ISRAEL & PALESTINE

Israel & Palestine were my main focus for my trip to the Middle East.  Quite a lot was happening in the region when I was there, so many of its more unstable neighbors got put off the list (there were bombings in Beirut, executions and terrorism in Syria, and major transportation shutdowns due to Hamas in Egypt).  Needless to say, I was able to focus my time on Israel and the Palestinian Territories and was just completely enveloped by their beauty and the stories of the people.  

In that tiny slice of the world, particularly in Jerusalem, life itself just felt 'thicker' - like I was wading through it instead of it simply happening around me.  There's an atmosphere there I can't quite describe, other than to say that it felt almost oppressively important.   

(as I've mentioned in other galleries, this is a small grouping and doesn't follow an attractive arrangement or story...just a selection)