Hey all!
So far my time in the Middle East has been a whirlwind of meeting interesting people, seeing spectacular sights, and learning new things. Thank you for visiting this blog and staying up to date on my life and adventures. Please ask any questions you may have and keep me in your prayers. Below is a summary of my trip so far:
Saturday, January 21
When I landed in Ben Gurion International airport, I met my fellow Wheaton College student, Ian McGregor, and we headed out to Tel Aviv to find our hostel. Our cab driver, Gabi, was very informative and, based upon his advice, explored northern Tel Aviv that night. Walking along the beach and feeling salty spray in the air made me pretty glad to be missing the cold Minnesota winter.
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| Just off shore in Tel Aviv. |
Sunday, January 22
Ian and I walked to Joppa on the south end of Tel Aviv. Joppa is a port city and boasts beautiful architecture that has survived since around 7500 BCE and is one of the oldest surviving ports in the world. It is particularly famous for being associated with Jonah in the Bible (Jonah 1:3). Even though the weather was pretty rainy and windy, we had a great time. When the rain would come, we would duck into shops and talk with the owners and/or shoppers and hear their stories. After walking for hours, Ian and I were exhausted so we managed to get into a hotel and rest in the hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Then, we walked to the center of Tel Aviv for dinner and on the way, saw a protest where I was given a flag to wave. After a little bit of picture taking, Ian and I left and had a great dinner just before turning in.
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| Simon the Tanner's House in Joppa that Peter visited in Acts 10:9-47. |
Monday, January 23
We woke up early and got on a bus that headed to the southern tip of Israel. We arrived in Eilat after a six hour bus ride and toured the city. We had a terrific dinner at one of the best bakeries that I have ever visited and then walked down to the Red Sea. Later, at our hostel, we met a fun group of Argentineans who were in our room with us and we had great conversations with them. They thought I looked like Macaulay Culkin, the kid from Home Alone so they called me "Mi Pobre Angelito" (my poor, little angle) which is the title of the movie in Argentina.
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| On hilltops, it gets a bit windy... |
Tuesday, January 24
After another delicious meal at the bakery, Ian and I headed to the Israel/Jordan border. The process was surprisingly smooth. Standing on the official border of two countries was a very new and exciting experience. Then, over in Aqaba, Jordan, Ian and I were swarmed by taxi drivers who wanted our fares and it was hilarious watching them yell louder and louder. But we called our Jordanian contact and got the right man. As we drover deeper and deeper into the desert, I got more and more excited for what was in store. Large cities faded into small towns which soon became just clusters of ragged tents. And when we got to our destination, a small Bedouin town, I was filled with an awe of God's might. All around us was desert and rock faces that cut into the sky in beautiful formation. Then came the fun part: CAMELS. I had been dreaming of riding a camel for years now and I was able to spend five hours on one of the most nobel, graceful, and majestic animals in the world. My camel was named Hazeem and was the biggest camel in the herd. Hazeem smelt pretty jenky and tried to bite me, but I showed her who was boss by winning in a stare off. I felt like the king of the world when we were galloping through the desert of Wadi Rum! Abdullah, our camel guide was hilarious. We spent the afternoon riding into the desert and exploring ancient Bedouin cave drawings and climbing magnificent crags. Then, we spent the night in a Bedouin camp. There, I had my first cup of tea and Ian and I enjoyed talking with the traveling herds men who we in the camp along with a Swiss couple who was there as well. We spent hours talking in a tent while sipping really sweet tea and warming ourselves by a fire. Then I finished the night by laying in the sand and watching the stars... beautiful!
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| Ian outside of our taxi with a flat tire. Pretty sure that all of the tires on the car were spares! |
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| I'm on a camel. |
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| A Bedouin's thin dog admiring the view. |
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| Abdullah, our guide, standing by ancient Bedouin cave drawings. |
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| Our trio. |
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| A reminder of nature's unforgiving beauty... and a dog. |
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| Romantic Arabian sunset. |
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| Hazeem & Me. |
Wednesday, January 25
Even after waking up at four in the morning to a desert storm, I was feeling refreshed and ready to go. We started the morning off with a cup of Bedouin coffee, which was my first cup of coffee ever. It was made from green leaves and a desert plant and was... terrible. Then, the Swiss couple, Ian, our Bedouin friends, and I hopped into a cab and made our way to Petra. In the three hour cab ride, our cab driver, Sa'ad (which actually means "happy" in Arabic!) explained much about his Muslim faith. He went over what it means to him, the conflict between the Shiites and Sunnis, cultural differences, and the fact that Bedouin women who are Sunni wear burqas, full body cloaks which are worn by Shiite women, because most Bedouin women are unattractive. Sa'ad got a big kick out of that one. We also learned the difference between relationships, Bezeihung, and dating for Swiss couples after I asked a question that led to their shock. Also, on the ride, Sa'ad pulled over on the road, the King's Highway from Roman time, and we had a snowball fight! Nathan and Simona, the Swiss couple, were terrific and it was sad to say good bye to them in Petra. Ian and I dominated the centuries old city in just four hours which made us tired, hungry, and gave me gigantic blisters on my feet from my new sandals. But the sights were worth it! We saw buildings carved out of solid pieces of rock whose workmanship was breathtaking. It is hard for me to understand how something could survive since around 1200 BC. But we made it to the high point of Petra, called the end of the world..., and the view was astounding! After our long day of hiking, Ian and I shoveled lamb and chicken into our respective mouths and went to bed at eight...
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| Ian and I in front of Al-Khazna (The Treasury) |
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| Feeling a little bit like Indiana Jones. |
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| Al Deir (The Monastery) which is one of the most spectacular sights that I have ever seen. |
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| Jordan is a place is a place of hard, natural beauty that few places surpass. |
Thursday, January 26
We woke up early and Sa'ad picked us up and we started the trek to Jerusalem. We went on the King's Highway and traveled by Karak Castle, a castle from 1150 AD and was amazing to walk in a place that Romans and Crusaders have lived in, then we went through Jordan Valley, saw Jordan Valley, went to the Dead Sea and saw Lot's wife (a stone pillar with its name from Genesis 19:23-26), and made it to the border and got our passports through minutes before the Jordanian side closed. Ian and I spent a frustrating hour with a border patrol man walking around with our passports and no one would tell us when we could get across or our passports back. When we finally crossed King Hussein's Bridge, Ian and I were fuming with rage. But after another hour of Israeli checking nonsense, we were out and on our way to Jerusalem. We found our college, Jerusalem University College, and dropped our luggage off there. After a quick tour of the school, walking through the Old City of Jerusalem, and a dinner of shawarma and falafel, Ian and I found a hostel and talked with the owner's kid Mohammed until bedtime.
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| Al-Karak Castle which has stood since the Iron Age. |
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| Sa'ad, our driver, finding good throwing rocks to toss into the Dead Sea. |
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| On the bottom of the picture is Jordan; the land beyond the Dead Sea is Israel. |
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| Lot's wife (pillar on the left). |
Friday, January 27
We have made it to school and ate breakfast and made a whole slew of new friends. A hot shower was just was the doctor ordered and, after unpacking and arranging my room, I feel settled and content! Ian and I are on the top floor and have a gorgeous view. Now, I am meeting new people and getting ready to head out but, as this is the winter season, it is raining to beat the band and is pretty windy.
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| Some Jewish girls playing in the Old City. |
Shalom!
P.S. David, for your enjoyment.
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| The Hood and The Brain enjoying a jawbreaker. |
