Jordan to Jerusalem

We left Petra on Sat morning and drove to Wadi Rum (Lawrence of Arabia country). We deposited ourselves at a Bedouin camp and then headed off for a 2 hour jeep drive across amazing desert scenery. We saw the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and some spectacular rock formation and gorges.
Then headed back to the camp to while away the late afternoon before climbing up the nearby massif to see the sunset.
We were served a wonderful buffet dinner and entertained by gorgeous young arab males in traditional white dress doing some typical dancing.
Next morning we were dropped at the Jordan Israel border after a brief look at the Port of Aqaba and paddle in the Red Sea.
After all our fears we walked through the border in 15 mins without our baggage even being checked or subject to any security measures. So we arrived at Eilat airport 2 and half hours early for our flight to Tel Aviv which was lucky because it was a complete shambles and took us that long to check in. Bizarre and totally random security procedures.
Our friends collected us and drove us to Jerusalem to the YMCA building where we stayed. It is a beautiful Art Deco building from 1931 which was designed by the architect who did the Empire State Building. After a reviving drink they then took us up to a hill top view of the old city where a friend of theirs who is a professional tour guide pointed about all the sites and gave us an insightful potted history. This was the perfect introduction for us to the city. They then took us to a rooftop Kosher Italian restaurant for dinner where we could enjoy a view over the Old City.
On Monday we went up to Temple Mount first thing and saw the area of the Dome of the Rock (which we can't enter as non-Muslims). The exterior is very beautiful however and there was much else to see.
We then raced down to the Jaffa Gate to go on a 3 hour walking tour of all 4 quarters (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Armenian) of the Old City. This included visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall.
We then spent the rest of the day wandering around the Old City.
The next day we went up to the Mount of Olives where we had another great view of the Old City. Visited some of the churches there which are very significant to Christian pilgrims. Walked down to the city walls and had a delicious lunch of pita, falafel, hummmus and salad in the Muslim Quarter. The was followed by a walk through East Jerusalem to the iconic American Colony Hotel which though grandly colonial was quite welcoming.
For a complete change of scene we met our friend in Mea Sherim the ultra-orthodox suburb that resembles the shetls of Eastern Europe. This small group are intensely devout, eschew modern life, are almost anti-Zionist and have managed to arrange that they are exempted from taxes and army service.
Still on the go we visited the Israel Museum of which the highlight was the Dead Sea Scrolls.
On Wednesday we went to Yad Veshem the Holocaust museum. Obviously this was very moving but its purpose seems to be to inform, not to distress.
Next day was our last day and we just wandered around the Old City after visiting the Italian Synagogue and Art Museum. This has been recreated from the dismantled interior of some Baroque synagogues in Venice.
Here are some initial photos of our trip. Many more to come.