Cedar built a lake. Can you just do that? Build a lake? I guess not, because once you do, it's a reservoir. So I guess we got one of those.
It was coooold. But we eventually sucked it up and swam. They put fish in it! Why?
Good times with the niece and nephew. Jaren stole my chips, so I ate his crackers. I like our relationship. Lydia strikes frequent Yoga poses (downward dog is her favorite) to cope with having an older brother. They might be tantrums, but it's more fun to think of it as meditation.
I'm avoiding my final Jeru post...because it's just that. My final Jeru post. Then my blog will once again be based out of Provo, and I'll go back to posting about cookie dough and stolen banana suits and various other things that are significantly less cool than the Dome of the Rock.
Inevitable.
It is my fourth and final year in Provo, though. I'm hoping that works itself into renewed motivation to get up to P-town and hit the books. I'll go up on Friday.
Or Saturday. Maybe Sunday.
Moral of the story: You'll get your final Jerusalem pics and stories. But they're being held hostage for at least a few more precious days.
Looks like Zion, yeah? Maybe Bryce Canyon. Either way, I loved Petra. Partly because it's just amazing, and just because the colors of it all felt just like a hike with the fam in Southern Utah.
The Treasury. Thanks for making me watch Indiana Jones with you before I left, dad.
A Garage? Not pictured: the goats surrounding it.
The Monastery. Worth the hike, but donkeys smell bad.
Mt. Nebo
Tyler found an umbrella in a hidden room we discovered in the Center. His famous words: "I think I'll hang onto this..." I think Sister Brown was glad he did, because he was a gentleman all through Jordan.
No, we did not visit Hogwarts. But we did go to the King Abdullah Mosque, so we had to be sufficiently modest.
Jordan River (I liked the little gold church.)
We're about as low as you can get on earth, on a day that's about as hot as it gets...sweating together is a bonding experience for us all.
Jerash -- the most preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy.
They stole Ramzi from our group and put him in the gladiator show. He was totally in his element.
We stopped for a fireside. And cookies. :)
Dead Sea Scrolls!
We spent a night in Amman hanging out with some seriously talented skaters. We taught them how to play Ninja. Good thing that game knows no language barriers.
Every hotel needs a good roof. Even if it means getting locked out and finding creative ways to get down four floors from the outside when you're done staring at the city.
As much as I love Tells, sometimes I miss London's castles. I got excited when we stopped at Shobak Castle...but it looks mysteriously like the other ruins we frequently explore. Still liked it.
And those are some Jordan highlights! Minus the long list of pirated movies people bought and the high high high temperatures. I loved the trip, except field trips stole July.
This little guy was all alone next to our hotel in Amman. And we fell in love. We made it a home for the night out of box we begged out of the hotel front desk man, with an over-sized pita for a roof. Then we went back to the hotel to plot out how to sneak him across the border.
But we didn't go through with it. Our group has had bad luck at borders, so I guess we chickened out. It was a sad, sad moment. I sized up every hotel worker I saw the morning we left to figure out who would most likely care for our kitten. I settled on the sweet security guard out front.
Hopefully our tears softened him up...we were definitely attached.
I'm going to assume the little thing is thriving and happy...and I still feel guilty for letting Israeli border control intimidate me out of keeping a moral obligation.
Cedar built a lake. Can you just do that? Build a lake? I guess not, because once you do, it's a reservoir. So I guess we got one of those.
It was coooold. But we eventually sucked it up and swam. They put fish in it! Why?
Good times with the niece and nephew. Jaren stole my chips, so I ate his crackers. I like our relationship. Lydia strikes frequent Yoga poses (downward dog is her favorite) to cope with having an older brother. They might be tantrums, but it's more fun to think of it as meditation.
