Tel-Aviv

We have done a ton of things the last couple of days. We toured Jerusalem and the old city two days ago. Jerusalem is an amazing city with so much history. Inside the Old City we saw the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, the place where Jesus is said to have been crucified and the room that the last supper was in. There are winding roads and hidden alleys ways throughout the interior walls of the Old City. One could easily get lost in the maze of buildings and underground walkways. The Old City is divided into 4 quarters, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Armenian. We were required to stay in the Jewish quarter. Not by law, but for safety reasons. After Jerusalem we drove to the desert where Masada is located. We woke up the next day at 3:30 A.M. and hiked the mountain to watch the sunrise. Masada is a beautiful mountain that overlooks The Dead Sea. It was here that the Jews made their last stand against the Romans about 2,000 years ago. Remains of the buildings are still there today. After the sunrise we hiked down and went to another awesome desert oasis. It was amazing that there was so much dry land and then this beautiful stream with a series of 5 large waterfalls. I was sure to get some pics of the famous pose in front of all of them!! : ) After that we swam, or rather floated, in The Dead Sea. It was the craziest feeling! It feels like zero gravity in the water. If you ever go make sure you have no cuts and don't get it in your eyes! I found that I had cuts I did not even know were there. It was so cool. You could go deep and put your hands above your head and float almost half-way out of the water without tredding. After that we headed deep into the desert to sleep in a bedouin camp. We rode some camels around the camp when we first got there. Next time I need to make sure I wear my Wranglers for the bumpy ride! The desert was super hot during the day, but cooled down nicely at night. Yesterday we arrived in Tel-Aviv and got our first taste of the Mediterranean. A rather large jelly fish welcomed me with his tenticles as soon as I got in. Kyle pissed on my back and made it all better. Just kidding, I peed on my own back. No, actually I rubbed some vinegar on it and it was all good. Well, got to go. We are heading back towards Jerusalem now. Tomorrow everyone else goes home and Kyle and I start off on our own adventure!!