from Jordanian desert to Beit Sahour

We have had an exhilirating and spacious time in the mountainous desert of Wadi Rum overnight (including a sunset jeep tour, superb buffet dinner and the brightest of full moons). On the way today we took in the seventh century mosaic map of the region in a Madaba church in Jordan, before plunging down from Mount Nebo (the place believed to be Moses's last resting place).

We crossed the Allenby Bridge back into the West Bank and Palestine in record time (only one hour and thirty minutes). We dropped off the three of our group who have opted to stay in East Jerusalem for the final days of the trip, and then sixteen of us headed on to cross through the separation wall at the Bethlehem checkpoint (after refreshments in Jerusalem at the American Colony).

Now we have just received a wonderful welcome at Beit Sahour after ten hours of travelling. We have been accommodated with nine different families all within a short distance of each other. This scheme run by the Alternative Tourism Group for Palestine has been in operation for several years now.

Beit Sahour is the location of the famous Shepherds' Fields and is one of the three connected villages of the Bethlehem district (in arabic 'Beit Sahour', 'Beit Jalah' and 'Beit Lehem' i.e. Bethlehem). Tonight we will all take evening meals with our families, and those of us with the energy will go up the hill to the Church of the Nativity for the Easter Vigil.

Tomorrow morning we will travel back in time to Palm Sunday, according to the Orthodox Calendar, join in the celebrations in Beit Sahour, before travelling forward again a week, as we head up to Jerusalem to be at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Western Easter Sunday.

The transition from Jordan back to Palestine and Israel is a big one to make, and at the moment energy levels are quite low after the challenge of the long journey and the short desert night. Being in real homes, with families though, and a little off the tourist trail will hopefully help us to recharge. I also guess that just as I have already heard a handful of moving stories over a beer and a hot drink with my hosts, the same will be happening in another eight locations this evening where the rest of the group are also learning about Palestine from the inside.