adventure is out there :)

as my friend Charles Muntz said in Up...

"Adventure is out there!" 

so i'm out searching for it!!

with all but two of my classes ending next week, you'd think things might start to slow down....that's definitely NOT the case! if anything life is moving faster and faster, and i feel like before i know it i'll be sitting in the salt lake airport wondering where the time has gone! 

what do you do when you visit the tomb of the kings? you pretend to be zombies of course....

ice city! ice, ice city!

what better way to spend a blazing hot day in Jeru?

COMPLETE WITH ICE SLIDE!

walking the 14 stations of the cross with the Franciscan monks on a friday afternoon...












guess who came on a tour to israel?


that's right folks! jon schmidt! he gave a performance for us at the augusta victoria church of the ascension...

hearing his "love story meets viva la vida" and thinking of coldplay's lyrics "i hear jerusalem bells a ringing" 

brought the lyrics to life a bit...

as well as his "tribute" written for his deceased sister, and thinking of the resurrection of Christ at this very spot... a powerful night!

so back to my childhood.... it's off to the ZOO!!!! the biblical zoo in fact!

basically i'm the new steve irwin---CRIKEY!!

zoo  would not be complete without a giant ark.

Yad Vashem: the Israel Holocaust Museum

fittingly followed by Herzl's grave, the founder of the Zionist movement

the separation wall--meant to divide the palestinian territories from israeli controlled land... quite controversial

a nice break--gelato in west jeru! happy birthday priscilla!! :)

highlight of my weekend though.... EILAT!!! snorkeling in the red sea. 

yes, i'm legit ;)

neot kedumim: the biblical landscape reserve

in short, we get to go back in time to experience biblical life. 

including herding animals with absolutely no brains... stupid animals... i don't know how david did it.

making zatar from hyssop... no mom, it's not drugs.

and making our very own pitas and lentil soup!! as i can't go to mccall this year, this outdoor experience helped quench my thirst for camping!

not quite sure what the ropes course had to do with the biblical theme...but it was fun anyway! especially to see j rowdy tear it up! best. prof. ever.

the night was made complete by a triple date with karen and the pinto bean

a light festival in the old city....lights everywhere! 

life is good.

“Somebody ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit every minute of every day. Do it, I say, whatever you want to do, do it now.” 

Michael Landon

in the land of studly men.

Billionaire-genious-philanthropist-playboys like Tony Stark? Or maybe green-angry-violent-indestructible-hulks like Bruce Banner? What about thoughtless-proud-hammer-weilding-demigods like Thor? Maybe I'd prefer the polite-cryogenically-frozen-super-soldiers like Steve Rogers?

Are the Iron Mans, Hulks, Thors, and Captain Americas of this world real? Are there any real men anymore? 

Studs.

Well....some more than others :)

Men like Joshua...taking down whole cities. Men like Samson...well he was all brawn and no brains, so maybe not so much... But men like David! Taking down the beast Goliath when so-called men like Saul cowered in fear...

Do real men exist?

Maybe. Just maybe. ;) 

This last week or so I have spent exploring the lands of these hero men. 

First stop: Jericho. 

Herod's winter palace

And the walls came TUMBLIN DOWN!


"And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour." (Joshua 6:2)

Elisha's Spring

"And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land." (2 Kings 2:21)

Jericho: the oldest city of the world!

.....get it! old! knee-slapperrrrrrr

Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene

Shavuot at sunrise 

The Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif

The perfect place to meditate.

And while desparately searching for more heroes.... I got hungry. Giant apple??

More hero country??? The Sorek Valley: home of Samson. After all...he 

was sooooooo strong. Just a little dense...

"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine."  (1 Samuel 17:40)

(Brook at the Valley of Elah! Followed by some intense stone-slinging!)

"And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him..." (1 Samuel 17:49-50)

(Tel Azeka overlooking the Valley of Elah)

David = Stud....at least for a time right?

Location of the Lachish Letters. 

Blake = Assyrians

Brooke = Israelites

too bad the Israelites lose Lachish....

Ancient olive press!

Tombs. YEAH we're zombies!!

D-wight. Pics in every tomb we see.

So..... 

I searched throughout Israel, and I finally found some real men. 

THE AVENGERS!

boo-ya!

best. day. ever.

one week already??

so. so. much. i don't know how jess ever did it! or anyone for that matter.... i feel like there is simply TOO MUCH that happens, i can never possibly write it all down! i will do my best to give you the best snapshot that i can! here it goes!

i cannot describe the culture here. it is so incredibly diverse. one moment i am trekking through damascus gate and into the muslim quarter, where i buy a delicious falafel at eddy's. i pass by shaban and grab some juice, and nacer takes me upstairs to show me his "secret stash" for us mormons. the shop owners LOVE the mormon students! ...there's trash littered everywhere... each store owner tries convincing me to buy his sandles, or his spices, or his scarves, or his carvings, or his...whatever! 

if i enter west jerusalem the scence completely changes! it's clean, and i can see jews in their complete clothing ensemble walking up and down streets all over! from arabic to hebrew, from one culture to another, it's a complete change! it's amazing to me that such a place exists, and that i get to experience it firsthand for the next 3 and a half months! 

i'm taking my time...trying to get a feel for the city. i'm beginning to get a hang of the streets and such, and i have even tried to get to know the locals! ahhh i have a feeling it will all pass too quickly... 

but to keep you entertained, i thought i'd add some pictures, as usual :)

the ramparts...climbing up and down the old city walls. this gave us a chance to see the old city from a different view...each quarter is SO different. it really is amazing. i loved passing the citrus trees in the christian quarter...smelled so good! i felt i had traveled back to medieval times, like maybe i could be a guard at the gate! four o'clock and aaaaall's weeeeell! 

 view from up on the ramparts! see all the wall in the background?

 the western wall! the most accessible point of the remaining temple of solomon...the most sacred place for the jews. i definitely want to write a prayer to shove into one of the cracks!

 still on the ramparts, but an amazing view of the dome of the rock! beautiful!

oh little town of bethlehem! 

an old army bunker! this is right before a nice gust of wind decided to have a sense of humor and blow my skirt up in the air!!!

this ridge was could have very easily been where abraham came to mt. moriah to sacrifice isaac, as he was coming from the south. (genesis 22:4) "on the third day, abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off." 

a monastery built where samuel the prophet was supposedly born and buried.... nabi samwil

jerusalem. the center of the universe!

may possibly have been the most delicious thing of my life. besides the frasier in france hayley :)

banana boom pancake...HOLY YUM.

joseph of arimathea's grave at the church of the holy seplechre.... in a dark little cave, dwight and i were a wee bit frightened!

pretty sure they are my favorite :)

in zedekiah's cave...you can see the pillars from the second temple of solomon

we have a "make funny faces in every picture" club....for the cool kids. 

apparently we are supposed to be owls??

my two new best friends...nabeel who wrapped my head in a scarf--jeru style! 

and joe. you're the best, end of story :)

now if i can only stay afloat in my classes.....it's so hard with a city SO AMAZING right at my doorstep! 
and to say no to volleyball every night....
with that, i say good night!