Getting the hang of it: Good morning, Jerusalem!

Yesterday was actually a really great day in the City of Gold. The lack of personal space and constant melodic hum of "Sonata in G for Auto Horn, Yelling Israeli, and Car Alarm," notwithstanding, I was able to open myself to this colorful, historical, paradoxical place.

I dropped Rosa off at Dan's as they were off to Tel Aviv for the day. I and my little wheely grocery cart then headed back toward Machaneh Yehudah (the major Jerusalem outdoor marketplace only several blocks from our apartment) with the mission of replacing all the things I have already destroyed in our rental unit: hot water kettle, pair of scissors (victim of flower stem cutting) and glass. (I've not yet killed the two plants!! Stay tuned!!) I also needed some miscellaneous groceries.

Think pre-Thanksgiving Albertsons times 3.

Travel Alert: Machaneh Yehudah, two days before Pesach, should be avoided by those with the following conditions: claustrophobia, sensitivity to loud noise or strong smells, general misanthrophy.

But, you know, if you're in the right spirit (and your blood sugar is stabilized at the right level) it's still a pretty cool place to be. People representing a range of religiosity, cultures and ages cram through the crowded alley of humanity picking up bags of oranges, tomatoes, melons, cheeses and baked goods along the way.

Reasons the Shuk beats the Park Center Albertsons:

• Vendors chant and sing about the cheapness ("zol") and freshness ("t'ree") of their products
• Fish in bins still moving
• Store keeper, having just opened a new kosher for Pesach cake product for himself to eat, tears off a chunk and hands it to me to try
• Offers every kosher for Pesach food item imaginable
• In between food vendors, there's clothing boutiques, art stands, a myriad of delicious-smelling restaurant/cafes, colorful arrays of burlap sacked-spices, Judaica shops
• Incredible baked breads right out of the oven & freshly packed humus, techina and salads
• Gives you a chance to use (and mangle) basic Hebrew vocabulary
• All products handed to you in a pretty assortment of pastel colored bags making your little wheely cart look like a colorful baby's room!

I noticed that the bread bakery stands were mainly pushing rolls and individual pitas instead of whole loaves -- I guess customers want to purchase only small portions of chametz several days before Pesach. What kind of carb loaders are these? Amateurs! I've singlehandedly polished off an entire loaf of whole wheat walnut bread since Sunday.

Still to come . . . my photo-seeking journey through town, my visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (or, "Christians can also be dysfunctional - but not nearly as loudly"), and more . . .