The Dead Sea

We only stayed in Jordan for 2 nights and 1 day so we didn't get to see very much.

Something we did do was to float in the Dead Sea.

It was super fun to float/ so crazy that you really can't control it.

Sometimes I was actually annoyed because I love to swim around and use my legs to float, but you just gotta embrace it.

It was Great!

Syria

Our time in Syria went by so fast.

We spent the first day in Hama after an exhausting day of traveling. The next day we went to the krak des chevaliers, one of the last few standing Crusader castles. It was awesome! I felt like a little boy in a dream as I was running around and exploring the place. There were even times of sneaking through corridors, tunnels and secret places to spy.

Then we had one of the best lunches ever with savory delicious garlic chicken.

Then we went to a town of some of the last people to speak Aramaic. We saw the church of St. Tecla in the mountains. I got a swig of holy water, saw some old icons, and even met with a head priest who prayed the Lord's prayer in Aramaic for us.



Then it was off to Damascus. We stayed in a monastery close to the city wall of old Damascus. It was so beautiful. We got to take a tour of the church of St. Ananias, where there are still ruins of where he was and where Paul was. There was plenty of shopping and delicious food (seriously, every meal was SO good). We got to particpate in a Turkish bath a.k.a. getting scrubbed down by a fat hairy Turkish man but feeling so good afterward. We got to met MESP alums who were working in the area, that was my favorite night because it was a talk on the future, we got to hear their heart on everything. Then a few of us went on the roof and saw all of Damascus. My heart was so happy.

The place was beautiful.

Travel and Shotty Internet

My dear friends and family,


I am so sorry that I have not been as consistent with my blog as I have hit travel blog. Travel schedule here is filled speakers but also during down time there is SO much to explore.

We left Istanbul the other day after a final night doing Karaoke! (one of the best nights for sure). We have currently been spending two days in Ankara the capital. Today we talked with two officials in the Turkish foreign ministry which was SO insightful in Turkey's piece to Middle Eastern peace puzzle. We also visited Ataturk's tomb (look him up if you don't know why he's a big deal over here :]). Luckily I have been finding rest because there isn't much to do here in Ankara, so we have been watching movies and I learned how to play the card game Rook (so fun.)

Tomorrow we head to Syria, and the day after that we actually make it to Damascus (we fly to border then drive for a while and stay in Hamas, then actually head to Damascus).

I cannot believe that this is my life right now. The day the bombing happened, as I was biking around the entire perimeter of an island in the Asian side of Turkey, I thought to myself "How is this my life right now??"

To a friend I wrote about how I am going to Syria for about a week (a place I never dreamed of going to) and then to Israel/Palestine (the place I dreamed of going to) and that fact that I never even knew about Turkey and have loved it.

It's crazy that I have become more interested in politics, in the world, in religion. Things that once overwhelmed me are becoming more and more interesting.

I am so amazingly thankful for these opportunities of a lifetime.

Miss and love you all.