(Written: 11-9-08)
Soooo. Now we’re in Syria! The male intern for our group wasn’t allowed into the country because of an Israeli stamp in his passport; he couldn’t get a new one before we left so there was always the possibility it’d end up that way but it still started our stay on a bit of a grumpy note :o(
The first day we went to the Krak de Chevaliers a crusader fortress! It was basically amazing and I want to live there :o) Seriously though, you would never believe how beautiful some of the Syrian countryside is – easy to see why it was fought over. After exploring the castle (featured in the movie Kingdom of Heaven) we went to dinner near the fortress and I would venture to say it was the best meal I’ve had all semester! It was AMAZING! Dad – the chicken….there are not words, only lip-smacking, finger-licking goodness!
Ok, moving right along…
After the castle we drove on to Damascus where we stayed near the Old City. It has been so cool to be in a place that really hasn’t changed much since Biblical times since it’s never been put to siege, etc… The main reference point we used for the city was Straight Street (see Acts 9:11) off of which we also visited what is traditionally held to be the Apostle Paul’s house. The old city has such a great feel to it and has thus far been incredibly restful as we all begin to gear up for our time in Israel.
One of our favorite pastimes has been buying movies in Syria because they are so cheap….yeah – more on that later ;o)
Yesterday we went to a “Hamam” - bathhouse (like a Turkish bath), which was definitely a bonding experience. Other than that it was such a neat experience to undergo bathing/massage/etc as they did most often in ancient times. There was a cold room, warm room, sauna, exfoliation, massage, and lots of laughter and relaxation :o)
(Written: 11-12-08)
Our time spent in Jordan was a random little blurb of about a day and a half most of which we spent at a resort on the dead sea! Craziest sensation I’ve had in a long time – floating with such ease…Basically I was transformed into a superhero :o)
It was gorgeous…
PS – sorry for the rushed feeling of all these blogs!
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