June 4, 2001

When we arrived at the Dan Pearl Hotel we were first given our room assignments and then allowed to go freshen up before heading out for our orientation and then for the tour of the tunnel along the Temple wall.. My roomates wanted to get into the shower first, but one had trouble with her luggage locks. It was such a relief when I finally got to wash up.

The view from the hotel was spectacular. We overlooked the Jaffa gate to the Old City of Jerusalem and could see the Tower of David.

We walked through the Armenian section of the Old City and into the Jewish Quarters. We were taken to Aish HaTorah's FCO building where on the first floor we ate watermelon and had our orientation.

We were told the story of "The Bat". There once was a bat who was hanging in the cave. When all his friends flew in they saw that he was dripping with blood. With enthusiasm and anticipation they asked the bloody bat, "Where is the kill!?"So the bat took off out of the cave with his friends close behind. He flew over hills and valley, over rivers and lakes. Finally he came to a field that has one tree in the middle. Calmly he asked his friends, "Do you see that tree?" They all excitedly answered, "Yes, yes!" "Well, I didn't"

The moral of this story: Be careful and watch where you are going!

We were then hearded to the hospice where we had a BBQ supper. That was when I learned that they served soy meat patties for the vegetarians!

Our last activity for the day was to go to the Kotel. It was a magnificent sight.

There have been some excavations along the western retaining wass of the Temple. We went and toured these tunnels.

We then headed back to the hotel and slept! At least some of us slept. :-)