Yaani

About the bloo: walking in the Old City of Jerusalem felt like coming home with the familiar smells and noises. Coffee-scent infused with spices and fumes, cars driving in the most narrow alleys you can imagine and people shouting loudly in Arabic. It also reminded me of the not-so-charming side, selling dead animals in the souq. Someone must have been transporting something dead (and/or bleeding), because walking back from Marwan's shop to the Damascus gate was easy: I simply followed the blood.

I realise this wasn't a very funny or insightful thing to read, but it kind of characterises the mess (albeit lovely) that is a souq in an Arab country: you can find almost anything there, including dead things.

I'm not feeling particularly funny right now anyway, it's been another long day, I drunk too much red wine last night with a Finnish journalist and just got back from a dinner with water sector specialists. My brain is whizzing with information right now.

Tomorrow I'm off to Bethlehem (or Bait Lahm, aka House of Bread, or meat, I never remember which...). Apparently the entry into B. is quite horrid with the wall and the "terminal" (the Israelis call the security check point waiting area terminals...) and probably tons of barbed wire. But, I will see it for myself now.

Good night, and good luck.