Sheikh SaedMonday, 27.11.2006, AM Roni.P, Maya B (reporting) We reach Sheikh Saed: 06:30 – Mostly children going to school. A few people with blue ID or permit passes. We go into the village and decide to take a ” taxi” to see the whole village. The driver, Haled, offers to take us to The Container from the Palestinien side. The traffic at The container goes smoothly, no one is being stopped or detained. We decide to go on with the taxi through Sawahre to Abu-Dis and Al Ezariya in order to get to Zeitim CP, there also were no lines of people waiting, and the people passing fast in both directions. We ask to go to the Abu-Dis DCO in order to see how it is working. The approach is difficult. 8 people are waiting to go in. It is 08:00 AM and the gates are supposed to open at 08:30. We drive back through Sawahre, El Kuds University, to a vantage point – from where we can see the size and location of Sheikh Saed in relation to Jerusalem, Jebel Mukaber, and the South Jerusalem area. It looks a part of G.M and there is no other way to get to and from that area. On the way back we pass a checkpoint we did not know about, El Sheikh (?) where the passage is particularily difficult. We learn a lot about the economic situation in all the villages we drove through, see the physical condition of the towns and talk to few people who just “want to live”.Back at Sheikh Saed we are asked to pay 300 NIS for the two hours of touring, an exorbitant price for what we did. We end up paying half, and advise all to agree on the fee before taking a tour like that, to avoid an unpleasant surprise. The tour as such is very recommended.