We were all completely exhausted when we got back to Cairo. We didn't have much time to wash our faces and clean up a little before starting another day of site seeing. That morning was quite a blur but luckily I was able to find some energy for the famous Egyptian museum. What an incredible place! So rich with history! It tells the story of Egypt! I had a few favorite pieces.
There was a room for Akhenaten and Nefertiti (my favorite King and Queen!) and there was a small stone statue of Akhenaten kissing his daughter. I love it because that kind of intimacy had never been seen in Egypt and wasn't really accepted. But Akhenaten did things his own way and ocmpletely changed Egyptian art during his reign. I also loved the big statue of someone, possibly him, who is shown with big, curvy hips and small, narrow shoulders. It completely contradicts the normal Egyptian art but it was still beautiful and the ideas that he was trying to portray are especially meaningful. He emphasized family, love and unity. He was also the first to believe in one God, Aten, which was practically unheard of until him.
Another favorite were the statues of Rahotep and Nofret. They were able to be very well preserved because they were found in a tomb. The color is beautiful and the detail is amazing. My favorite were the eyes. Of course a foavorite would have to be the royal mummy rooms! There are 27 mummies at the Egyptian museum and I have never seen anything like it! They are so well preserved! I have no idea how the Egyptians learned to preserve the bodies so perfectly. A lot of them still have hair and nails. I got the see the face of Ramses the Third. Possibly the same face Moses looked into and said; "Let my people go!" The Egyptians also mummified lots of animals. Including crocodiles, big fish, baboons, dogs and cats. We got to see those mummies too!
The last place we visited in Cairo was the Mohammad Ali mosque. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for me. The Islam religion is so peaceful and unifying and you can feel that in their mosques. There is a very warm and spiritual feeling inside. We had a tour guide named Islam that went with us all through Cairo and Luxor and we got really close to him. It was so special to spend one of our last days together in a place that is so sacred to him. He told us so much about Islam and though most of it were things we have already known it was so neat to hear it from him because he talked about with such passion and sincerity. I learned so much from him. All of us felt a very special connection to Islam and it was sad to say goodbye.
Right as we were getting used to the craziness of Cairo we had to bid our farewells to the Pyramids and the Nile. We headed back up to the Sinai to stay in Morganland hotel which is in the middle of no where, next to Mt. Sinai. Our night didn't last long in Morganland because of our 2 AM wake up call to hike the famous Mt. Sinai. It was a great hike! We got to the top well in time for the sunrise and watched the beautiful scenery as different religious groups sang. It was a lot of fun. I can't believe I got to walk up and spend time on the same mountain Moses saw the finger of God on. The place where God gave us the 10 commandments.
Luckily we got a chance to swim in the huge Morganland Hotel pool and shower and eat before heading back to Jerusalem. I also had 35 Egyptian pounds to spend and I bought a purse from a man that sold different things that were homemade by his family. He was from one of the many Bedouin families that live completely off the land throughout the Sinai. We made a couple quick stops in the dessert on our way home to look at the scenery and we got to meet some Bedouin children. They all run around barefoot on the hot ground climbing palm trees and swinging on the palm tree branches. They were so cute! The 2 little boys were named Mohammad and Fareed (I think). They were 6 and 9 and completely adorable. I got some great pictures of them! They were loving the attention. They also had an older, 11 year old sister who was beautiful! She was very shy and sat under a tree the whole time. It's so neat to be able to interact with all the different cultures!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Home Again in Jerusalem.
We made it back from Egypt. I have never had a week full. The entire week was non stop. I try to highlight some of the best. We left the center early Sunday morning and made 2 stops at Beersheba and Arad. Then we arrived at Kibbutz Ketura which was one of 2 Kibbutzem we would visit on our trip. Kibbutzem are very popular throughout Israel. It is the only place on earth that communism has worked completely. They are mostly occupied by Jews and is voluntary. It kind of reminded me of the Dharma community on Lost. There is a center building with a cafeteria, synagogue and meeting rooms and there is a beautiful pool and tiny little houses surrounding. Kibbutzem have several outsources. This one had cattle, a hotel and they filtered water from the dead sea for expensive minerals and vitamins. To be a member of the Kibbutz you have to go through an intense background check and have to go through several trial runs and they all the members vote if they want to make them a member. Then it isn't official until they have lived in the Kibbutz for a year without any problems. It was really fascinating. We had a really neat guy who showed us around and took us to the sand dunes where we played. The sand is like flour! So incredibly fine. Then he asked us to ponder about the peacefulness the dessert offers and we spent some time spread out throughout the dessert to think. It was very enlightening and there really is a special feeling in the dessert. Then we shared some of the things we thought about and it was very special to hear him share his feelings based on his Jewish beliefs and I think he really enjoyed hearing what we had to say.
We then headed to Cairo. When Professor Chadwick directed our gazes to the pyramids for the first time the entire bus gasped. And the same happened when we crossed the Nile. Cairo is a crazy city. To think that I used to think Israel driving was bad... I learned several things before even getting off the bus in Cairo.
We got the see the pyramids the next day! They are unbelievable. I remember in 5th grade learning about ancient Egypt and being fascinated by the pyramids and I felt surreal to be standing in front of them. We even got to go inside the 2nd pyramid of Khafre. We went to lots of other temples and ruins around Cairo. Then we caught a quick flight to Luxor. Luxor is beautiful! It is a lot smaller than Cairo and not quite as dirty. The Nile appears to be much cleaner and there is a lot of green! We stayed at a 5 star Egyptian hotel, the Sheraton, that was beautifully set on the Nile! Our view was incredible. The opposite side of the Nile is where all the agriculture and that is where we went on our camel safari! I rode a camel named Rambo through
the green pastures with sheep, cows and goats, sesame and corn fields and groves of date palms. I got to see where a lot of the poorer people live.
In Luxor we visited the Valley of the Kings first where we got to go inside 4 tombs including the tomb of King Tut. I got to see his sarcophagus and his mummy! That is certainly something I never thought I would be able to see! The other tombs we visited were far more impressive though. Completely lined with colorful hieroglyphics. I was so jealous of Professor Chadwick and Muhlstein who can read all the stories lining the walls of the tombs!
We went to the Luxor temple and the Karnak temple. Karnak temple is unbelievable. It's full of ginormous pillars etched with millions of hieroglyphics. On the underside of some of the structures where the sun wasn't hitting them the heiroglyphics still had some color. I cannot imagine what such a huge place would have looked like covered with color. It doesn't even begin to compare with any modern architecture of today. I think my favorite place in Luxor was Queen Hatshepsut's temple. I was really impressed with Queen Hatshepsut when I learned about her in My art history class because she is a woman who was actually the Pharaoh of Egypt in 1479 B.C. She was a very influential pharaoh. She had to of been to of had such an impressive temple complex built! Later I got to see her mummy in the Egyptian museum. She was obese and they called her mummy the "fat mummy" until they recently discovered it to be the famous Queen Hatshepsut.
I got to take several carraige rides through Luxor. Horse drawn carriages are a regular form of transportation and they ride right on the street with all the crazy cars. Which really is not a good idea because horses do not understand red lights, turn signals, brake lights and lanes. The first carraige ride I took on our first evening in Luxor was quite an experience. We rode through a busy market street and it was so interesting and humbling. I did not know the definition of street rats until then. Lots of small children were rummaging the streets begging for money. It's so, so sad. Lots of men have big guns strapped to their backs and there is lots of yelling and pushing.
We saw dozens of other places throughout Luxor but I'll fast forward to the adventure of our overnight train back to Cairo. We left at 7:30 and arrived at 5:30 the next morning. I hardly slept and the conditions didn't feel too sanitary. It was very grossed out. But I loved opening our curtain and watching all the lights go by of the small towns we went through. It felt very peacful.
We then headed to Cairo. When Professor Chadwick directed our gazes to the pyramids for the first time the entire bus gasped. And the same happened when we crossed the Nile. Cairo is a crazy city. To think that I used to think Israel driving was bad... I learned several things before even getting off the bus in Cairo.
- On several busy highway streets there are no lines. Not that it matters because when there are lines most cars stradle them.
- It seemed like the majority of the buildings were unfinished and abandoned. It gives a really eerie feeling. A sad result of the Egyptian economy.
- More people ride on top of vehicles than inside of them. Whether it be a car, truck or trailer lots of people just sit on the roof as they drive around town.
- All the city buses and shuttles drive with the doors wide open and completely full to capacity.
- Women really do carry things on their heads. Whether it be trash that they're about to throw into to Nile, groceries or clothes.
We got the see the pyramids the next day! They are unbelievable. I remember in 5th grade learning about ancient Egypt and being fascinated by the pyramids and I felt surreal to be standing in front of them. We even got to go inside the 2nd pyramid of Khafre. We went to lots of other temples and ruins around Cairo. Then we caught a quick flight to Luxor. Luxor is beautiful! It is a lot smaller than Cairo and not quite as dirty. The Nile appears to be much cleaner and there is a lot of green! We stayed at a 5 star Egyptian hotel, the Sheraton, that was beautifully set on the Nile! Our view was incredible. The opposite side of the Nile is where all the agriculture and that is where we went on our camel safari! I rode a camel named Rambo through
the green pastures with sheep, cows and goats, sesame and corn fields and groves of date palms. I got to see where a lot of the poorer people live.
In Luxor we visited the Valley of the Kings first where we got to go inside 4 tombs including the tomb of King Tut. I got to see his sarcophagus and his mummy! That is certainly something I never thought I would be able to see! The other tombs we visited were far more impressive though. Completely lined with colorful hieroglyphics. I was so jealous of Professor Chadwick and Muhlstein who can read all the stories lining the walls of the tombs!
We went to the Luxor temple and the Karnak temple. Karnak temple is unbelievable. It's full of ginormous pillars etched with millions of hieroglyphics. On the underside of some of the structures where the sun wasn't hitting them the heiroglyphics still had some color. I cannot imagine what such a huge place would have looked like covered with color. It doesn't even begin to compare with any modern architecture of today. I think my favorite place in Luxor was Queen Hatshepsut's temple. I was really impressed with Queen Hatshepsut when I learned about her in My art history class because she is a woman who was actually the Pharaoh of Egypt in 1479 B.C. She was a very influential pharaoh. She had to of been to of had such an impressive temple complex built! Later I got to see her mummy in the Egyptian museum. She was obese and they called her mummy the "fat mummy" until they recently discovered it to be the famous Queen Hatshepsut.
I got to take several carraige rides through Luxor. Horse drawn carriages are a regular form of transportation and they ride right on the street with all the crazy cars. Which really is not a good idea because horses do not understand red lights, turn signals, brake lights and lanes. The first carraige ride I took on our first evening in Luxor was quite an experience. We rode through a busy market street and it was so interesting and humbling. I did not know the definition of street rats until then. Lots of small children were rummaging the streets begging for money. It's so, so sad. Lots of men have big guns strapped to their backs and there is lots of yelling and pushing.
We saw dozens of other places throughout Luxor but I'll fast forward to the adventure of our overnight train back to Cairo. We left at 7:30 and arrived at 5:30 the next morning. I hardly slept and the conditions didn't feel too sanitary. It was very grossed out. But I loved opening our curtain and watching all the lights go by of the small towns we went through. It felt very peacful.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Marhaba!
I can't believe I've only been here for less than 3 weeks. It feels like it has been so much longer.
On Saturday we went to the Garden Tomb and I had a great time. It's a very peaceful place. It's where they think Jesus was crucified and also where his tomb is. It's beautiful. All kinds of different tourist groups go through the garden and they sing songs. It's really neat to just listen to all the different languages singing the same praises. On Sunday we took taxi's to Tel Aviv to hang out on the Mediterranean beach all day! We played beach volleyball with some guys from Germany, floated in the salty water, got gelato and ate lunch!
Monday we had the most interesting day yet I think. We went to down to Jericho! Jericho is one of the few times we get to travel into the West bank. So that makes it even more of an adventure. Jericho is 850 feet below see level! So in about a 45 minute bus ride we descended about 2850 feet. We first stopped at a Byzantine cathedral honoring the good Samaritan. Then we went on to Jericho where we saw the oldest architecture ever found. It's a tower from the neolithic period. And we saw the remnants of the wall that fell down in the Book of Joshua. We also saw Elisha spring, the spring that the Elisha healed. Elisha spring is still Jericho's only water source. Some things never change. Even though Jericho is in the middle of the dessert Elisha Spring makes the city very tropical with lots of palm trees! We took our time on the way back to stop a few more times. First at the ruins of King Herod's winter home. Then again to look over the Judean Wilderness. The road we were on follows the Wadi Qelt which is more than likely the same road that Jacob, Joseph and all his brothers, then Moses and later Christ took back and forth between Jerusalem and Jericho. A lot of scenes from the bible took place in between Jerusalem and Jericho.
After Jericho a small group of us went to the Pool of Bethesda. Where Christ healed the paralytic man. I was so impressed with the ruins! They were by far, the best we've seen yet. And there is a beautiful chapel there honoring Mary and Saint Ann, Mary's mother. Bethesda was a really nice place. It was gorgeous. The chapel is known for it's excellent acoustics and they encourage you to sing. So we sang How Great Thou Art and as we were singing a group of people came in and started singing with us in their language. It was so neat!
This week we had a lot of classes and they are so interesting. I'm so lucky to be able to be taught here by such wonderful professors who know so much about where we are. Professor Muhlstein is actually an Egyptologist and he gave the most interesting lecture on pyramids to prepare us for Egypt! Last night we watched The Ten Commandments... which I will never do again. It was painfully long!
We leave for Egypt bright and early tomorrow! Were headed to Cairo on a bus, staying there a few nights, then flying to Luxor for a few more nights then back up to Cairo and home to Jerusalem! It's a packed week. I'm really excited!
On Saturday we went to the Garden Tomb and I had a great time. It's a very peaceful place. It's where they think Jesus was crucified and also where his tomb is. It's beautiful. All kinds of different tourist groups go through the garden and they sing songs. It's really neat to just listen to all the different languages singing the same praises. On Sunday we took taxi's to Tel Aviv to hang out on the Mediterranean beach all day! We played beach volleyball with some guys from Germany, floated in the salty water, got gelato and ate lunch!
Monday we had the most interesting day yet I think. We went to down to Jericho! Jericho is one of the few times we get to travel into the West bank. So that makes it even more of an adventure. Jericho is 850 feet below see level! So in about a 45 minute bus ride we descended about 2850 feet. We first stopped at a Byzantine cathedral honoring the good Samaritan. Then we went on to Jericho where we saw the oldest architecture ever found. It's a tower from the neolithic period. And we saw the remnants of the wall that fell down in the Book of Joshua. We also saw Elisha spring, the spring that the Elisha healed. Elisha spring is still Jericho's only water source. Some things never change. Even though Jericho is in the middle of the dessert Elisha Spring makes the city very tropical with lots of palm trees! We took our time on the way back to stop a few more times. First at the ruins of King Herod's winter home. Then again to look over the Judean Wilderness. The road we were on follows the Wadi Qelt which is more than likely the same road that Jacob, Joseph and all his brothers, then Moses and later Christ took back and forth between Jerusalem and Jericho. A lot of scenes from the bible took place in between Jerusalem and Jericho.
After Jericho a small group of us went to the Pool of Bethesda. Where Christ healed the paralytic man. I was so impressed with the ruins! They were by far, the best we've seen yet. And there is a beautiful chapel there honoring Mary and Saint Ann, Mary's mother. Bethesda was a really nice place. It was gorgeous. The chapel is known for it's excellent acoustics and they encourage you to sing. So we sang How Great Thou Art and as we were singing a group of people came in and started singing with us in their language. It was so neat!
This week we had a lot of classes and they are so interesting. I'm so lucky to be able to be taught here by such wonderful professors who know so much about where we are. Professor Muhlstein is actually an Egyptologist and he gave the most interesting lecture on pyramids to prepare us for Egypt! Last night we watched The Ten Commandments... which I will never do again. It was painfully long!
We leave for Egypt bright and early tomorrow! Were headed to Cairo on a bus, staying there a few nights, then flying to Luxor for a few more nights then back up to Cairo and home to Jerusalem! It's a packed week. I'm really excited!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
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| You can't really tell but I'm Ramparts wall, the wall that surrounds the city. |
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| Eating a fig from a tree on top of a mount overlooking Gibeon and the hills of Ephraim. |
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| At the pool of Bathesda in East Jerusalem, where Jesus healed the paralytic man. There is also a cathedral here honoring Mary and Saint Ann, Mary's mother. |
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| Eating a baklava type pastry that is only made during Ramadan in the Old City. |
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| In Jericho overlooking the ruins of King Herod's winter home and the Mount of Temptations on the left. |
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| The view of Jerusalem from any room in the center. Including my patio! |
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| At the beach in Tel Aviv. |
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| Megan and I in the Judean Wilderness on the Road to Jericho. The same trail as that the story, The Good Samaritan took place! |
Friday, September 10, 2010
Shana Tova!
Shana tova means "Happy New Year" in Hebrew! Which is most appropriate because today is the second day of the 2 day celebration for the Jewish new year! It has been a party in Jerusalem! And the Muslims finished fasting for Ramadan yesterday so they're celebrating their 3 day feast right now as well!
It's been a little over a week and I'm starting to feel somewhat acquainted with the city. We actually have quite a bit of time to cruise around the city. The Old City is where all the flea market type shops are. There is an Arab, Jewish and Christian quarter. Its a lot of fun! A lot of the shopkeepers know about the center and love the students. We get lots of deals and they watch out for us. It's a very busy place! There are always men wheeling huge wheel barrels full of stuff up and down and if you're not careful, you could get ran over. Each man for himself in the Old City! The West City is very European. Its really fancy! A couple of nights we've taken a taxi there to get gelato and filaffles! Both, equally delicious. At night the West city streets are beautiful. All lit up! And there are lots of street performers and dealers. But the taxi rides are... scary. Driving here is insane. We actually saw an accident happen the other day. It's not an uncommon thing. And the sidewalks are full of totaled cars. Sidewalks are their equivalent of wrecking yards I suppose.
Saturday is the Sabbath here so i figured out with the time change that while everyone back home is till up having a good time on Friday night, I am sitting in church. Somewhat depressing. Jerusalme actually has a Jerusalem Branch. There is a handful of mormons from the U.S. consulate and maybe a couple students from Hebrew University. I guess there are also a couple members in the West Bank but they can't come to Jerusalem so they can't come to church.
Last Sunday we walked Ramparts wall which is the wall that surrounds the city. There are some wonderful views. We also went through Zedekiah's Cave which is where King Solomon spent a lot of time back in the day. That was pretty interesting. On the way out of the cave we met the nicest Arab man. He was there with his wife and 3 boys. They were from the West Bank and he managed to get into Jerusalem for a day to take his family around. He told us how much he likes America and how sad he is that so many people in America think so bad about Muslims here. He didn't speak English very well and kept asking us if we understood him. He told us how peaceful his people are and that they truly do love America. He told us how hard fasting for Ramadan is and we told him how much we repect him for doing it. Then he told us how much he respects us for our faith in God. He asked us how long we were going to be here and he said; "4 months not long enough! The city can change you. It will change you. And not like an Obama change... a real change!" I thought that was hilarious. Then he quickly followed it with; "But I love America!"It was such a special experience to see how badly he wanted us to understand his sincerity in telling us the respect he and his people have for us. He kept telling us to never forget him. We've also met a couple other people who have been very eager to tell us how much they respect us and love America.
On Monday we took our first field trip. We went all around Jerusalem to look over the land from different towers and hills to get acquainted with the geography. We saw into Gibeon, the hills of Ephraim and Judah and into Bethlehem. Bethlehem is part of the West Bank and we will be able to go there later but its pretty much blocked off to us. We did get to see the wall that seperates us. Ididn't realize how cradeled jerusalem is between the West Bank. It was great to look our onto the ancient cities where all the Old Testament stories took place.
We have a running group that goes running every other day. Thats a lot of fun! But Jerusalem is a torurous place to run! Especially when you live on top of the Mt. of Olives! No matter where you go you have the Mt. of Olives to run up before you're done. But its so fun to run through the city! It's invigorating.
Another one of my favorite things is eating the pomegranites from the trees that grow around the center! Pomegranites are everywhere here! A couple nights ago my roomates and I ate pomegranites and enjoyed the Jerusalem lights! Certainly a once in a lifetime oppurtunity!
The internet connection isn't very fast here at the center but as soon as I get the chance I'm going to go to Hebrew University to download some pictures!
It's been a little over a week and I'm starting to feel somewhat acquainted with the city. We actually have quite a bit of time to cruise around the city. The Old City is where all the flea market type shops are. There is an Arab, Jewish and Christian quarter. Its a lot of fun! A lot of the shopkeepers know about the center and love the students. We get lots of deals and they watch out for us. It's a very busy place! There are always men wheeling huge wheel barrels full of stuff up and down and if you're not careful, you could get ran over. Each man for himself in the Old City! The West City is very European. Its really fancy! A couple of nights we've taken a taxi there to get gelato and filaffles! Both, equally delicious. At night the West city streets are beautiful. All lit up! And there are lots of street performers and dealers. But the taxi rides are... scary. Driving here is insane. We actually saw an accident happen the other day. It's not an uncommon thing. And the sidewalks are full of totaled cars. Sidewalks are their equivalent of wrecking yards I suppose.
Saturday is the Sabbath here so i figured out with the time change that while everyone back home is till up having a good time on Friday night, I am sitting in church. Somewhat depressing. Jerusalme actually has a Jerusalem Branch. There is a handful of mormons from the U.S. consulate and maybe a couple students from Hebrew University. I guess there are also a couple members in the West Bank but they can't come to Jerusalem so they can't come to church.
Last Sunday we walked Ramparts wall which is the wall that surrounds the city. There are some wonderful views. We also went through Zedekiah's Cave which is where King Solomon spent a lot of time back in the day. That was pretty interesting. On the way out of the cave we met the nicest Arab man. He was there with his wife and 3 boys. They were from the West Bank and he managed to get into Jerusalem for a day to take his family around. He told us how much he likes America and how sad he is that so many people in America think so bad about Muslims here. He didn't speak English very well and kept asking us if we understood him. He told us how peaceful his people are and that they truly do love America. He told us how hard fasting for Ramadan is and we told him how much we repect him for doing it. Then he told us how much he respects us for our faith in God. He asked us how long we were going to be here and he said; "4 months not long enough! The city can change you. It will change you. And not like an Obama change... a real change!" I thought that was hilarious. Then he quickly followed it with; "But I love America!"It was such a special experience to see how badly he wanted us to understand his sincerity in telling us the respect he and his people have for us. He kept telling us to never forget him. We've also met a couple other people who have been very eager to tell us how much they respect us and love America.
On Monday we took our first field trip. We went all around Jerusalem to look over the land from different towers and hills to get acquainted with the geography. We saw into Gibeon, the hills of Ephraim and Judah and into Bethlehem. Bethlehem is part of the West Bank and we will be able to go there later but its pretty much blocked off to us. We did get to see the wall that seperates us. Ididn't realize how cradeled jerusalem is between the West Bank. It was great to look our onto the ancient cities where all the Old Testament stories took place.
We have a running group that goes running every other day. Thats a lot of fun! But Jerusalem is a torurous place to run! Especially when you live on top of the Mt. of Olives! No matter where you go you have the Mt. of Olives to run up before you're done. But its so fun to run through the city! It's invigorating.
Another one of my favorite things is eating the pomegranites from the trees that grow around the center! Pomegranites are everywhere here! A couple nights ago my roomates and I ate pomegranites and enjoyed the Jerusalem lights! Certainly a once in a lifetime oppurtunity!
The internet connection isn't very fast here at the center but as soon as I get the chance I'm going to go to Hebrew University to download some pictures!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
I've Arrived!
I' finally here! I cannot believe it took 25 hours to get here! We flew from Salt Lake to Chicago, then to Washington D.C. then to Vienna and finally to Tel Aviv! In D.C. we switched to Austrian air and I know I am easily amused but I got quite a kick out of that airline. First of all, the flight attendants wear all bright read! Red tights, slacks, coat, shirt and shoes. Then they have a baby blue scarf around their necks. The carpet on the plane is puke green, straight from the 70's, the seats are teak, the seats are bright red and the cloths on the back of each chair is a different bright color. No wonder I couldn't sleep... However, the food was great! We got 3 meals, all delicious!
ANyways, once we arrived in Tel Aviv we got on a bus to Jerusalem, about an hour away. As we drove the bus up to Jerusalem, Brother Chadwick (a proffesor from the center who picked us up) reminded us that we were doing just what all the prophets in the Bible had done. As we drove into Jerusalem the streets got windier and more steep and all at once we had a fantastic view of the city. My eyes were misty, I have never seen anything like it! At perched up on Mt. Scopus we could see the BYU Jerusalem center. Directly across from the Hebrew University on top of the Kedron valley. Immediately after arriving we got a tour of the building. It is unbelievable. Every room is so beautiful. Then we were shown our rooms. The entrance to our rooms is actually from outside. I have 2 roomates and straight out our back door is a balcony that overlooks the entire city! To me, it seems magical. There is no other way to describe it! It's surreal. All the views from the Jerusalem Center are spectacular since we are perched on a hill. Then around 7 o'clock the entire city rang with verses of the Koran from a Muslim Ayatollah for their call to prayer. It lasts for about 20 minutes. And right now is the Islam holiday, Ramadan, were Muslims do not eat or drink while the sun is up. So a cannon is shot to begin and end each day of fasting. However, I was not so impressed with the call to prayer when it woke me up at 4:30 this morning, reminding all Muslims to eat before their day of fasting started.
This morning we got to walk through the city to acquaint ourselves so that we can explore it on our own. We went through the Old City, then we went through Damasus Gate into East Jerusalem then into West Jerusalem. This city is unbelievably rich with history! One wall that was introduced to us as one of the newer walls was built in the 1500's! Everything is so old and historic. We saw one place that had been a place for raising sheep from Christ's time till the 1980's. There are so many incredible monuments that I'm worried I'll stop realizing their importance! Because there are so many significant spots! We walked down the Via Dolores which is believed to be the path Christ walked before he was crucified. And there are markers saying things like where Peter took the Cross from Christ, etc. Like it's telling a story. All of Via Dolores is occupied with shops and markets. It's very exciting and busy.
One sad thing about Jerusalem is that the palces that are not habited by either the Palestianians or the Israelites are completely trashed. Since it's a war torn country no one feels any obligation to take care of land that isn't their own. So a lot of Jerusalem is very dirty.
I'm sure I won't be able to write this much very often but I wanted to make sure to write about my first impression of the Holy Land. I'm so thrilled to be here! My only concern is that 4 months won't be enough to do all the things there is to do (and eat all the delicious things being sold on the streets!). I have been so impressed by everything. I love the mix of cultures. The president of BYU Jerusalem is actually a Jewish Man and a couple of the professors and other staff memebers here are Jewish or Muslim as well. Even though this area is filled with all sorts of contention it's wodnerful to see how many people of all the major religions respect each other. Im so excited to learn more about them.
ANyways, once we arrived in Tel Aviv we got on a bus to Jerusalem, about an hour away. As we drove the bus up to Jerusalem, Brother Chadwick (a proffesor from the center who picked us up) reminded us that we were doing just what all the prophets in the Bible had done. As we drove into Jerusalem the streets got windier and more steep and all at once we had a fantastic view of the city. My eyes were misty, I have never seen anything like it! At perched up on Mt. Scopus we could see the BYU Jerusalem center. Directly across from the Hebrew University on top of the Kedron valley. Immediately after arriving we got a tour of the building. It is unbelievable. Every room is so beautiful. Then we were shown our rooms. The entrance to our rooms is actually from outside. I have 2 roomates and straight out our back door is a balcony that overlooks the entire city! To me, it seems magical. There is no other way to describe it! It's surreal. All the views from the Jerusalem Center are spectacular since we are perched on a hill. Then around 7 o'clock the entire city rang with verses of the Koran from a Muslim Ayatollah for their call to prayer. It lasts for about 20 minutes. And right now is the Islam holiday, Ramadan, were Muslims do not eat or drink while the sun is up. So a cannon is shot to begin and end each day of fasting. However, I was not so impressed with the call to prayer when it woke me up at 4:30 this morning, reminding all Muslims to eat before their day of fasting started.
This morning we got to walk through the city to acquaint ourselves so that we can explore it on our own. We went through the Old City, then we went through Damasus Gate into East Jerusalem then into West Jerusalem. This city is unbelievably rich with history! One wall that was introduced to us as one of the newer walls was built in the 1500's! Everything is so old and historic. We saw one place that had been a place for raising sheep from Christ's time till the 1980's. There are so many incredible monuments that I'm worried I'll stop realizing their importance! Because there are so many significant spots! We walked down the Via Dolores which is believed to be the path Christ walked before he was crucified. And there are markers saying things like where Peter took the Cross from Christ, etc. Like it's telling a story. All of Via Dolores is occupied with shops and markets. It's very exciting and busy.
One sad thing about Jerusalem is that the palces that are not habited by either the Palestianians or the Israelites are completely trashed. Since it's a war torn country no one feels any obligation to take care of land that isn't their own. So a lot of Jerusalem is very dirty.
I'm sure I won't be able to write this much very often but I wanted to make sure to write about my first impression of the Holy Land. I'm so thrilled to be here! My only concern is that 4 months won't be enough to do all the things there is to do (and eat all the delicious things being sold on the streets!). I have been so impressed by everything. I love the mix of cultures. The president of BYU Jerusalem is actually a Jewish Man and a couple of the professors and other staff memebers here are Jewish or Muslim as well. Even though this area is filled with all sorts of contention it's wodnerful to see how many people of all the major religions respect each other. Im so excited to learn more about them.
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