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Kim’s Blog 3/28/13
We
are back in Tel Aviv after two wonderful days in Jordan. We spent one day at the amazing ruins in
Petra and a second day four wheeling in Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is a huge national desert park with wonderful
sandstone mountains. Between hikes and climbs, our Bedouin guide, Mohammed, drove us through the sand almost
to the border with Saudi Arabia. We fly to Istanbul this afternoon.
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| Touring Petra with Aliana and Zuzu |
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| Treasury Building in Petra |
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| Corrupting Local Youth |
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| Wadi Rum |
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| Big Climb in Wadi Rum |
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| Climbing Sand Dune in Wadi Rum |
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| This really is Sharon |
Kim's Blog 3/25/13
We have played
Lawrence of Arabia for the past two days in the Israel desert with our Bedouin guide, Izzat. Ok, so Lawrence
didn't have a Chevy Suburban like Izzat. Nevertheless, the grand vistas of the desert were amazing.
We are now in Aquaba, Jordan and will visit the Petra ruins just as President Obama did a few days ago.
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| Izzat Describes the Spice Caravans- note holster on hip |
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| Desert Gazelle |
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| Egyptian Border |
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| Israeli Soldier politely asks us to leave border area |
Sharon’s
Blog 03/23/13
From the moment
we stepped off the plane in Israel, we were immediately struck by the difference in our environment. The temperature had dropped
by 50 degrees, a camel on the corner was no big deal and soldiers carrying machine guns were in plain view. We
dropped off our luggage at the hotel in Jerusalem and headed straight for the Israeli Museum (after an overnight flight even
our friend Pam, a true museum buff, would be impressed). From that moment, we have been re-living the past
and visiting the places paramount to my faith. Our experiences here have been amazing, in large part due
to our guide, Mimi (http://www.see-israel.com/ ). Mimi has an amazing command of the very complicated history of Israel and can reference the Bible
(both Old and New Testament) with tremendous recall.
America is known as a melting pot, but Israel can rival that nickname with its blending of Jewish, Moslem,
Christian, Greek Orthodox and Armenian factions. At this point in time, this blending
seems quite harmonious. When we first started planning this trip, we said we shouldn’t visit the
West Bank or the Golan Heights. Of course, we have now been to both and wouldn’t want to have missed
either.
We have now finished the
main historical and religious portion of our journey and are heading tomorrow to the desert with a new Bedouin guide.
This holiday is exceeding all expectations.
S/V Georgia J cruising aboard a freighter to the Med, Sharon and Kim in Tel Aviv.
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