Camel Ride in Petra

A WONDERFUL last day!!

Today was one of the greatest days of the trip!  We travelled to Petra, and the ancient city leaves one speechless.  After a quick horseback ride you dismount and enter a narrow canyon, created by an earthquake.  The walls surpass 5 stories in height.  After a 15 minute downhill walk the canyon opens to an impressively enormous temple or shrine or royal tomb carved directly from the rock.  It is intricate and towering, truly an engineering feat, especially considering the rudimentary tools used by the Nabateans to carve the edifice.  The canyon widens and continues, revealing more tombs and carved buildings.  When the Romans conquered the Nabateans by siege they commissioned the building of a theatre, which is the only Roman theatre in the world carved entirely from a mountain side.  On part of the return walk Diana and I shared a camel ride, a movement I will never forget.  As they stand and lie down our bodies are thrown forward and back.  The walk is a fantastical gangling stride, and his neck is a funny bobbing swoop.

As I mentioned the horse ride before, fortunately they trusted that I knew how to ride and allowed me to trot and canter as I desired.  On the return trip I requested the same horse, a cute little 6 year old grey mare, about 15 hh named Sara, and one of the Jordanians rode his horse alongside me.  With very little goading on my part he decided to race me, and we took off running.

I like Jordan, a lot.  More than Israel and Palestine.  First, there are many more horses here (and I saw billboards for polo!); secondly there is greater harmony.  However, that is due to a more cohesive religious structure, nearly the entire country is Muslim with about 4% Christian.  And it is only in Jordan that I have seen women in burkas, accompanied always by a male in the street.  We are in Amman, which is the capital, and though it is Western in many ways, there is less deviance in female dress.  

Just a brief review of an astonishingly delightful day! Off to the border tomorrow, back to Jerusalem, and a midnight flight home.... it is always sad when a great trip reaches its end.

With love, Corinna

Photos!

I have wanted to post photos, but for some reason the Internet cannot sustain uploading images.  I'll try to post some when I return! Or I can print them all out and force you to sit through the explanation of all 500 :)

Hello from Jordan!

We crossed the border into Jordan yesterday, and though it took about 5 passport checks to get through, we safely made it to our wonderful hotel.  It was called Regency Palace and complete with marble colonnades, a piano room, and waiters pulling the chair out for you!  There was a Jordanian wedding going on while we were there, it was fun to peek into the ball room and check out the exquisite dresses and foreign customs.

We left that hotel this morning and we are now in Petra, in Southern Jordan.  Tomorrow we will go explore the ancient city and the phenomenal Panorama.

We do so much I am losing track!  I return in 3 days!  Looking forward to seeing all of those in the vicinity...

Corinna

It has been awhile!

Hello! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog, I have not had a great Internet situation. We have been up North in Galilee for the last half week or so, very refreshing to be where it is greener yet it is very humid, which makes for oppressive heat.  We do so much it is difficult for me to recall at this moment everything that I have done, but one of the highlights is swimming and boating in the Sea of Galilee (don't let the name fool you, it is a lake).  We visited sites all around the entire lake, I saw a horse (there aren't many here), which comforts my soul!  Many of the places we have gone are New Testament sites where biblical miracles were performed, such as driving the demon into the pigs, turning water into wine, and healing the sick and blind.  We also went to Caesarea, fantastically on the Mediterranean Sea- we ate lunch out on the water, went swimming (a dark grey stallion was swimming too!), and enjoyed some relaxing frolicking.

We have four more nights! It has been such a long trip, but quick at the same time.  We are all a bit drained- we have only had one day off the entire time and fatigue is beginning to set in, which unfortunately, but inevitably, creates a slight air of apathy.

We go to Jordan tomorrow and will be there for 3 days.  On the agenda is Petra and the Jordan River.

I will do my best to write again soon.

With love, Corinna

I am back in Jerusalem and ever so happy!  I have not enjoyed being out in the desert for so many days- unrelenting heat and rock graveyards are not really my thing. Quick review because it is close to dinner time:

Bedouin Experience: The Bedouins are the last remaining nomads in Israel and they live and wander in the desert.  They are typically Muslim, though a variant because of their absence from mosques.  We visited a Bedouin museum to learn about their culture and then visited a Bedouin tent to have tea.  We sat on cushions cross legged and learned the communication of coffee.  For example, a guest is given three small servings of coffee, which add up to one cup.  If a guest puts the cup down in front of him without drinking the first serving it means he has come to talk business, not for a social call.  If the host serves a fourth serving, it means he or she is asking you to leave. Rather fascinating.  Tea follows the bitter coffee, and it was hot and sweet and delicious.

The Dead Sea- a true highlight!  The buoyancy is like nothing I have ever experienced! It is the dead sea because it is fed water but has no outlet and the evaporation leaves mineral and salt residue.  Due to this, all you do is wade out and sit down as if you were sitting in a chair, and POP up go your legs and you can rest your arms on the water next to you.  Swimming on your stomach feels like you are paddling on top of a surfboard. However, it does stink of sulfur and is lethal to swallow.  It slightly burns any orifice or cut on your body, and quite misfortunate if your mouth or eyes get any of the water in them.  The sea floor is covered in balls of salt- much like a sugar cube, but round and not sweet.  Such fun though, and something I had been wanting to do.

Masada-  desert Fortress, the site I was assigned to research and brief the group.  It is fraught with hoppin' history: a selfish Judean King, then the elaborate and petty Herod the Great, and then a band of 960 Jewish rebels who collectively committed suicide when the Romans laid siege upon the fortification.  There are great views of the Dead Sea from the site, there is a three story palace (one of two) that drops down the Northern Face of 1,000 foot cliffs, and mosaics that still remain from the time of Herod.

Last night we were at the Inbar Hotel, and I hated it- everything in our room was sticky, the food was terrible, and the carpets all dirty.  However to pass the time Diana gave me a short hair cut and we went to a pub to watch the Russia-Sweden Euro Cup soccer game, so the time in Arad (city of the hotel) was all together well good (as the British would say).

Today we went to En-Gedi, an oasis in the desert.  We had been driving through brown dryness for 4 days, and even the Dead Sea hadn't been especially refreshing because it is so warm and salty, so we drive into this wonderful site where we hiked up to numerous waterfalls and swam in all the pools.  That was truly a gift, to have such a reprieve.

Off to dinner!

Shalom, Corinna

Photo 1: This boy decided he would marry us. Diana is wife #1 because she is "the most beautiful", I'm wife #2 because I have "beautiful eyes". In Islam a man can marry 4 wives. I dare say that would be a bad idea. but he was charming, so we humored him with a photo.

Photo 2: Not a mirage! We were in an oasis in the dry dry desert! and it was absolutely fabulous and refreshing.

News Update

Unfortunate news came to us yesterday.  As I previously wrote we had spent the morning in Asqelon, and we had all wanted to swim there because the beach was so nice, yet Dr. Nelson made us move on to a different beach, just to be safe.  Well, about 2 hours after we left, a rocket hit the city.  It was launched by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza.  One person was wounded and others suffered from shock. (Don't worry mom- we're not going back to that area again!)

Thanks for your prayers.... Corinna

Coffee Bean in Jerusalem!

Mediterranean Sea near Ashqelon

I write to you VERY happy!

Hello hello!

For all those who know me well, imagine a place where my dreams come true, and that is where I am.  I am a short walk from my hotel in--get this-- a chocolate store AND coffee shop, with free Internet to boot! Diana and I are a little timid though, we were brought Turkish coffee with cardamon and such, and it smells a little strong.

The other very happy and wonderful experience today, other than this marriage of chocolate and coffee in one residence, was swimming in the Mediterranean sea! We went to a great archaeological "tell" (dig site) in the morning in Ashqelon (note: I revel in the freedom from the English determined mandate for the letter 'u' to follow a 'q').  Ashqelon was a bit of an adrenaline rush because it is within rocket-reach from rocket-launching Gaza.  A rocket hit a month ago in a shopping center and killed 4, and a rocket his this past Thursday the 12th and landed in the ocean just a way from where we were standing today.  But the site visit went fine, and we were lectured by world-famous archaeologist and Harvard professor Dr. Stager.  However, Dr. Nelson (our group leader) didn't want to unnecessarily subject the group to risk so we drove north to a wonderful beach spot.  I couldn't believe I was in Israel!  Tiki huts serving food and drink, azure sparkling warm water, body surfing in the waves, sunbathing, just so... happy-making.

We then stopped at various sites (the day started to go realllllly slow after that), the most remarkable being the Elah Valley- the place where David fought Goliath! To spice things up a little a few of us decided to act out the story as it was being read.  Diana, fittingly, was David at her impressive 5'3", which may even be taller than what was David's height.  I even found the stone that was used to strike Goliath.

Well that was today, Monday, one week from having arrived here. In brief of yesterday, our day off (except for an evening exam) Diana and I created a "Santa Barbara with a Jerusalem Twist" day.  We walked into New City and shared a pizza at a vegetarian restaurant, got Ice Blended Mochas at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (at an atrocious doubling of price, $7!), shopped a little in modern stores, then we dropped into the Old City and, as the deal pushing duo, extensively bargained for hand woven silks and beads.  We had lunch in a small winding alley way paved with cobble stones above and surrounded by a sweeping array of colorful ethnic blankets, shawls, and dresses carpeting the ancient walls.

We leave Jerusalem in the morning with our bags to stay in Arad for two nights.  I'm not quite sure what is there, but once I learn, I'll be sure to pass on the extensive knowledge.

With affection, Corinna

Some Photo Updates

The group at Old Testament Jericho, the oldest city in the world and the first walled city in history.  An astounding archaeological find is the remaining tower dating to the Neolithic Period

Second Photo: Desert Transportation. They said they wouldn't charge me for a ride if I could jump up on my own when the camel was standing up.  I knew I possibly could, I learned how to leap up in Argentina.  But alas, it was a skirt day.

In a quick brief, yesterday we took a bus around to various sites in the Benjamin region, among them the tomb of Lazarus (who was raised after 4 days of death), the Old and New Testament sites of Jericho (recall the story of Joshua who marched around the walls of Old Testament Jericho for 7 days until the walls fell), and then we went on an extensive hike to a newly excavated site.  It was so nice to be out in the country side again, away from the concrete!  I find pavement so draining.

Today we bussed around once more, sites of note are Herodian- a phenomenal palace Herod built.  He first constructed a mountain top by adding dirt then built a circular palace above.  There were great views of the Dead Sea.  I was rather amused that Josephus (a respectable 1st century Jewish historian) describes the mountain shape as that of a woman's breast, but then again, I can be easily amused.  There were tunnels dug up through the middle of the mount to be able to carry up water in case of siege; our group has a penchant for small dark spaces it seems, so we climbed all the way up the mountain in these tunnels.

Tonight a small group of us are going into New City Jerusalem, which we haven't been to yet, only the Old City.  One of the girls in our group likes one of the Jewish guys that works here, and finding a personal enjoyment in hosting a mingling, I facilitated the organization of the outing.  I love what we are learning, but sometimes we need a little break from archaeology! 

Tomorrow is our day off, though we do have a quick exam to take in the evening.  

I miss the little comforts of home, but I love being on the go and seeing such phenomenal things.

I fear losing my riding muscles, so I plan on hopping on a camel or donkey soon, they seem to be the desert transportation of choice.  The other day three boys, around age 12, 9, and 5 came galloping up on a single donkey, bopping him on the head with old irrigation piping. Jockeys in the making.

Missing you all, Corinna

Dome of the Rock-

Today's Visit.

Real gold on the dome!

The Muslims believe Mohammed was

dictated the Quran on the rock that is within

this building, as well as the Abraham-

Ishmael scenario, as recorded in the previous

post. Truly beautiful to stand at its base.

I have been wanting to go for 4 years and have

my photo taken in front. Now at last!

Today we hit some of the biggest Jerusalem locations, and it took only 12 hours to do so! We began the morning at 4:30 AM on the Mount of Olives to see the sunrise.  Right after breakfast we went to the Temple Mount, which has the Dome of the Rock.  Aesthetically it is stunning: gold plated dome, tile mosaics, and intricate colors and patterns.  Religiously, socially, and politically it is a hot bed of dissension and debate.

From there we went on to the Garden of Gethsemane where Christ spent his last hours. (Fun fact: Geth means olive and semane means press in Hebrew; put it all together, Gethsemane means olive press, fitting because of the olive trees that grow there). Adjacent to the garden is the Church of all Nations, which is home to the rock that Christ kneeled on.  Rocks are rather important here, the Dome of the Rock is built around the large stone slab that the Muslims believe Abraham was to sacrifice his son Ishmael upon, and the Jews believe he was to sacrifice his son Isaac.

We then spent the afternoon in various museums: Israeli modern art, looted fine art from the Holocaust, the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls found in the caves of Qumran, and finally the Holocaust remembrance museum, which gave me new insight into Zionism and the Jew's desire for the creation of an Israeli state.

One of our group members, Andrew, flew with us on the L.A. to Atlanta leg last Sunday.  But when he tried to continue the journey from Atlanta to Tel Aviv he was turned around because of a passport that would not meet Israeli standards.  He fortunately arrived today after flying back to L.A. to get a new passport overnight.  Otherwise everyone is safe and happy and healthy, which is wonderful!

Some of you have been curious about the weather, and it has actually been quite pleasant.  It is about 85 during the days and 60 at night.  Today was the hottest day and it was probably around 92.  Winds pick up around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and those are rather cool.  Sounds like the California crowd has hotter heat than here!

With affection, Corinna

Coffee above Jerusalem!

Second Walking Day in the City

We were on our feet for about 9 hours today, which results in a very exhausted group, but we are so thrilled to experience all that we can.  Today had a phenomenally fun activity: Hezekiah's Tunnel! When Hezekiah was King of Jerusalem the Assyrians were to lay a siege on the city.  In preparation he planned to re-route the Gihon Springs into a man-made tunnel so that the city could have a water source.  His men began digging from opposite ends and met in the middle.  We suited up in shorts and water shoes and began the 45 minute trek in the dark, tight, and occasionally low-ceilinged tunnel, clear and cold water rushing past us, reaching at a maximum about mid-thigh level.  Good thing I had my forehead flashlight! I led the group and it was a complete adventure.  Especially when I decided to turn my light off so that we could experience being in a small, tight, water-filled space in pitch darkness.

It has been a physically demanding trip, and unfortunately a couple of the girls are unable to keep up as we hike through valleys and up hills, my sympathy level is about .002%.  Other than that, the group dynamics are working out well enough.

When I came I tried to have as open a mind as possible, apart from U.S. prejudices of the cultures here.  However, I do feel safer going through the Israeli quarter, and feel a need to always cover my head when walking through the Muslim.  The Muslim quarter encompasses the Dome of the Rock, the Israeli quarter is to the left, the Christian below the Israel, and the Assyrian quarter to the right of that.  There are distinct flavors to each quarter.

I am off to clean up before dinner!  We have a sunrise service at 4:45 AM on the Mt. of Olives, then a day at museums, then an exam tomorrow night.  Dr. Nelson has a plot to kill us, perhaps?  It is manageable, and it is worth it!

Shalom, Corinna

Diana and I in a Jerusalem marketplace

I have arrived!

Hello from the Middle East, the Fertile Crescent, the Land Between...Israel!

We arrived yesterday evening, though it has felt like much longer because of all we have done.  Diana and I have settled into our room- she's the greatest roommate, keeps me sane when particular members are particularly frustrating.  After we arrived we had dinner then went out walking to the Old City of Jerusalem.  We went to the Western Wall, which is the holiest site for Jews because it is the last remnant of the Temple that was destroyed in AD 70; they wish to rebuild their temple, but the Dome of the Rock sits on the location where it should be built (also where the Arc of the Covenant is thought to be buried), and that is in Muslim control.  I am certainly garnering more insight into the world of Conflict and Conflict Resolution.  But the Wall was certainly a location heavy with spiritual nature.  Men and women (segregated at the wall by a partition) were crying, rocking back and forth, and shoving their written prayers into the cracks of the wall.  When you walk away from the wall you must walk backward because culturally to turn around is to turn your back on the holy of holies.  And I have to wear a head covering nearly every day.  I thought it would bother me more, but frankly, I'm almost ready to get a burka-like outfit because the men are so rude and aggressive.  It is intimidating to be out alone.

Today we walked the rampart around the entire city; saw where Jesus was persecuted and had the crown of thorns put on his head; Via Dolorosa on his way to Golgatha; his tomb. Tonight we went deep into the earth, several hundred feet into the archaeological excavations of the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.  We were in a small, winding tunnel and I have to say, it felt a bit like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie!

More adventures tomorrow!

With love, Corinna

Only 24 hours...

I took my first unit exam this morning, so nothing at this point keeps me from Israel but 24 hours of travel! Collin took me to a belated birthday/ farewell dinner last night at The Plough and the Angel; I've enjoyed spending time with him this week.  Tonight we will have an Israel group dinner at Dr. Nelson's home (he is our sole group leader; there are 14 students).  Then tomorrow 7 AM we will hop on the airport shuttle and begin the journey! We will begin at LA, then to Atlanta, after onto Tel Aviv. From there we will bus an hour to Jerusalem to our hotel.

As my roommate cleverly said (in third person): "Diana israel excited for Israel!" 

Farewell, for 22 days, my U.S. friends and family! Corinna

Welcome!

Hello! and thank you for visiting this little online journal.  I thought it would be a great way to supply the curious with a glimpse of my traipsing through the Near East.  I hope to regularly add updates to this, in journal form, of my personal experience, a narrative of the trip, and photos.

  

There may be occasional things completely irrelevant to my Israel/Jordan trip, but I do so in the name of personal expression, and with the assumption that if you come to read my blog, you will come with the expectation it will be all about moi! Please feel free to add comments to my posts, I would love to know what you think.  Enjoy!

Blessings, Corinna