Petra, Jordan

The Treasury in Petra


That's right, a camel riding in the back of a truck!




Entering the Heshemite Kingdom of Jordan


Last weekend, some friends and I went on an adventure to Jordan together. We took a bus down to Eilat, the northern part of Israel, which is similar to Miami, where we stayed for Thursday through Sunday. After a day on the beach and some shopping on the tayelet (boardwalk) on Friday, we went to sleep early at our hostel in order to prepare for our trip out of the country the next morning.
On Saturday, we took taxis to the border between Israel and Jordan, and were the first to arrive. We went through with changing our shekels into dinar, and then through border control and multiple security checks before being able to enter Jordan, where we met our driver who drove us to Petra. After a few stops to take pictures at specific overviews of the country, we arrived at the Petra Visitor's Center, where we met up with our guide for the rest of the day. We began our tour through the syv, or valley, with a horseback ride, and then continued on foot to see the hundreds of monuments built into the stone of the mountains. These amazing creations had survived for millions of years - Petra is the second oldest site to ever be excavated, and stood taller than anything I had ever seen.
The most breath-taking one that we saw was called the Treasury. It was built by the Nabateans in approximately 100 B.C. when the tribe inhabited the area. Petra was later conquered by the Romans, who believed that the Nabatean king kept his treasure in the building, giving it the name it still holds today. The other monuments were also impressive, not only in how beautifully they were built, but in how amazing their preservation has been. Hopefully the pictures do a little justice...
After our tour, we were driven to a small restaurant in Petra for lunch, before heading back to the border to return to Israel. As unbelievable as it was to see Petra, we were also all relieved to be back in the country we have called home for the past semester. It was definitely an experience to travel to Jordan, and one of the coolest things I have ever done. I had no idea what the fuss was about before I went, but it was amazing!
More to come soon... lots of love!

Dead Sea and Masada!!

Hello to all and Shabbat Shalom!
I am sitting in my friend Stefanie's dorm room at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where I am so graciously being hosted for the night, and I want to tell you all about the great day I just had! I stayed at Hebrew University last night with Miriam, and woke up sooo early to meet an Egged bus at 8:45, which would take me, Debby, and her boyfriend Eric on an organized tour through the area of Masada and the Dead Sea.
Our first stop was to the mountain range of Masada, where the remnants of King Herod's castle still stand today. We took a cable car ride up the side of the mountain (hiking usually takes a little over an hour), before getting a tour of the historical site, which was beautiful in the forefront to the sunny blue skies.
After Masada, we made a crucial stop at the AHAVA outlet, where everyone enjoyed some time to shop for the famous hand creams, body washes, massage oils, and the like. We then hopped on the bus again, this time to head to the Ein Gedi Spa, where we had some lunch before changing into our bathing suits for our much-anticipated arrival to the Dead Sea!
Although I had been before, the experience was so amazing! The beach behind the resort was a short trolley ride away, and made up completely of salt, not sand. We found some chairs by the shore, and then Debby and I went on a hunt for some genuine Dead Sea mud. We found some and put it all over our arms and legs, which most people do for its exfoliating and soothing minerals. The mud dried pretty quickly in the sun, and made it a little difficult to walk, but also made our skin feel like silk once the salty water cleansed it off.
Immediately after I walked into the water and felt the sharp poking of its salty bottom, I remembered why I had worn water shoes during my last visit! We eased our way out to where we could float, and spent almost a half an hour relaxing in the sun-heated water. Eric had never seen the Dead Sea before this, and was in awe of how easy it was to stay afloat. Even though Debby and I had been to the site before, we still had a great time in the water, soaking in the view, the sun, and the joy of being in Israel!
After our dip in the Dead Sea, we all showered off and got some ice cream before heading on the road with our group back to Jerusalem, where I met up with Stefanie at Hebrew University, where I will be staying for tonight before heading back to Haifa sometime tomorrow!
Pictures to come soon, I promise...
Lots of love!!
Elyse