Getting to Ramallah from Tel Aviv is a big sweaty chore. To do it, I took a bus from my hostel to the bus depot, a shared taxi to Jerusalem, a taxi from the West Jerusalem bus depot to the East Jerusalem (Arab) bus terminal, and, finally, a bus to Ramallah.

The final bus ride gave fascinating insight to the Israeli-Palestinian relationship. After driving to the edge of Jerusalem, we began driving alongside the controversial Israeli security wall that separates Israel from the West Bank. When we reached the Qalandia checkpoint, one of a handful of entrances to the West Bank, we sat in a traffic bottleneck for around 20 minutes before making it through. And I was going the easy direction. It’s coming back to Israel that a person is subjected  to vehicle checks, etc.

I’m staying in Ramallah with an old college friend of mine, who invited me to visit. Last night, we feasted at his family’s house on chicken, potatoes, rice with meat, and grape leaves. Then we went out with his father to explore the Ramallah night scene.

On two occasions while walking through Israel, my upcoming visit to Ramallah came up in conversation. In both cases, the Israeli Jews I was talking to referred to Ramallah as the “Tel Aviv of Palestine.” That’s code for “party central.” One added: “Gaza used to have all the nightclubs until, you know, Hamas.”

And so we went out and explored the night scene, visiting first a bar called Beit Anisee (not sure about that spelling) and then another called Zan. And these bars aren’t old or shabby. They’re modern and hip, with loud club music blasting from the stereo, bouncers at the door (women are welcome, big groups of men are not), and sharply lit liquor collections. In my 24 hours in Ramallah, I’ve been told countless times (and, given past visits to the West Bank, have come to understand) that Ramallah is not like the rest of the West Bank. Home to many aid organizations and a big western expat presence, the city has a liberal feel to it. Last night, the bars were jammed with westerners and Palestinians alike, sipping on the local Palestinian beer (Taybeh), Arak, or some other liquor from the jammed bar.

Recounting party nights, I know, doesn’t make for the most exciting blog material, but Ramallah’s party feel surprised me and, I thought, was worth a posting.

Tomorrow I’ll do a day trip to Nablus (stay tuned for a post on that). Then, late, I’ll head back to Jerusalem for a bus ride down to the Egyptian border. I should make it to Cairo in time to celebrate the 4th of July. I’m planning to be in Cairo for a week to ten days while I sort out my Gaza paperwork. Then I’ll be making my run at the border!

Much more to come on the blog from the West Bank, Israel, and Egypt in the coming days. So stay tuned!