"A vacation or a vocation?"

New Year's Eve 2000 was enjoyable,the foreign press who were camped out over the holiday season decided to have a party to celebrate those of us who couldn't make it,when half way through the party reports of fighting in Hebron meant that we all had to go drunkenly back to work. Christmas Eve in Bethlehem.

A picnic in Ramallah.

Quick Tips:

The elevation of Jerusalem makes it a cold spot at almost any time of the year even when the rest of the middle east is roasting.

Best Way To Get Around:

Services or shared taxi's. These run only when full and are the best way to get into otherwise difficult to reach places because of the current political unrest. They are also cheaper than ordinary taxis.

Extremely basic,mostly dorms,but in the perfect spot,right between the old city and the new city. The souk/bazaar is right outside the door,while you are 5 minutes walk from the of the western attractions of the new city. The roof has the best view of jerusalem to be found anywhere and you can sleep on the roof with a 15 shekel charge for a mattress. It is grubby,but are you really going to spend that much time in it anyway?

A boston native of palestinian heritage,Joey Ally moved back to his homeland several years ago to set up shop in an outlying suburb of Ramallah. His little shop overlooks the flashpoint Nablus Junction where every day palestinian youths fight pitched battles with israeli soldiers. We (the press) would often sit there while we waited for the fighting to begin or take a break to enjoy his made to order sandwiches,which to someone as fussy as I am were wonderful,even when I wasn't hungry. He has a pleasant but informed opinion about what is going on around him and he speaks with a wonderful boston accent. The tea,coffee and soft drinks are top notch and he stocks enough high energy food to keep you going all day and he has a useful bathroom where you can clean up afterwards.

Some of the best running can take place around hebron with its winding streets and steep roads.There can be a lot of loose gravel on the road so be careful when moving at high speed with sudden turns or quick stops. If you should find yourself in a tight area with some heavy rioting going on,use all available cover.A flak jacket is optional as I find it can you slow you down if you have to cover a long distance (up to 100m) to get to cover,but is better when you are racing from doorway to wrecked car,this distance you can cover in 2/3 seconds.Always check your exit routes as these can close scarily quickly and you can find yourself trapped.