Israel/Palestine: Jericho, Westbank. • Carolin Weinkopf Fotografie

After a few days strolling through Tel Aviv and gaining weight due to delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners, I decided to check out some of the rest of the country.

I took a bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and from there, I tried to figure out how to get to Jericho. The lady at the bus station looked at me as if I was completely crazy, stating she had no idea how to get there or where it even was.

Somehow I figured out I had to go from Damascus Gate (where, again, I had to ask several people where to go and what bus to take). Finally, I was sitting in a collect taxi taking me out of Jerusalem, to a town (which was more a road) called Abu Dis. Unfortunately the driver forgot I was going to Jericho (and of course, I had no idea where I was), so he took me way too far and when he realized later he put me into a taxi driving in the opposite direction, showing me where to take the next car.

The drive through the desert was breathtaking and, finally arriving in Jericho, a lovely scent crawled into my nose: jasmine and citrus blossoms. Hmmm.

Though Jericho is not big, streets appeared to have no names and it was impossible for me to find the hotel with the promising name “Hisham Palace” (which has never been better described than by one of my favourite authors, Angelika Schrobsdorff, in “Jericho. A Lovestory.” – which initially made me want to go here). I found a taxi driver who was more than willing to take me there, but after getting to our destination, we both laughed about our miscommunication – he had taken me to the place the hotel was named after, an excavation site outside of the city.

We both giggled, took a photo at the site and in the end the friendly taxi driver took me home to his family instead, where I was fed with local dishes and kissed on my forehead before going to sleep.

Jerusalem (via iPhone).