Tue, Mar 12 - Mt Nebo & Israel

No wake-up call this morning - YAY!!  We all appreciated catching up on our beauty sleepJ Combine that with the magical Dead Sea mud…we all now look 15 years younger.  Whether you believe that or not, you can believe that it felt like we had gone back to much younger years when we played in the mud as children.  It was also somewhat of a surreal sensation to float effortlessly on the sea…letting the therapeutic water wash away our aches and pains.

Refreshed & ready to take on the rest of the planned sites for the day, we boarded our bus for our drive to Mt. Nebo.  Once again we were in awe of what we saw as we tried to imagine Moses taking in the breathtaking view of the Promised Land that God showed him.  

After seeing some of the original mosaic tile flooring discovered in the remains of a an ancient church, believed to have been built in the 4th century to commemorate Moses death, we were taken to the Mosaic Museum to see a demonstration of the detailed work and artistry that goes into each unique hand-crafted mosaic. 

Our last stop was at Bethany; the site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist.  There pastor John led us in a thought provoking devotional before we had to make our back to the Israel border.  The customs process took quite a bit of time, so it was later than expected when we arrived at the Kibutz Kalia for the night. I don't think anyone had trouble falling asleep:)

Mon, Mar 11 - Petra

After an absolutely wonderful nights sleep, we were all rested and re-energized to take on another exciting day!  We knew we were going to Petra, but I don’t think we had any idea what a truly spectacular experience we were in for. 

The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man.

Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place - it really does have to be seen to be believed. 



Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago.

The perfect end to a perfect day was our stay at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel right on the beach of the Dead Sea.  We are all looking forward to our youth renewing mud treatment tomorrow and relaxing as we float on the water.

Some of us made some new...and interesting friends.

Sun, Mar 10 - Mt Sinai, Red Sea, & Jordan

After only about 3 hours sleep, our next wake up call came at 12:30am.  Yes…you read that correctly.  By 1:00am we were on our way to be introduced to our camels who would take us about 2/3 the say up Mount Sinai.  It really was the most amazing night – quietness preluded a orchestra of stars against a black backdrop like none seen before!  We couldn’t help but be struck with a sense of worship at the greatness of our God and the majestic universe He spoke into being.  But that was just the beginning.  The last trek up the mountain required us to climb 750 steps to reach the top of Mount Sinai, where we wrapped ourselves in blankets while we watched and waited for the sun to rise over the eastern mountain-tops.  What an experience to see God paint the morning sky with golden shades of yellow & orange, in perfect contrast to the dark mountains blanketed in a soft mist.  We were a captive audience once again!  The 2-1/2 hour walk back down the mountain was also one we will never forget as we discovered stunning sights around every corner, until we finally reached the famous St. Catherine’s Monastery with its rich history and continued service.

All that…and the day was only getting started.  After breakfast, we were back on the bus and heading for Jordan.  It was a little sad to say good-bye to our Egyptian tour guides, who had become our friends after sharing their heart for Egypt and all its relevant history.  Thankfully we had no problems moving through the various border crossings and customs checks required between Egypt and Jordan, so by about 7pm we arrived at the beautiful Biet Zaman Hotel in Petra where we literally crashed for the night.  

Our Camel Caravan

Waiting for the Sunrise

St. Catherine's Monastery

Sat, Mar 9 - Exodus to SInai

Accessing the internet has been a bit of a challenge for us, so we haven’t been able to post updates as often as we had hoped, but we’re going to try our best to get caught up.

The 12 hour drive from Cairo to Sinai may have given us a very small idea what it was like for the Israelites wandering in the dessert.  I do emphasize “small” since we were in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach bus, but even so...I think we could relate to how easy it is grumble and complain – not so unlike our forefathers. 

Our wake-up call came at 6am and we were on the road by 7:30 so embark on our exodus to Sinai.  It was remarkable to watch the terrain change from flat desert to unique rock formations, and finally into grand mountains, until we arrived at St. Catherine’s.  Along the way we stopped at Moses Spring, the Biblical Mara site – a refreshing little oasis in the vast Eqyptian desert.  We also stopped along the Red Sea where a few of us waded into the Red Sea before our devotional time with Pastor Harvey and singing with John. 

Although everyone was quite tired by time we arrived at St. Catherine’s Plaza Hotel, the group somehow managed to pull of a surprise birthday-eve celebration for Patricia – cake, candles, card and song.  It was pretty special to a 50^th birthday with 50 friends…old & new!!

Update

I came on here to read an update about how the trip was going and noticed that there hasn't been one for awhile. So I thought I would update any friends/family with a few texts I've received from my mom!

March 9 - "Just down from Mt. Sinai - incredible experience. Off to Petra tonight"
March 10 - "Having troubles connecting to the internet, but everyone is doing fine - just didn't want you to worry that you hadn't heard from me"

Clearly my mom knows me too well and thought I might be worrying about why I hadn't heard from her, so if any of you are like me I thought I would write a quick update just to let everyone know that things seem to be going really well. I'm sure they will update the blog as soon as they can :)

Rachel (Sharon's daughter)

Fri, Mar 8 - Pyramids of Giza

You know you are in Cairo when you open the curtains in the morning and see two of Egypt’s famous pyramids!

After a short refreshing sleep…in a real bed, we toured through the Eqyptian museum, learning the significance to each part of the Eqyptian Pharoahs’ sculptures, from the position of the left foot to the meaning of their crowns. We were shown the treasures recovered from King Tut’s tomb, actual chariots, bows & arrows, intricate & artistic jewelry, and several of finishing our museum tour viewing the real mummies from past dynasties.

We then went to Paparus factory, followed by a traditional lunch of Eqyptian falafals.

Our afternoon was spent touring the amazing Pyramids dating back to 2550 BC. Did you know that the Great Pyramid of Khufu contains around 2,300,000 blocks and is built on a square base with sides measuring about 230m, covering 13 acres? It is a real architectural masterpiece!

The only danger we faced was the aggressive souvenier peddlers and caotic traffic. Our bus drivers certainly earned their pay getting us safely to each of our destinations!

This evening, Cal and Melanie Barber, former pastors from Port Alberni, who are currently teaching in Cairo, came to talk to us about what it's been like for them living in Eqypt. Tomorrow, we will be departing for St. Catherines to learn more about it’s fascinating history.

Arrived!

Almost 1 am and the group has arrived with all of their luggage! They are on their way to the hotel, which is about a 45 minute drive away.