Nazareth

Nazareth is a city of stray cats. They roam the streets of the old city, slinking their way through the market shadows and alleyways, jumping from rooftops to terraces, agile and energetic. They are friendly and swift, not stopping long for a pet stroke. But it hasn't been my fortune to touch one yet, even the little ones shy from my hand.
From the balcony of the Fauzi Azar Inn, I watched one today tiptoe down a trecherous strip of concrete bricks strung 30 feet above the street. It made every jump perfectly, a natural acrobat, and I envied it's ability to perform so severely and accurately in this precarious environment.
The Fauzi Azar Inn is located deep in the heart of the old city. It is a maze to get here. One must first find the Old City which is tucked away so secretly behind the Bascillica of the Annunciation, the entry way is narrow and unassuming. Once inside though, the life of a market bustles, and what seems like hoards of people pass through slender pedestrian streets lined with shops of many varieties. There are vendors selling shoes and clothes. Some sell toys, others jewelry and there are rows of vegetables, oils and spices. Breathe deeply and you can smell the sweet scent of cardamin, cumin, cinammon, mint and crushed red pepper. Walking up the hill, you make a series of lefts and rights, then rights and lefts until finally arriving at the door of the Inn. All of the buildings adjoin each other and blue and green tarps drape the streets below them, shading the markets.
The Inn was once the home of Fauzi Azar and his family a rich merchant in the early 19th century. There is a great courtyard in the center supporting stone arches and a cavernous sitting room towards the rear. On both sides are quarters, converted into modern bedrooms. Up the stairs to the right is a patio overlooking the courtyard and a great hall with more rooms situated around it on two sides. The ceilings are high, about 20 feet with impressive decorative painted designs made popular in Palestine during the late Ottoman Empire. The windows are high and arched with shutters on the outside and draperies on the inside. There is a kitchen upstairs as well with a balcony that has the most phenomenal view of Nazareth I have found.
Gaby is the night manager of the Inn and is very hospitable and nice. He drove Evan to the hospital this morning and stayed with him for most of the day. The hospital in Nazareth is extremely slow, overcrowed and understaffed. Evan will need to stay there overnight to be monitored and treated. He waited over 6 hours just have have an initial look from a doctor. Gaby came back finally looking very tired and told me Evan had bloodwork done and an ultrasound on his foot.
A night in the Nazareth hospital cost over 3,000 shekels. Two nights is more than Evan can afford. I am not sure at this point what will happen to him or our tour. Hopefully Gaby will drive me there tonight and Evan and I will make new plans on what is to be.
It is still my intention to bike to the Sea of Galilee tomorrow. I will go alone and when I return I hope Evan will be well enough to meet me in Jerusalem. He has a friend who will lend us his grandmother's apartment for a week and we are counting on that connection for accommodations. I am hopeful that the situation with Evan's foot will improve and that also I will begin to grow more accustomed and comfortable with this miserable noonday sun. So it goes, I remind myself.