One Wadi to Another

The days have run away from me! I better catch them, eh? Two days ago, I was in Jordan. We awoke to a bright, sunny day and knew that the adventure for the day was going to be great! Gretchen and I ate breakfast in the hotel and were off with the group to Petra. Our guide, Samer, led the way as we disembarked. We walked down a path and arrived at a very large gully. In Jordan, it is the Siq and was to be our entrance into Petra. Before the trip, I had not been up to date on my Middle Eastern history and had only heard of Petra from my parents’ stories.

The walk down the Siq was long but totally paid off! The first view of the treasury of Petra took my breath away. I was walking along and turned a corner. No longer was the view in front of me rough sandstone; I glimpsed the beautifully carved pillars and entrance. After looking around the entryway for a bit, a few of us headed towards the monastery. The journey would take us a ways past the Treasury and up 900 steps. It was a quiet hike, especially since we were all huffing and puffing our way up. The monastery is tucked among the hills on a plateau. I’ve decided that I love hiking. I get super tired walking up a ton of steps, but I thoroughly enjoy the climb and concentrating on where my next step will be.

At the top, there was a carved entrance similar to the Treasury, but the view was worth the climb. One outlook was called “The End of the World”. On a clear day from that spot one could see Egypt, the Dead Sea, and Israel. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, but the view was still spectacular. We hiked around on the plateau for a while before heading down to meet up with the rest of the group. My feet and legs were tired by the time we climbed back to the bus. I was ready for a little rest, but instead, we headed to Little Petra.

Little Petra is home to a chapel carved up and into the sandstone about 15 minutes from Petra. The dome of the chapel has a mosaic, so we climbed up to look at it. Most of the mosaic had been damaged because of smoke from Bedouin fires. The Bedouin lived in the caves and all aspects of life took place within the natural shelter of the caves, including cooking and heat production. There were families out for picnics at Little Petra, since Friday was a holiday. It was fun to see the kids running around these beautiful sites, although seeing toddlers really just made me miss Adam. I’m excited to get home and hang out with the little guy.

Luckily, it was a short ride back to our hotel. By this time, my feet were ready to kill me. They wanted out of my hiking boots and were incredibly close to waging a mutiny. Thankfully, I was able to coerce them into movement and made it back to the room. I stripped off my dirty shoes and socks and changed into pjs. I was fully aware of it only being 4:30 in the afternoon, but after a long, hard day of hiking, my body wanted a nap. Gretchen went for a Turkish Bath, but I opted for the cozy comfort of the bed. Instead of sleeping for a brief moment, I slept for 2.5 hours. Maybe a waste of time? Regardless, I was fully revived in time for dinner.

After dinner, Sue came to use the internet, and Gretchen and I convinced her of the incredibly void in her life. She was without a facebook profile. We quickly rectified the problem and she is now able to be friends with her daughter. Sue is totally like a mom to us and such a blessing to have on this trip.

Yesterday, we said good-bye to Wadi Musa and began the trip to Amman. Along the way, we had a few stops to make. The first being a stop to check out the stone that Moses touched to get water for the Israelites. There is a stone with a pool, but it is pretty hard to know for certain that this is the stone of Moses. It was neat to look at and touch the water and to share in the history of the pilgrimage to the now holy site.

We drove out of Wadi Musa towards a Crusader castle that is now in ruins. No longer can groups go into the castle and look around. The only option is to take pictures from the road. The stop happened to be next to a Bedouin shop, so of course we popped our heads in. The shop was one of the coolest we’ve been to. It was in a cave that also was part of the home. The minute we walked in, the proprietor started making tea for us. It was the hands-down best tea I’ve ever had. It was a hot sweet tea, but so much more delicious that I can properly describe. The young son was off of school until the end of January, so he was helping out in the shop. This kid had style and wore some super sweet kicks. I liked him immediately, so we bonded while haggling over a pair of earrings. There have been so many kids on this trip that I want to bring home. They’ve been so cute!

We reluctantly left the shop and drove to Madaba. Jordan seems to be the location of lots of places that are really important, yet I am lacking the basic knowledge of their significance. Madaba is an ancient city that is home to a beautiful mosaic in the floor of an orthodox church. It is a map of the Holy Land tracing Moses exodus out of Egypt. The map isn’t complete anymore, but it was still sweet to see. We ate yummy Shwarma for lunch and were off once again.

We had one more stop before Amman. Mt. Nebo is the location of Moses death. In the Bible, Moses and Aaron broke God’s rule, therefore they were never to enter the Promised Land. At Mt. Nebo, God showed Moses the Promised Land and then Moses died. He was buried and the Israelites mourned before entering the land of Israel. The view from the monastery was great. We could see into Israel and the West Bank. It was hazy yet again, so we missed the phenomenal view. We could still see pretty far and could pick out the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Forrest, one of our leaders, read the passage from the Bible as our meditation for the day. We were the only group at the outlook, so we could soak it all in without interruption.

There was a small museum on our walk back to the bus, so I perused Greco-Roman pottery and architecture. I’m pretty sure if I could go back in time, I’d go back and check out the height of Roman influence and power. It’d be sweet to see the streets and buildings complete.

Our day ended in Amman. We arrived in the city early enough to have a little bus tour. We drove past the Roman Theater, the Royal Palace, and the Citadel. The streets were busy and packed with merchants and shoppers. Many of the shops had salesmen sitting outside waiting for customers. The Western influence is very apparent throughout the city. Lots of Popeye’s, Starbucks, and Hardee’s. We drove through the very rich neighborhood and saw the giant, beautiful homes situated between embassies and homes of the diplomats. Just in case we needed the information, we drove by the US embassy. Of course, no pictures were taken.

The hotel we were at was the nicest one yet. It was in the city, but not right at the city center. We had full beds instead of twins and a spacious bathroom with a stand-up shower. Dinner was served for just the 11 of us and was quite the spread. Different proteins and FRESH, steamed vegetables. Soooo yummy!

Today’s update will be posted as soon as I get to the airport. I’m packing to travel back to the US now…pretty crazy that my time in the Holy End is already over. See you soon!

Defying Gravity

I could not get my but out of bed today. The pillows were the best ones yet and I was warm and very comfortable. We slept as late as possible without being totally rushed, but I still needed a little motivation to get me going. I have my computer with me, so I called in reinforcements. Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” does wonders for getting me excited to be awake and the adventures that lay ahead. I repacked and dropped my bag at the bus before heading to breakfast. Gretchen stayed with the bags, while I made sandwiches for lunch from the breakfast buffet. We were going to be on the road during lunchtime with no place to stop.

Galilee is absolutely breathtaking. The area is lush and green with numerous signs of agriculture. We drove around the lake to get to Capernaum. There are ancient ruins of a church and synagogue. The houses date back to the time of Christ and we saw one house that is supposed to be Peter’s house. Since there is no literary insight into what Jesus did between the ages of 12 and 30, some scholars hypothesize that Jesus lived in Capernaum. The area around Galilee is the location of much of the New Testament and where Jesus did much of his teaching.

We went on from the ancient ruins of Capernaum to the Mount of the Beatitudes and the possible location of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Gretchen and I had the duty of devotions for today. Gretchen read from the Sermon on the Mount and I got to give my interpretation of what it means to us today. The morning was gorgeous and the birds were out. I walked around the grounds of the church taking in the view of the Sea of Galilee. I would have liked more time, but we had to get to our boat ride.

The next adventure for the day was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We walked the long dock to a wooden fishing boat that was to be our vessel for the hour. The ride was peaceful and calming. It was easy to imagine Jesus and his disciples fishing and Jesus teaching on the shore.

After the boat ride, we continued our hunt for an ATM. At this point, I was not the only one who needed money. We drove to Tiberius, where our driver promised we would find an ATM. At long last we found a functioning machine, and I felt connected to the universe once again. Ok, maybe it was that dramatic, but it was nice to have money again.

After the ATM, we drove to the border with Jordan. We said good-bye to our driver and began the journey into Jordan. We went through passport control in Israel after paying an exit fee. Next, we hopped on a shuttle bus that carted us over to the Jordanian side. Our Jordanian guide, Sam, met us and helped us through passport control. The immigration officer took my passport, made me look into a camera to record my image, and took my fingerprint. I could not get my passport back until the entire group had gone through. Leaving the building without my passport was a little nerve-wracking, but I did get it back eventually. I was allowed into Jordan without a problem.

Now, I am sitting on the bus traveling through the Jordanian countryside traveling south to Petra. We have been on the bus for almost 5 hours already, and I have no idea how much further we have to go. I slept for the first 2 hours and missed the intro, but I figured a nap was more important than hearing about the country’s demographics. I awoke to the bus stopping in Amman for a bathroom break. It is funny how the condition of the bathroom is representative of the country. Egypt is dirty and often dysfunctional. Israel is clean, strictly run, and sometimes inaccessible. Jordan is clean and modern looking on the outside, but the inside is always a surprise.

We have arrived at our hotel and checked in without a problem. Dinner was a mix of cultures once again and delicious. Gretchen and I opted for a swim after dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our time in the hot tub. Just before we were going to head up to our room, the manager came in and informed us that the “Jacuzzi” was 7 dinar, which translates into about $10. We were slightly taken aback to think that our 45 minute soak in the slightly warmer pool cost us something, but had we stuck to the larger pool, it would have been free. Such is the adventure of swimming in a foreign country. Tomorrow is Petra and possibly a Turkish bath.

Dead Sea Scrolls or Dead Sea Squirrels?

After yesterday, I am tired and emotionally drained. I continue to wish there was some way to magically make everyone happy and end the conflict. I want to know more about the history of the conflict and the positions of the different governments and leaders. The group continues to talk about how we, as Christians, can work for peace in the Holy Land. We haven’t solved the problem yet, but maybe by the end of the two weeks here.

We began our morning by heading to the top of the Mount of Olives. From this point, we were able to see the entire Old City of Jerusalem. Merchants were selling panoramic views of the city for cheap, so I bought one that will look much better than any attempt of mine to capture the city. We had a word of history and spent time looking at this holy city. It continues to amaze me that this one piece of land is so holy to the 3 dominant religions of the world. The mixing of religions is incredible.

Today was the day of ancient ruins. The first destination was Qumran, located in the desert south of Jerusalem. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the hills behind the village. The belief is that the scrolls were written in the city of Qumran and hidden in the hills when the Romans attacked the village. We ate together for the last time as a whole group in the visitor center. Today marks the last day for half the group, while the rest of us will continue on to Galilee and Petra.

The drive to Masada was all along the Dead Sea. The scenic drives we’ve had would be much more enjoyable if I didn’t get carsick every time. I have become infamous for my ability to fall asleep during any drive that is longer than 10 minutes. Since the drive from Qumran to Masada was 40 minutes, you know I was asleep within the first 15. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on much since we had driven the route when we first entered Israel. Masada is located high on the plateau, so we had to take cable cars up to reach the ruins. Herod used Masada as a vacation palace during the time of Christ, and in later years the Sicarii lived there. Josephus recorded the history of Masada and wrote about the Jewish uprising against the Romans. The Romans came after the Sicarii in Masada and instead of being taken captive, the Sicarii committed collective suicide at the top of the mountain. It is a very dramatic story and similar to the story of the Alamo in the US.

As the sun was setting, we made out way down the mountain. We had a final hour together before going our separate ways. The group that was heading home was getting excited and anxious to travel and see their families. We dropped them off at a rest stop before continuing on to Galilee. I had been in need of an ATM since leaving the Old City the day before, but now the hunt began in earnest. I had tried the ATM at the rest stop, but I got a message in Hebrew that I believe is similar to “I don’t like you and I don’t want to give you any money”. The next ATM told me that it was unable to process my request at that time. I was beginning to feel doomed in my quest for money. Maybe the gods were sending me a sign that I had already spent enough money on this trip.

Our hotel was on the coast of the Sea of Galilee and was a popular Israeli vacation spot. We ate a late dinner and were in bed by 8:30. These early mornings and long site-seeing days are catching up with me. Tomorrow is our tour of Galilee and then travel through Jordan to get to Petra.

The More I Learn

Day 6 of our trip began much the same as the previous days. Gretchen and I were late for breakfast again. I really am not a morning person, thus I make us late all the time. We ate quickly in the hotel before boarding our bus to begin the touring. The route was set completely in the Old City of Jerusalem. We drove past many of the gates and entered the city near the Western Wall. Our first stop was the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Temple Mount, which is a holy spot for Muslims and Jews. Somewhere on the Temple Mount is the location of the first Israelite temple built by Solomon. The dome and center of the Haram Al-Sharif is supposed to be located where Abraham built the altar to sacrifice Isaac. It was stunningly beautiful with the golden dome and the bright blue mosaic walls.

We descended into the city as it was waking for the day. Shops were opening and merchants were beginning to hawk their wares. We walked to the Western Wall aka the Wailing Wall. I had brought paper to write my prayer and participate in the tradition of praying at the wall. I wrote the names of some Jewish friends and a prayer for Peace. The women’s side is much smaller than the men’s, so it was very crowded. I waited my turn and had my moment of prayer at the wall. Even though I’m not Jewish, I still felt the holiness of the place. Sue, you and your family have been prayed for and that prayer is placed in the wall. I watched the variety of women who approached the wall and realized that we were sharing in the experience and magic of Jerusalem. I continue to be reminded of the similarities between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are certain things we all do that allow us to have shared experiences.

From the Western Wall, we wound our way through the busy streets to the Church of the Sepulcher. The current walls of Jerusalem are not the same walls that surrounded the city at the time of Jesus and do not encompass the same area. For this reason, the Church of the Sepulcher is said to be the location of the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The more we talk about the sites we visit, the more I realize that nothing is certain. There is no way of knowing without a doubt where Jesus was crucified or buried; yet we visit these spots that are made holy because of our remembrance and the pilgrims who went before. The church was ornate and contained multiple denominations. Historically, the different denominations could not get along; therefore the keys to the church were given to two Muslim families for safekeeping. To this day, the families unlock the church in the morning and lock the doors at night.

While walking to the church, we had passed through an open-air market. Gretchen and I wanted to get back there to peruse the goods. The group dispersed for lunch, so we wandered towards a leather shop. I found a satchel that will work perfectly for whatever my future job may be. It felt very grown up to be thinking about finding a job, especially since I still haven’t really accepted the fact that I’m a degree holding graduate. We paused briefly for a sip of hot chocolate and a falafel. The hot chocolate was absolutely delicious. It was rich and utterly satisfying. Our leaders had given us a long lunch break, so we continued shopping. One shop had gorgeous, hand-made wall hangings. After a little heckling, Gretchen got one for half the asking price.

We regrouped and began another hike through more of the Old City. Our first destination was St. Anne’s Church. In the church courtyard, there are ruins of ancient churches and medicinal baths. It is one of the possible sites for the miracle of Jesus healing the man by the pool. The ruins were interesting, but the best part of the stop was the acoustics of St. Anne’s. As a group, we started singing. I stood there singing and began thinking of my parents. There is so much of this trip that I want to share with them. Every night, I want to call home and discuss with Dad the sites I’ve seen and what his take on the situation would be. I want to talk to my mom and fill her in on all of the deals I’ve gotten and the people we’ve met. I want to share my thoughts and tell them all about how much things have changed since they were here. Instead, I send ridiculously long emails to my sister. I did have the thought that my parents are with me on this journey. Maybe I don’t need to call them, but I am able to share this with them. They were with me on the top of Mt. Sinai and prayed with me as I bowed my head at the Wailing Wall. The mixture of my sadness with the beauty of the song was too much, and I broke down. It was a spiritual moment. The group is filled with powerful singers, so I felt as if I was being treated to a private concert.

We left the city via the Lion Gate and walked towards Gethsemane. We paid a small fee and were let into a locked garden. There is no way of knowing which tract of land was the exact spot that Jesus went to on the night of being betrayed, but the entire hillside was the Garden at Gethsemane during the time of Christ. We very well may have been at the same spot he was. The tradition of the group is to have communion somewhere along the way, so Bishop Lee broke the bread. The group has come together as a family, and Gretchen and I are well taken care of. There is so much love that flows from these people I just met a week ago. We end the devotions with a song, and communion was no different. I love the singing the group does. During the time to wander, I took in the old olive trees and the peace of the garden. We crossed the road and went into the commercial Garden at Gethsemane. The garden was meticulously preened and each olive tree had flowering plants at its roots.

Next to the garden is the Church of Nations. The Franciscan Monks maintain the church, but money was donated from around the world to renovate and rebuild the church. The doors had spectacular carvings, but the inside of the church was plain compared to the previous cathedrals. Each window was stained glass with a purple cross in the middle. We stopped briefly before loading the bus.

Our final item on the agenda was a trip to an Israeli settlement to meet with a settler. I was apprehensive about the visit, especially after all of the news about settlements and hearing from Dahoud about the cruelty of some settlers. Bob Lang met us at the security gate. He is a graduate of UW-Madison and got his degree in Dairy Science in the 1970s. He wasn’t born in Israel, yet he felt compelled to emigrate. He has a strong history of involvement in the settlement controversy and worked for a group called Peace Watch. Yet, as he spoke, it became clear that he was a Zionist who would only settle for a one state solution that included the expansion of the settlements. When asked where the land for the settlements came from, he said that no one had occupied the lands before they built the community. The city we were in spans 7 hills and is a planned community. The houses look the same and cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, yet lack variety and character. He was passionate and a kind host, but I felt he was disconnected with the reality of the situation. He related every question we asked back to the Palestinian extremists, but dismissed the Israeli extremists as being a small minority. He couldn’t think of the Palestinian people as anything but terrorists.

I left with more insight into the situation, but fewer ideas of how to bring about peace in the region. I was beginning to understand why the settlers felt they had a right to be there, but I could not grasp why the Palestinian people had to be removed in the process. Visiting with Bob Lang was the perfect example of the more you learn, the less you know. It is easy to be sure of what you know when you lack information. Later in the evening, we had the opportunity to hear from another side in the conflict.

We met a Palestinian couple that was willing to answer our questions and give us further insight. The husband lives at one of the refugee camps, because his family was moved off of their land three generations ago. The wife works for an international NGO and lives in East Jerusalem. She cannot move from Jerusalem, because if she did, she would lose any rights to travel and the benefits of being a Palestinian living in Jerusalem.. Her husband is not allowed to leave the West Bank to go into Israel. Their children live in Jerusalem, but travel to see their father. She must maintain the façade of living in her apartment. Her neighbors report to the authorities if she is not seen every week in the neighborhood. This Palestinian woman was incredibly passionate and vocal about the plight of the Palestinian Muslims and the Bedouin. It was fascinating to watch her speak and listen as she recounts the razing of Bedouin communities in the name of Israeli settlement. Her husband was angry, as anyone would be if they had lived in a refugee camp for generations.

The situation in Palestine is not cleanly separated into one side versus the other. It is not a conflict of Muslims versus Jews. It is not Zionists versus Hamas. It is not the settlers versus the Palestinian farmers. I wish the conflict was black and white. A peace agreement would be easy if there were only two sides involved. Instead, I see a conflict centuries old with multiple parties and perspectives. Each has valid arguments for why the land is theirs and why the others should leave. The violence and the divide in this land sadden my heart. I will continue to pray for peace and understanding.

We Refuse to Be Enemies

Yesterday was jam packed with travel. We woke to yet another sunny day in the Sinai and our last morning at St. Katherine's. We loaded our luggage and ourselves onto the bus to begin the drive to Israel. All week, we had a rep from the tour company, an extra driver, and the tourism police on the bus with us. We were finally going to get to see them off at the border. The drive was pretty inconsequential. I slept for most of it, since the desert doesn't really differ that much in Sinai from the US Southwest. We had one stop at an overlook, and I almost kidnapped an adorable small child to bring home. I'm thinking my three weeks in Indonesia at the orphanage are going to be brutal on my heart.

We began seeing more and more water as we drove closer to the Gulf of Aqaba. We left our guards behind and entered Egyptian customs at the border. Getting out of the country was easy, and we exited to a round-about. We walked about a quarter of a mile and entered Israel. Buses are not allowed through the checkpoint, so we made it on foot. It was very Exodus-like and a grand adventure. I was super nervous to go through customs and border patrol, since we've heard lots of stories about how hard it's going to be. Instead of getting checked and spending hours in line, we breezed through and got to the other side without incident. I stood outside looking at the Gulf and basking in the sun. It was awesome!

We climbed aboard a new bus with a new driver, Hamad. Hamad is a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem. According to Israel, Jerusalem is a unified city, but many Palestinians don't see it this way. We drove about an hour through more desert and stopped at an oasis for lunch. There were statues of cows everywhere. The Israelis evidently prefer the holstein. I took a picture posing with one for Adam. I hope he likes it and will maybe appreciate the silliness of it when he gets older. We were told we could drink the tap water again (VERY exciting). Gretchen ordered a goat cheese with veggie sandwich, and I had a grilled cheese with tomatoes and sweet corn. Both were incredibly delicious. We got gelato for dessert and climbed aboard once again.

Our next stop on the way to Bethlehem was the Dead Sea. It is much bigger than I pictured. I kept remembering Dad talking about swimming the water, and I was excited to have a similar experience. We found a place that didn't charge to use the changing room and began the preparation for a dip. The water was cold and clear, yet had a sheen to it. When looking into the water, I could see the bottom, but it also looked like there were streams of oil throughout. The buoyancy was crazy! Floating was so easy, and it was super difficult to put your feet down. It was a great ab workout to try to stand up. I could have played/floated for hours, but alas, we had to keep moving.

Without much fanfare, we passed from Israel proper into the West Bank. While we were driving, Peter and Rick discussed how the conflict here is not anywhere near black and white. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the passage into the West Bank was like passing a county line with slightly more security. The area was as desolate as Southern Israel and hard to differentiate. As we drove, we saw the countryside change. We drove into Jerusalem at dusk, and I totally geeked out. I could not believe that I was actually in Israel and in Jerusalem. We drove through on our way to Bethlehem. We passed from the West Bank into Israel and then Israel to the West Bank to get to Bethlehem. During the drive, we had glimpses of the Old City of Jerusalem and the wall built by Israel to surround the West Bank. We also saw in the distance the settlements that are the hot topic of Middle East Peace talks right now.

We arrived at the Hotel Sancta Maria and got our room assignments. The hotel is very clean and the staff are lovely. The room is small, but very nice...especially since we have two balconies with phenomenal views of the valley below. We had dinner at the hotel and enjoyed fish with various salads. The conversation was the best part of dinner. Gretchen and I sat with Bishop Lee and the table began talking about how we mesh our Christianity with the problems of this area. We talked about Zionism and how our own faith factors into international conflicts. I absolutely loved it!

Today was an early morning, and Gretchen and I were only slightly rushed as we ran down to breakfast. The group met before heading out for the day to receive some instruction from Peter. Since today was our first real day exploring the West Bank/Jerusalem area, Peter wanted to go over some basic concepts and give us background on Christians in the area. Everything we see is being put in the context of our faith and the biblical stories we are used to. He explained the four stages of Christian mission, ending with the idea of being present. I loved the last part, because it focuses on mission through relationships instead of force. It's my idea of evangelism...leading by example.

We were running a bit late, but hopped on the bus to begin the tour. Our first stop was the Field of the Shepherds...that is the Greek Orthodox location of the Field. Legend has it that this was the place that the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them the good news. The interesting thing is that there are two other fields that claim to be THE field from the narrative. I'm slowly realizing that nothing is set in stone here and there is not way of knowing without a doubt where certain things are located. The Field of the Shepherds now has various ruins from a range of time periods. We saw some from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, with Roman structures going back even further. There was a cave with bones from ancient Monks who had been killed by the Persians. The place was very cool.

The next stop of the day was the Church of the Nativity. Traditionally, this is the site of the birth of Jesus. We walked up the hill and through a crowded street to arrive in the plaza. Upon entering the church, immediately in front of us was the Greek Orthodox altar. On the left was the Armenian chapel and on the right, was the entrance down to the cave where Jesus was born. Just like the Field of the Shepherds, there is no way to prove this was the exact cave, but as far back as the 1st century AD, there are written reports of the birth occurring in a cave like the one I saw. We walked down the stairs and watched the tour groups prostrate in front of the star marking the spot on the ground of the manger. It was a neat experience, but hard to believe that I saw the exact spot that Jesus was born. I liked seeing an area similar to the one he was born in, but it doesn't make the birth any more special now that I've seen a possible location.

We ate lunch at Dollars, which specializes in delicious chicken sandwiches. The meal began with a variety of Arabic salads and pita bread followed by a pita filled with chicken, sauce, and tomatoes. Very yummy!

The next stop was in Jerusalem and required a journey through the checkpoint into Israel. At this point, there is no messing around. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes for the bus to get through, and other times, it take 1.5 hours to get through. The Israeli soldiers entered the bus and walked through looking at each passport. Because we are all US citizens, the guards didn't ask any questions or detain us at all.

We drove to the Israeli Museum for a brief visit. The main attraction was a model of the old city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was cooling down but still very nice to sit outside and take in the city. I saw the scrolls and kept thinking of Mom and her bible study. I felt her with me today and knew that she and Dad were experiencing everything with me.

The mid-afternoon adventure was out of Jerusalem and into Palestine. We met with Dahoud Nassar, whose father started the Tent of Nations. The Nassar family is a Palestinian Christian family who owns land outside of Bethlehem and has deeds to the land going back to the Ottomans in 1916. With the expansion of Israeli settlements, the government has tried for decades to take the Nassar land. For the past 19 years, the family has been fighting in the courts to stop expansion and roads on their land. This family is incredible and their story is heartbreaking. They have had crops destroyed by vengeful settlers, they are banned from using electricity, building on their land, or having running water simply because they are Palestinian. Despite all they have to be angry about, Dahoud and his family believe in Peace. The stone at the gate to their land says "We refuse to be enemies". His father started Tent of Nations to bring people together to gain an understanding of life in Palestine and to show that there are more similarities than differences. He is an incredible example of Peace from the grassroots. I wish you could have been there to listen to him speak. He was truly awe inspiring. Check out the website at: http://www.tentofnations.org/

I left the Tent of Nations feeling energized, yet incredibly sad. We walked to the bus and saw a van of Israeli guards making sure we left and checking out the situation. I was slightly uncomfortable knowing how quickly the police came out to investigate a tour bus at the Palestinian farm. Gretchen and I debriefed a while as we drove to Johnny's. Johnny is a colleague of Peter and owns a souvenir shop. Every corner has a souvenir shop, but Johnny is reputable and ensures a good quality and socially responsible products. Many of the olive wood carvings are done by his brother and his family has been in Bethlehem for decades. I found a nativity set that is similar to on my parents brought back from Bethlehem in the 1970s. I also found a cameo ring that I had to buy. My mom loved cameos and always thought they were really special. The one I found is really beautiful and quite old. The ring came from Johnny's father's shop, so it's at least 50 years old.

We spent too much time shopping, but the atmosphere of the shop was great. We ate dinner at the Tent, where we enjoyed an authentic Arabic meal. With dessert, they brought out Sheesha for the table to enjoy. We definitely knew we were in the Middle East. Since we were so full, Gretchen and I, along with two others, decided to walk home. At first, we were told the restaurant was only a mile or so from the hotel. Thinking that was not a long distance at all, we headed off. Instead of it being a 1 mile straight shot, it turned out to be a 2.5-3 mile hike way up and sort of off to the East. We didn't get lost, per se, but it took a bit longer than expected. Gretchen and I also had the great joy of stopping at a grocery store to find feminine products. Turns out they are in the same section as the cleaning supplies and dish soap. As is typical when buying tampons, the only people in the store were men. The shelf holding the tampons was being restocked by a young gentlemen who was clearly embarrassed as I reached for the tampax. We decided to get some chocolate to go along with the tampons and wondered if women in Palestine eat as much chocolate while menstruating as we do. The gentlemen checking us out was incredibly flustered as he handled the tampons...almost as if they were toxic or harmful. I couldn't help but laugh as we walked back to the hotel.

I am finally caught up on the trip! Tomorrow is a full day in Jerusalem filled with lots of history. Peace and blessings!

I've been to the Mountain Top

It's been a crazy busy past couple of days. We left Cairo on Friday and drove to St. Katherine's. I was so glad to get out of Cairo. The city is dirty, poor, and depressing. I'm sure I would find things I liked given more time, but I was ready to move on. St. Katherine's is a village in the middle of the Sinai peninsula and about a mile from the base of Mt. Sinai. The bus ride was 7.5 hours total, so we had lots of bus time. There were two stops on the way to use the WC and maybe find some snacks. Gretchen and I found really beautiful shirts for cheap, so we did a little shopping. I ended up sleeping a ton, since that seemed the best way to make the drive go quickly. The scenery was the same with lots of sand and hills. It is pretty and interesting for a while, but quickly gets old. Gretch and I have made friends with a pair of gentlemen who totally treat us like their children/grandchildren. Dale is a pastor from Tennessee and his good friend, Ben, is now nicknamed Gramps. We have the absolute, most wonderful people on the trip. I didn't realize that coming on this trip would give me so many parental figures. They all definitely look out for us and worry about the young ones.

We arrived in St. Katherine's around 7:30 and immediately ate dinner. The meal was delicious but very Americanized. We had friend chicken with a side of hummus. A societally confused dinner. :) The higher elevation meant that it was much cooler. There were some shops in the compound, so we wandered after dinner. We had drinks with some of the men of the group and gained some insight into our group members. We went to sleep early, since we knew the following day would be a grand adventure. We awoke early again...this early morning stuff is not my cup of tea. The breakfast was good...they had rice pudding, so you know I liked it. We took the bus to the monastery. The monastery dates back to the 6th century. There are a ton of ancient texts and THE burning bush is enclosed in the monastery. I skipped visiting the inside of the monastery to start the ascent. I had opted for riding a camel up Mt. Sinai a ways. I paid around 15 dollars for a 1.5 hour ride up the mountain. I was so glad I wasn't walking the whole way up. I got to the top and got off my camel. We had some tea at the rest area before the real hike began. Just past the rest area, the tough part began. There are over 700 steps that lead to the top. I would walk 20 steps and then rest. I decided to take my time, otherwise I'm not sure I'd make it.

The top of Mount Sinai was a bit anti-climatic. There were two chapels at the top where they have liturgy on special days of the year. The view was phenomenal and we could see Saudi Arabia from the top, which was neat. We sat up there for a while and then began our descent. The walk down was very pleasant, and I got the opportunity to visit some with Peter, the director of Society for Biblical Studies. I am learning so much biblical history from him and loving all of the history of the trip. By the time we got down, it was 3 pm and the valley was silent. It was peaceful to rest and listen. I could sense that the place was holy. As a group, we went to Vespers in the Basilica. I stood, so that the older women of the group could sit. Boy, was that a mistake! My legs and body hurt from the hike and I wanted to collapse by the end of the service. It was a bit long and definitely difficult to follow, since it was in ancient Greek. After the service, Father Justin gave us a private tour. Father Justin is a monk from the US who moved there 12 years ago and joined the brotherhood at St. Katherine's. He is working with the international community to return the Codex Sinaiticus back to St. Katherine's. The Codex is an ancient, hand-written bible that was stolen in the 19th century by a German scholar and never returned.

We made our way back to the hotel for dinner and devotions. Dinner was great, especially since I hadn't eaten much lunch. The hunger caught up to me, and I devoured my food in record time. I was ready for bed and could not crawl in fast enough. Sleep came quickly and the next morning, Israel was calling my name!

Build Another Pyramid

Today was our last full day in Cairo, and we actually spent it outside of the city visiting some of the ancient sites. Our morning started very early with a friendly wake-up call from the front desk. I forgot my watch and alarm clock, so the wake-up calls have been essential to being on time. We had another breakfast full of sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs. This time around, Gretchen and I made sandwiches for lunch. I felt like such a rebel sneaking sandwiches out of the breakfast room. Our guardians greeted us just outside the door for the day. In Egypt, groups are encouraged and often required to have tourism police accompany the tours. Each day, we’ve had two policemen on the coach with us and touring the sites. Our guard today, Ammal, introduced himself to Gretchen and me before we got on the bus. Throughout the rest of the day, he followed us and ensured our safety. It felt a bit like having a babysitter, but I know that it was for my own good. We did notice that Ammal was packing heat under his suit coat. I’m no good with gun names, but I do know that the concealed weapon was big and had a sight on it. I was a little nervous about the gun, but it was all good.

The first stop for the day was Sakkara. It is about 30 minutes south of Cairo and home to a number of pyramids. The ride was spent listening to our guide, Ahmet, tell us about Egyptian culture. He began by telling us about ancient culture and the Western misconceptions of Egyptian society today. He told us about Muslim men being allowed to have up to 4 wives and how the West harbored misconceptions about the practice. Muslim men are only allowed to have more than 1 wife, if they can treat and provide for each of them equally. It was fine, until he decided to tell us why women are not allowed to have more than 1 husband. I understand and accept that there are always cultural differences, but the extreme sexism was too much for this little feminist. He gave us three reasons for women only being allowed 1 husband. Each was more outrageous than the next. According to Ahmet, women cannot enter into more than 1 marriage contract for the following reasons:

1. If women were allowed to have multiple husbands, then the paternity of the children would always be up in the air. I can maybe agree with us, however, this seems to only support subordination and inequality.

2. Women cause the problems in a marriage, because of their mood swings, especially while menstruating. What drives me nuts about this is it puts all the blame on women and dismisses anything the husband might do as a reaction to the “crazy” wife. It sounds very similar to the myth that a woman can’t lead because she might make a rash decision while PMSing. It’s BS!

3. Women are not allowed to have multiple husbands, because women spread venereal diseases. This is just plain false. It boils my blood that women are blamed for spreading diseases, when there is not one STI that is transmitted by women. Plus, a man with multiple wives is just as likely to spread disease as a woman.

All of the women of the group were stunned into silence as we arrived at the Step Pyramid of Sakkara. We were the first group of the day and entered the site in the midst of a dense, heavy fog. From the courtyard of the compound, I couldn’t see the pyramid. The fog prevented much sightseeing, but as the morning wore on, the fog burned off. The Step Pyramid was a bit anti-climatic and not nearly as nearly as neat as the other pyramids. At the entrance, there was a neat structure with columns on both sides of the walkway. There were 20 on each side, representing the 20 districts of North Egypt and the 20 districts of the South. There was a giant hole in one corner, which was the excavated site of an alternative burial shaft. The neatest part of the time at the Step Pyramid was the conversation with other people on the trip. One Wisconsin UMC pastor, Mary, knew my parents. She told me that it was a blessing to have known Mom and Dad and how they always encouraged her to try different things and get out of her comfort zone. It was comforting to hear stories about my parents from another friend. She went on to describe her work with the Civil Rights Movement and meeting Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and the Kennedy widows. Mary was the first woman of color ordained in the Wisconsin UMC and spent time in Washington DC. She talked with Gretchen and me about community. I had mentioned that she was always talking to new people when we went places. Her reason for doing so is to find community wherever she goes. It was a lovely thought and explained so much about human interaction.

We went to smaller pyramids in the Sakkara area next. I had the opportunity to climb down into one of them. Everyone in the group went down, even though the only way in was a steep ramp in a passageway 3 feet high. The passageway opened into a hall with a room on each side. One room once held statues of the Pharaohs daughter and son, but the statues are now in the Egyptian museum. The other room held the sarcophagus, but no coffin or mummy. The sarcophagus was black and about 5 ½ feet tall with a very small space for the coffin. The size of the sarcophagus seemed a bit excessive for the size of the coffin, but the hieroglyphics were absolutely amazing. We could stand in the tomb and look at the hieroglyphics that were carved by hand thousands of years before. It was an awesome experience.

We had a late picnic lunch at our next stop. During the drive to the Bent and Red Pyramids, we passed a number of farms. Gretchen was super excited to see how they were farming and the harvesting that was being done. We also noticed the garbage everywhere. The rivers are the dumps and there was more garbage in the river than I ever thought possible. It made me sad to think about the pollution and the lack of proper garbage disposal.

Before we could get off the bus, Ahmet gave a bit of a lecture and I stared out the window. I saw a girl get out of the van next to us wearing a Gustavus Aldophus t-shirt. Turns out that Gretchen knew her. It was a perfect example of how crazy small this world is! We ate our picnic lunches in the sun at the base of the Bent Pyramid. It was incredible to eat and think about the location. We were at a holy place that was millennia old. I kept having a difficult time wrapping my head around the age of the pyramids we were seeing. After the Bent Pyramid, we headed towards the Red Pyramid. We had the opportunity to crawl down into another pyramid, so of course Gretchen and I volunteered. The trek began with a hike halfway up the outside of the pyramid. We then entered a very snug crawl space and began the descent into the pyramid. The crawl down was triple in length to the pyramid we had climbed earlier in the day. We eventually entered a room smelling faintly of cleaning supplies. This room led to another that contained a rickety, wooden staircase leading to the tomb chamber. The deeper we went into the pyramid, the stronger the smell of old cleaning supplies. The air was not fresh, but it was pretty sweet to be walking around in a pyramid.

The drive back to Cairo took about a half an hour. Gretchen and I opted to eat out with a couple of other people from the group. We went to a seafood restaurant called the Sea Gull. As the diner, you picked your fish and then they prepared it for you. It was quite the experience and the food was excellent. While dinner was awesome, the journey to and from the restaurant was not so enjoyable. There were no crosswalks and cars don’t believe in slowing for pedestrians. It was a busy causeway, so the best approach was to wait for a “lull” in traffic and then cross. It is a talent unto itself to find the “lulls”, but we managed to make it across twice without dying. I’m in no hurry to repeat that adventure. My tummy is full and my bed is calling. Tomorrow brings the Egyptian Museum and the drive to St. Katherine’s.

Walk like an Egyptian

Today marks our official, first day in Cairo. We had some adventures and hiccups after leaving Istanbul. We arrived in Cairo around 1:30 am and deplaned to go through customs. We bought our $15 visas and stood in line. There was a group of 30 nuns from South Korea who were greatly struggling with the process and the major language barrier. We were directly behind them in line, but it took much longer than it should have. By this time, it was almost 3 and I was reaching my crabby point. I approached the customs official who was slower than molasses at processing. He took my passport, placed the visa in it, and swiped it. Instead of immediately handing it back and waving me through, he began making small talk. It was the traditional customs small talk. He wanted to know how I liked living in the US, how the flight was, and whether I was tired. I was a little flustered as I left and dropped my wallet. My hand-eye coordination has never been stellar and functioning on no sleep was not conducive to a quick retrieval of my wallet. A different customs official laughed at me, adding to my moodiness. I found my bag (so excited that it had made it through) and the group began congregating. Unfortunately, 3 members of the group had their luggage lost. It took another hour of waiting/ filing missing bag reports before we could load the bus. By this time it was 4:30 am. I hadn’t slept much on the plane from Chicago and didn’t sleep at all on the flight to Cairo. I was TIRED! Check in was uneventful, but by the time Gretchen and I got to our room, I had gotten my second wind. I skyped Katie to let her know we arrived safely and we crawled into bed. The 2 hours allotted for sleep went by way too quickly.

Our wake up call came at 7:30 and we crawled from bed to get ready for the day. Breakfast was the traditional European meal with bread, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Our first stop for the day was the Pyramids. I was excited to get back to the site and explore a bit more than I had last time. I took some pictures, but spent more time observing the people around me and watching Gretchen sketch. She attracted a crowd and they watched as she drew a woman vendor. We saw the Sphinx and the structure where the bodies were prepared for mummification. We had lunch at a restaurant right across the street from the Sphinx. The waiter got our order wrong, but it was still pretty good. The meal was a bit more expensive than we had thought, but nothing too outrageous.

After lunch, we opted to go to a bazaar downtown. Traffic in Cairo is notorious, so we spent 2 hours stuck. My sleepless nights caught up to me and I fell asleep without knowing it. I awoke to our guide telling us to get off the bus and to meet back at the bus in an hour. Gretchen and I wiped the sleep from our eyes and made our way down the stairs. We emerged to the central hustle and bustle of Cairo. I have never been on such a crowded street! The vendors desperately wanted business and forcibly encouraged you to look at their shop. The proposals and comments began as soon as we walked down the street. Two tall American girls stick out terribly. One kind gentleman informed me that he would kill his wife for me. If that isn’t devotion, then I don’t know what is. We had lots of men who wanted to be our Egyptian boyfriends, but Gretchen and I have rings on our left ring finger to allude to being married already. I don’t think it works very well, but it’s something.

We made it safely back to the bus and got back to the hotel at 5. I was pooped and wanted to crawl into bed immediately. Instead, the group got together to have formal introductions. I did sneak a little nap in between our meeting and dinner, but awoke feeling as if I could sleep for days. Tomorrow is an early morning, and we’ll be seeing more pyramids south of Cairo. I’m excited to get out of the city a little bit and see other parts of Egypt.

Istanbul, Constantinople

Here I sit in the Istanbul International Airport. My dear friend, Gretchen, is accompanying me on my first journey of Spring 2010 to Egypt and Israel. We left Amery on Sunday after two weeks of cleaning, sorting, and hard decisions. It is a huge relief to be able to go on this adventure and experience some of the places my parents loved so much. We arrived in Chicago Sunday night around 9 and stayed with a friend from Poland, Nikki. Nikki's mom had put together a snack for us, so we sat around the island in the kitchen eating and visiting. It was late before we got to bed, but another great evening of good company and good conversation. I slept in the next morning, since I hadn't been able to since Graduation. The day was spent lounging and mentally preparing for the 11 hour flight. We left around 9:30 and found ourselves on a very crowded plane. Gretch and I had the middle seats towards the front of the plane and got to sit next to Sara, a student from Stanford. She was on her way to Tanzania to do Master's work on water systems in rural villages. Basically, I knew I had found a new friend. We chatted more than I ever have with anyone I just met on the plane. Gretchen, Sara, and I synced our individual movie screens, so that we would laugh at the same spots and not be out of place. We arrived in Istanbul without delay and began our long layover. I can't help but think of Mom and Dad as we wander through the airport looking at the Turkish goods for sale. They brought back so many cool things that were around the house when I was growing up. I now see similar things and can't wait to see these great places. Gretchen and I are super excited to get to Egypt and begin the journey.