We went through two metal detectors before we could enter the areas of the Western Wall (under Jewish control) and then the Temple Mount (under Muslim control) in Israel. It wasn’t too bad—except we forgot we had a knife for making sandwiches. Big oops. Gracious security warded off angry men security and allowed us to keep our sandwich making materials—including the knife.
As soon as we entered the Temple Mount, bought by King David to build the Temple upon thousands of years ago, I was accosted. I had read it was conservative, so I wore a dress and scarf and tights and boots for the day. Apparently if you can see the boots and the dress, you are a harlot. Forget the fact that all of the other touring women are in trendy skinny bun-hugging jeans…my boot showing dress was enough to stop the entire Mount.
So, there I was, on my way to becoming a harlot on the Mount…getting accosted for my boots showing, having to cover and hobble the rest of the tour while having a scarf tied around my boots.
Can you say troublesome? I can.
But I entered the Temple Mount area and, therefore, chose to abide respectfully by the rules brought to us by the machine-gun wielding security there.
We toured the area and began our ascent to leave. That is when it happened.
What you need to know is that the Mount is only open 2 different hours throughout the day because it is the Muslim holy ground and has extremely strict rules. So, as the hour was ending when we needed to leave, we were doing just that. Leaving.
On our way out, however, one young gentleman asked my 10-year-old to take his photo. She obliged politely and waited for him to get in position when two machine-gun wielding men rushed her and the 2nd tourist. A lot of loud yelling took place. I am helpless mom on the other side of chaos while my 10-year-old and the random tourist are surrounded by guns.
A few moments pass, the security move, Adelyne takes the photo, the random tourist is hauled off with the machine guns, and we grab Adelyne and practically run out into the nearest hallway, where Rich is then given the task to get rid of the world’s worst tour guide—oh the gut-wrenching laughter stories I’ll tell later about him—and we sit for Turkish coffee and delights in a darkened hallway surrounded by non-machine gun wielding men and telling Adelyne how brave she is to stand her ground…
Even amongst the chaos of adventure!
And 2 Makes Crazy 