Run with me

The hills around here are killer!

Here is the view right outside of the Student Village where I live. To the left is the path I walk towards the University and the blue curved roofed building is the over-priced gym.


So, I could pay for an expensive gym membership card that I would rarely use because I hate gyms (I feel like I might as well turn into a hamster and run in one of those crazy yellow wheels), I run around the French Hill and take in the sights, the car honks, the exhaust fumes, the great sunsets that could rival those of Los Angeles, the smell of falafels at the two stands nearby, the other intrepid runners looking like we all could pass out any minute now, the loud Arabic techno blasting from every other car, and of course the most wonderful views of Jerusalem from atop Mount Scopus.

Here is photo documentation of one of the routes I like to take at sunset if I can wake up early enough from my ritual afternoon recovery snooze from 8:30am Ulpan.

When I get to the bottom of the hill from the Student Village, I turn left towards the University and start my uphill climb. This is the view I get to my right:

That part is relatively easy since it's the only flat part of my run.

run run run towards the Mount of Olives:


More uphill running...and still some very pretty views:


And the final and most strenuous leg of my ascent:

almost there...


I get to the top of this hill which is marked by the end of the road in the previous picture with the tunnel (where to the right is the Mormon University-BYU), and I'm panting and sweaty and ready to keel over, but when I turn around, I get my reward:


I stay and stretch for a few minutes, and then I congratulate myself each time for not passing out earlier.

Then I'm off again. And this time, I get this view the whole way down:

I'm really loving this city.