Look for Bus 5 and get onboard, then transfer to Egged Bus 947 for Jerusalem. The Bus 5 is the short distance transporter to link the Ben-Gurion International Airport with the regular Egged Green Bus that travels back and forth from any and all major cities in Israel. However, our key perspective is to get the information across to the general audience who wants to be a solo traveler when time comes for personal pilgrimage and to echo back the reality that the Kingdom of David can be reached via Al El along with other airlines whose tapestry runs incessantly fro all parts of the planet Earth to Tel Aviv, inadvertently arrived at Jerusalem in modern time.
Under the current bus schedules that all passengers who have arrival at the Ben-Gurion International Airport can be carried efficiently and effectively during regular business hours with the exception of national holidays and Shabbat. The time the bus will not be running begins at the sunset on Friday afternoon and resumed to the regular transporting schedule during the ending of Shabbat, that which ought to be the sunset of Saturday afternoon, nonetheless, the leeway was to run the bus when a sufficient time elapsed during Shabbat, or at the most after 22 hours of rest, if not slight shorter, depends on the needs of the local travelers as well as the weather conditions.
Vestibule of the Central Bus Depot or the Central Bus Station can be outdoors or within the Atrium of the entrance to the building, whereby one may enjoy the rest and to be prepared to change the way the bus deliver each and every individual guests to their schedule destination to reach their destiny in life. Therefore, the bus ticket can also be brought from the window at the Central Bus Station to the bus driver or to buy a ticket at the instance when boarding the bus. The difference is that if the bus ticket was issued by the clerk at the windows of the Central Bus Station, it is officiated for a period of time that is reasonable to plan the tentative traveling schedule, so that one may return the ticket to get full refund if not used, or the trip got cancelled. However, the ticket sold by the bus driver does not have such a flexible managerial criteria, i.e., use it now or loss it forever. There is not an in-between time gap to consume as one would with the regular printout from the Grand Central Bus Depot.
In order to get full refund, the ticket owner must attend to detail at the Office of Transportation which resides inside the Bus Depot since that is the official route to return the ticket to get full price. A form must be filled and the identity card or passport must be shown in order to complete the transaction to be entitle to full refund at the window of the Ticketing Office. The Egged Bus Office is on the same floor as the Window that sells the ticket to travelers. Under no circumstance will the ticket not be refunded since it is only fair that both parties enjoy the business deal to come to pass.
Anticipate a lot of soldiers taking the same bus as you do, since the Egged Bus is also running by the Israelis Government, all soldiers can take the bus ride free of charge. That is to say that man or woman is on official business to get transported from one depot to another depot via civilian vehicles. Obviously, the crowded situations do happen from time to time, nonetheless, the courteous attitude of the young people has set the standard for all to observe and to bear with. A Country might be young, but she is not ruthless, therefore, retrospectively, one must also comply with the social stratifications that honor the norm to senior citizens. Did you know that you do not have to choose to become old, but the time will also remind you and remade you so that age can be shown anyway one may find it uncontrollably throughout.
When doing long distance travel, it is the best to fetch a seat once on board the bus, otherwise, you just might need to develop the skills and techniques to rock and roll with the bus when coming through a sharp corner or ascend a steep slope. Anybody who has ridden the long distance transporters knew that the monotonous movement will always tend to putting people to sleep with the exception that the bus drivers could not travel or even be sympathetic to the routine drive. To stay fresh, that is the only way to keep it safe and sound for everybody on board, whether one travels a few stops or the entire trip to cover the whole route.
Once arrival at the Central Bus Station in West Jerusalem, leave with all your gadgets and utensils that you have brought onboard the Egged Bus. Always double check, even asking the pall next to you to check for you, so that you do not leave important documentations or papers behind for someone else who knew not what was going on and who was sitting there prior to their taking over. Always double check and refresh oneself often a time, because you are abroad! Come out of the gate of the Central Bus Station to walk across the street to take the tram to go to the youth hostel or destiny point that you may want to stay over for the night.
If you take the Tram going west at which direction your bus came into the City of Jerusalem, then you are going to Mountain Herzl.
If you want to, you may visit Yad Vashem Museum for free. Love endures forever!
But, if you are looking for Mandarin Chinese Restaurant, then you have to walk across the rail track to take the Tram Elijah going Eastward to the City Hall. Once arrived at the City Hall. Get off the tram and walk back to the west until the bank at the corner. Take a look to the left atop of the grosser and her store, you will see the restaurant on the 2nd floor. Go on up the second floor and visit with Lin Jett. She has the final say of your dame. However, this tram is going East, just so you know!
Remember, Jerusalem is warm during the day when the sun shines on you, but extremely cold in the night for it also has the wind chill factor in operation during the night. Do not make mistake to think one may stay outdoors during the night, both the fool and the uneducated, even if the mentally retarded ones will not tell you so nor do so. You are not at the boot-camp and there is no barracks for foreigners to stay. Therefore, contact your local tour guide or friends or business to make overnight arrangement prior to one's arrival which is very important.
For Chinese Tourists, there is a few Chinese solutions. However, one of the typical solution is to stay over night where one dines. That is not to say prior notice should not be given, less there are other guests who had checked in to the dam that you thought had been reserved for you alone. Always be precautious, instead of being pretentiously unprepared. Currently, the fee for one night stand was $25 USD. The rest can be calculated according to the Manu.
The costs for Tram Elijah is $6.60 shekel one trip. This ticket is good for 90 minute since the time the rider boarded the tram and clocked in. This single trip ticket is only good for the day on the date printed. Should you desire to retain your valuable shekels, you need to get to the Grand Central Bus Depot to have your photo taken in order to be credited to the bus pass, as well as the Tram pass the amount desired to deposited to the magnetic strip. Every time, when you sensor the plastic card that amount will reduce according to the fair type and the distance traveled.
It is recommended to visit the exchange counter in the Ben-Gurion International Airport once arrived at the station. For an exchange of at least $100.00 to the equivalent amount of valued shekels. Do not just take the 200 shekel bills. You will need to by bottled waters and food, and the vending machine does not take large amount of shekel bills. You will need to further break down the hundred shekel bills to a much smaller unit or monetary currency in order to get around. Otherwise, everything will be 299 shekels or more, your valuable USD will evaporate in no time even if you can get out of the Ben-Gurion International Airport, you cannot stay away from the foxes and wolves that were soaring around the peripherals of your trip.
Always separate your larger bills from the smaller ones. Always keep the 10 Shekel coins in a different pocket instead of the same pocket with the 1, 2, and 5 shekels. The 10 coin limitation to feed the ticketing booth is the upper limit, the machine will not accept six 1 shekel and 6 ten cent coins in exchange to release the single trip ticket. It is a moot point trying to persuade the machine to listen to your reasons. The ticket captain will check your ticket when boarding a long distance bus, apart from that the bus driver will punch your ticket in order to reduce the face value of the ticket as a mean of proof that you are actually utilizing the ticket to go on the trip.
Alms giving in Israel is not always by mail order to dissipate the longing and to quench the needy. Alms giving are actually taking place on the Tram Elijah and even on the Egged Bus if the driver does not stop such a said individual to beg for alms for any reasons that is reasonable. Of course, you may not want to participate since you cannot speak nor understand the modern Hebrew or ancient Arabic, for that matter, in that manner. Nevertheless, you must learn to observe the situation and evaluate for yourself what is the best way to approach the issue. Never debate with them, when people are drastic and needy, the best way is to comply with the need publicly and graciously. A few shekels given can be much better than no shekel and no money. in Asian cultural norm, it is better to give than that to receive, especially when need cannot be met in a normal and regular way, and Israel is in the Continent of Asia, even though the Europeans like to visit, but still She is an Asian Country. Make no mistake about her.
Count your days in the Holy Land, anticipate the unexpected. Why?! Because it is not your native land, and there are at least 3-world-class-religion starts there, if not more. Always respect the elderly, no matter what ethnicities that person might be belonging to. Because in small Countries, it is more likely to meet someone great and mighty and powerful to make one a new celebrity, instead of being shyness, difficult, and reclose. Be strong and healthy! Be positive and upbeat! Be happy and enjoy!
This is your travel and your trip. If you think you cannot hold back the tears you may visiting at the Wailing Wall, oh, I mean the Western Wall whereby one can be sanctified just by being close to the Holy of the Holies at the foot of the First and Second Temple at the temple mount. All that emotional détente can be set at ease when you remember others who are less fortunate than you and still toiling and laboriously working their days for the Pharaoh of their worlds, you shall rejoice. Stick a message for them in the crack of the rock hemmed together by the masons in the past and the wishes of the absentees.
If you can only know, and I wish you do know that how blessed you are to come in front of the Western Wall, for almost 2 thousand years only the nearby people and the people that had commanded themselves to take up the pilgrimage that can come to this place. Whether they were Jews or not is no matter. The matter of the fact is only very limited amount of world population can come, and only a very small amount of people have the delight from Heaven to visit. Therefore, treasure one's time at the Wailing Wall. Most people cannot cry at the Western Wall, because they were simply too busy to say the prayers for all who cannot come. Learn to be a better intercessor while standing in front of the Western Wall. That is your chance, and your chance in NOW!
After one was exhausted, hiked up the stony steps to get treatment of your stomach and your tender caring body at the local restaurants is the best solution if not resolution for the trip. Their hospitality shows up and shone off on your face once entered the restaurant and been filled with all kind of goodies that you normally would not have seen it even on the street of your hometown. That is the time, you need to be wiser and be kind to respond to the norm of entertaining. After all, what is a vacation if one needs to save the pennies for the unforeseen situations back home?
Knowing that you are in a good hand and the Hand of God is on you right then and right there. Why going to the Western Wall? That is the place whereby God can meet with you to go over a few things of one's life. Remember when King Solomon offered sacrifice in the First Temple that the glorious clouds fill the sanctuary that even the High Priests, Priests, and Levites could not stand in the mighty and glorious presence of our G-d? There you go, when you are overtly approaching the Throne of G-d, you are standing in His glorious presence without knowing it nor seeing it.
Had the Lord G-d Almighty shown you how closely you were in His presence, you might want to run if not kneeled down to worship Him. Notice that our G-d always have the Angelic Hosts surrounding Him, so that the angels and even your guardian angels are there with you so that you do not do thing obnoxiously insulting the Holiness of the Holy of Holies. Remember you come all the way to visit with G-d and He has taken notes of it. Did you not see that all the Jewish brothers and sisters were all busy praying to the Lord G-d Almighty? Glean and learn from them, you are there because it is your turn to light the lamp in the Temple to carry on the priestly duty to intercede and to pray for oneself and all others.