A guy buzzed past us through the metal gate, but not before giving us a big smile and an “Ahlan WaSahlan.” It took a minute to recognize him without his uniform, but we soon realized that he was the guy who served shawarma and felafel at the 24-hour place outside Bab al Amoud. As the air got colder and our waiting grew longer, Musa got the restaurant to send a car to pick us all up. Without his contacts, we probably would have waited at Qalandia til morning.

As of October 2006 there were 528 checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank. Qalandia is the largest, and it now resembles an international border crossing.