Gnarly olive trees, tobacco and grapevines grow on limestone-rimmed terraces that extend from the valley to nearby hilltops. At the border isolating Palestinian Bethlehem from Israel, the serene setting surrenders to tension. The tour bus inches forward as guards question passengers in the cars ahead. Then the driver activates the hydraulic door, breaking the seal of our cocoon-like shelter. The first view of Bethlehem's streets clashes with the idyllic Christmas image.
Dilapidated buildings line the entrance to the city.
Before scaling the hills to the town centre, our bus stops at Good Shepherd's Store. Concertina barbed wire tops the parking lot's tall, cyclone fence. Encountering Christian Arab sales clerks takes me by surprise. Shopping done, we reboard the motor coach to see the city's main attraction, the nativity scene. With each upward curve of the serpentine street, the condition of shops and houses improves.