2 years and coutning

On June 29th, we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary.
We had a long weekend so we went to the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum on Saturday.

On Sunday we went out with our fabulous new Jordanian friends, Dina and Ramez.
(weekends start on Friday. church is on Friday too.)

They bought us a Happy Anniversary cake! They spoil us.

The day was spent at Ramez' "farm" in Salt.

Dina and I by the pool.

The house has a 3rd level with the most amazing 360 degree view.

We went out to Eight for dinner and dessert. What a way to finish off a great weekend.

Thanks guys!

Wadi Mujib

After floating in the Dead Sea we went over to Wadi Mujib.

Wadi Mujib flows into into the Dead Sea at 410 meters below sea level.

Natural water slides

The waterfall was such a rewarding way to end our hike.
We'll be back!

Dead Sea

WARNING, very salty water turns you into a zombie.

A few weeks ago we went down, 420 meters below sea level, to the Dead Sea to see what all the fuss was about.

The lowest point on earth lived up to the hype.

Beauty treatments with the famous Dead Sea mud.

The floating was so much fun. You can't sink if you try.
The water is so salty that every cut or opening feels like it's getting acid poured into it.

Contrary to how it looks, Aaron is not skinny-dipping. His previously bright yellow swimsuit was ruined by our washing machine, Kelvin.

d-e-A-d S-e-A

you can see what we're spelling, right?

Petra

We are visiting Petra for a long weekend.

Weekends start here on Friday. We'll have updates soon!

Lessons learned in Jordan

1. if you are a white woman, you will get gawked at. no exceptions.

2.that is not the ice cream man, it is the gas truck.

3. people do not drive in the lines, they are purely ornamental.

4. a horn is a substitute for anything. it's not reserved for the usual rudeness associated with it back home. it serves as a blinker, watch out, i'm coming over, go and a million other things. one hand is on the steering wheel and one is on the horn at all times.

5. lines do not exist. people do not wait in lines.

6. smoking is enjoyed by everyone and restricted no where.

7. washing machines have one setting. boiling hot.

8. stay away from cabs with the blue lights. the drivers are imported for jerkville.

9. jordanians will force feed you til you pop, but will eat 2 bites of whatever you serve them.

10. cockroaches live in clean houses too.

a Loooong Day

After an exhausting 9 days, while on our way home from Israel, we got stuck at the border for over 2 hours!

2+ hours, 60 people, no water, church clothes, cramped building with no AC in the Middle Eastern heat!
It made us feel like this.

An you know wat?

I really get love an aloha fo you!

Our last stop on our way back home was a prominent baptismal site on the Jordan River. Attempt at witty commentary would only diminish from the awesomeness of the pictures, so I'll keep it simple.

The St. Matthew account of Christ's baptism is displayed in several languages.

Pictures of the saved were displayed in the gift shop.

If you're scared of the water- don't worry.
The HUGE catfish will keep you company.

It really is a beautiful site.

I'm trying to be the fish-whisperer.

Stretching our Legs

Still on the Sea of Galilee, in Tiberius, we have some real down time.

I could live in a hammock.

Time to Play

After what seemed like days on end we checked into the Ron Beach Hotel for some diving, lounging, swimming.

Sea of Galilee

A while back, someone found a sunken ship that dated to the time of Christ. Now replicas have been built, and you can take a ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was pretty sweet, and our trip director (Dil Parkinson, one of my Arabic professors) didn't waste the opportunity to have us all sing some hymns I never knew existed.

Sermon on the Mount

Church of the Primacy of Peter
where Peter recognized Christ on the shore and swam out to him.

Capernaum

Nazareth Village and Tel Dan

I don't know about Lindsay, but some of the most fun I had in Israel was at "Nazareth Village", a recreation of Nazareth in the time of Christ. We saw wheat being threshed, a woman weaving, and even an olive press. Top left, middle left, and bottom center are all the olive press.

Nazareth Village is an actual working village, so they do everything according to the season. Had we been a few months later, we could have stomped grapes. Rats!

We were able to escape the heat a little by going to a waterfall by the headwaters of the Jordan River, and by hanging out in a wading pool by Tel Dan. The oldest mud-brick arch in the world is there. In the '67 war, the Israelis built trenches here do defend against attacks from Syria and Lebanon.

Akko and Meggido

Apparently, you can't claim to have visited a site in the Holy Land until you've been under that site. These tunnels connected the different international quarters that were established during the crusades. Read more about Akko here.

Next up was Megiddo, as in "Ar-Megiddo-n". John prophesied that the forces of good and evil would meet here for the second-to-final showdown. I don't know why anyone would pick there- the place is HOT. Look at what the heat did to Lindsay after only a few minutes.

I Hit My Wall

I'm sure all of you are just as bored seeing our Isreal trip as I am of posting it. I hit my wall at the same point in posting the trip that I did living the trip, about day 6.

Blogging everything is for me to remember everything,
since I'm already forgetting! Oh no!


I am finishing today! Well, I 'm making Aaron finish today. I'm collaging them and making Aaron do commentary. Then on to other things. I promise.

Dippin our toes

in the Mediterranean Sea.

Aaron had never been in the Med Sea before so he had to get a little feel for it.

or a BIG feel for it.

It was so nice to take a small break from the hustle of our Israel trip to breath and relax.

Climbing around the sea wall of Akko.

Bird's Eye View

Aaron and I headed up a bell tower to get waaaaay above Jerusalem so we could see the whole thing.

The stairs were so steep and twirly that we got dizzy.

Being that high above the city gave us some fantastic views.
As soon as the bells started ringing at noon, we had to plug our ears and run! (they were deafening)