Now, this might sound strange, but I actually felt homesick for Jerusalem when I left. It is the strangest place I have I have ever visited, and I as soon as I left, I wanted to be back there.
I stayed in a public hostel while I was there and I was amazed at the number of people who seemed to have visited Jerusalem and just stayed. It would seem that it is a place to which people gravitate and it is certainly not just religious people who go there either; it is a haven for aging-hippies and Net-addicts I discovered. Jerusalem is where I was introduced to the Internet strangely enough.
Sat up in the hostel one night, I met a British writer who had gone there to visit 8 years previously, had taken a short trip home, sold up and moved out there. I can see how it could have that effect on you. This man only had one arm from the elbow down because he had accidentally knocked and set off a bomb with a bag he was carrying. He said that people in Jerusalem accept violence as a price to pay to live in the most beautiful city in the world. He told me that when a bomb goes off in Jerusalem, people will be back out the streets half an hour later.
There was a real tension about the city, but I actually really liked that. I'm not religious, but am very interested in history and it was fascinating to see so many different kinds of people and cultures mixing. The sights were incredible also, but that was what I didn't like about the city. I found the people who were in charge of them to be rude and pushy.
The teenaged soldiers with guns were extremely friendly and I was actually apologised to by a group of them for them not speaking English - I can't imagine that in this country. At first I found the guns everywhere to be intimidating, but I found out later that they have to carry them with them everywhere, because if they lose them, they go to prison for 7 years. It gets to be quite amusing having to ask someone to move their rifle so you can sit down.
Night life in Jerusalem is bizarre. I saw no trouble and apparently this is normal. But when there is trouble, it's not just a fist fight. The soldiers everywhere actually made me feel safer, because although they carry their guns when off duty, they were extremely relaxed and good-natured. The only trouble with going out in Jerusalem is the cost of the drinks (£5 for a shot of Jack Daniels).
If you go, make sure you check out the siouk (market) and be prepared to barter. There are a great many different cuisines to try as well - we had Armenian for the first time - and as with all of Israel, the food is superb.
Jerusalem is a vibrant, mixed-bag of a city and I would recommend anyone who is in the area to visit it or miss out on the experience of a lifetime.
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