Getting Lost in Hebron, Palestine: Although Hebron is a fairly straight forward city to get around in, it is possible that you will get lost. What I recommend in order to avoid getting lost is to keep track of key land marks such as the two main traffic circles in the city, the soccer stadium, and the main street “Ein Sara”. This street runs north-south through Hebron and on it you can find nearly everything that you need, including both Excellence Centers. (To find the entrance to the house for the volunteers, take the high road when Ein Sara splits at the traffic circle before the old city.)
Where navigation can get difficult is in the old city. It is very easy to end up on a residential street without knowing exactly which way to go to get out. In this situation you must be very careful to avoid walking into someone’s private yard. If you do, they will not be angry with you and will probably just ask you where you are heading. Just say “asif” (sorry) and “Min ayna sharia Ein Sara?” (Where is Ein Sara Street?). They will give you directions out of the maze of the old city, and, if they have time may take you by the arm to show you the way. Do not be alarmed if one of the locals does this, they are simply being friendly and do the same to many other locals when they are trying to show them or lead them somewhere.
In the case that you need to approach someone to ask them for directions, first greet them. I like to say “Ahlan” as it is the shortest greeting and indicates that you are not trying to buy something if you are asking a merchant (since it is shorter than the other greetings, the person you are asking will recognize that you are probably on your way somewhere). After you say the greeting, then just repeat the same question though you can replace “Ein Sara” with whichever destination you are trying to get to.
If (when) you get lost in Hebron, do not worry, panic, or get frustrated. It is far easier to simply ask for Ein Sara and then walk yourself to the closest landmark on that street and then go from there. If necessary, you can also always just take a cab anywhere as they are quite affordable here. The “service” option is a bit more expensive than the standard “taxi” option since the “service” departs from the main roads the “taxi” option stays on during your ride.
