Eilat was the “rest spot” after what’s been a fairly fast-paced twelve days.  From supper last night to lunch today, the time was completely ours.  Some shopped, some swam, some slept.  I chose to retreat a touch myself.  A bit of re-exploring a city that I saw two years back, a couple great meals, a search for a currency exchange booth (no easy task when you arrive on the Sabbath), and my best sleep of the trip so far.

This afternoon had us spend some time at Eilat’s aquarium (I love aquariums) before hitting the road for the nearly five-hour drive to Jerusalem.  We stopped midway for a breather at the Ein Gedi, on the shore of the Dead Sea.  I ordered and enjoyed a chicken sandwich from the lowest Burger King on the planet. Continue reading →

Wadi Rum—put that one on your travel bucket list!  Wow!  I’ve had more-than-average chances to travel; I feel like I’ve seen a fair bit.  But I’d never seen the desert—not like that!

The village of Rum puts the “off” in “off the beaten path”.  From there, entering the Wadi involves leaving the bus behind for a 4×4.  Once you reach the end of the road, you just drive off the end and into the sand.  And that’s when the journey begins. Continue reading →

It has been a day!  A few years back, Petra was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.  If you’ve ever seen it, you know why.  It is massive, and it is stunning.  And it’s no less so the second time you see it.  Two years ago, we visited this place with great friends.  At that point in time, the site struck me like THIS.  Today was certainly not diminished. Continue reading →

On our way out of Amman, we were bus-toured through the newest and wealthiest part of the city.  Many of the homes in that area are worth over $1 000 000 US.  Mingled among the homes are a number of embassies from around the globe.  The American embassy is especially large, and especially guarded as well.  Several blocks away, an even larger embassy is being constructed by Saudi Arabia.  Then it was highway time.  An hour south on the King’s Highway, the world’s oldest and most continuously used communication route (first mentioned in Genesis 14), would deliver us to Mount Nebo.

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Last night, I was flipping through the hotel’s TV channels in a restful moment.  I’d noticed on a paper that they had three sports networks.  Might I catch some NBA Playoffs?  Surely not hockey.  Even the Middle East’s version of Sportscenter would be a great.

Channel 1: Soccer

Channel 2: Soccer

Channel 3: Camel Racing (with no riders!)

So whatever you’re watching tonight, enjoy it on my behalf!