So first of all this is the sequel to two other posts that you should totally read first: Going through a checkpoint and Palestine in a nutshell Pt. 1. On day two in Taybeh we woke up and had some delicious breakfast with zatar (a bunch of spices) and oil, labaneeh, tomatoes, hummus cucumbers etc. It was delicious just like everything else.
Then we headed off to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity!
Here (where I look terrible) are the Byzantine mosaics that are hundreds of years old and beautiful they are kept below the ground and you can see them through the wooden doors.
That would be me kneeling down to where Jesus was born. It is a beautiful place and of particular importance to millions of people around the world. Because of that it is a little crowded since all the tours go down the little rock steps to snap a pic.
Of course I had to take a picture of the Palestinian flag in Bethlehem!!!
My grandpa (Siddi in Arabic) got a beautiful pic together with the amazing decor and architecture in as the background.
And yes it is a and Instagram pic. How can I follow you, you ask? This is my handle @journalandwander so follow away!
I totally fell in love with the mosaic in the altar below, the colors were so bright and it lit the entire room which was actually below ground and was some sort of small chapel.
We also went to the church of the Milk Grotto which has this beautiful painting. 
Since Bethlehm is in what is called ‘Palestinian territories’ of course there is a strong political presence, including this stand where activists bring attention to the issue of the various political prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
Here is basically how the roads in the tourist part of Bethlehem look like:
And a cute little blue bug:
Journal and Wander 
