while Gaza was bombed yesterday by Israel for firing incendiary devices into Israel ... destroying a school. This summer will not be a quiet one.