I really should start remembering my room key. Well, since I'm locked out of my room once more and the people at the ping pong table are way over my league, I figure now's as good a time as any to post.
We went on our first field trip today! The focus of it was learning the geography of Jerusalem and surrounding areas mentioned in the Bible, so we went to a couple of good "lookout" places that had great panoramic views of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, Bethlehem, the Judean Wilderness (where Jesus fasted for 40 days), the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley... basically anywhere in or around Jerusalem. We also went to a place called Nebi Samwil (named "Mont Joie" by the Crusaders because it gave them their first view of Jerusalem), which Muslims and Jews revere as the burial site of Old Testament prophet Samuel. It was an interesting place to visit, even though he probably wasn't buried there--he was actually most likely buried in the biblical town Ramah. Still, I guess it's kind of like the rock at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre--it's their respect for the person and not the accuracy of the site that matters most.
This being our first field trip, there were a couple of valuable lessons I learned from it:
We went on our first field trip today! The focus of it was learning the geography of Jerusalem and surrounding areas mentioned in the Bible, so we went to a couple of good "lookout" places that had great panoramic views of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, Bethlehem, the Judean Wilderness (where Jesus fasted for 40 days), the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley... basically anywhere in or around Jerusalem. We also went to a place called Nebi Samwil (named "Mont Joie" by the Crusaders because it gave them their first view of Jerusalem), which Muslims and Jews revere as the burial site of Old Testament prophet Samuel. It was an interesting place to visit, even though he probably wasn't buried there--he was actually most likely buried in the biblical town Ramah. Still, I guess it's kind of like the rock at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre--it's their respect for the person and not the accuracy of the site that matters most.This being our first field trip, there were a couple of valuable lessons I learned from it:
- Lesson #1: Batteries, batteries, batteries. Cameras eat batteries, and are always low on battery power when you're least prepared for it (Murphy's Law), so just bring batteries. At least my camera lasted me through the church at Augusta Victoria, though, because that was quite a beautiful building.
- Lesson #2: Contrary to popular opinion, fanny packs are ultra-sexy. Well, that's kind of a lie, but they're useful, at least.
- Lesson #3: Try not to pay attention to men that wolf-whistle, or blow kisses, or try to convince you to ride away on a camel with them (seriously). If only I weren't so darn blonde, I might be able to get some peace around here!
- Lesson #4: Public bathrooms are gross. End of story.
- And finally, Lesson #5: Sometimes, it's cold. Occasionally, it's really really cold. Don't forget your jacket when it's really really cold.
All in all, it was a fun little trip. I even managed to get in my workout for the day (did you know that there are over 200 stairs leading up to the top of the Augusta Victoria tower? My legs are still feeling it!). Egypt's in less than two weeks, so I have that to look forward to/obsess over/be ecstatic about (did you know I'm looking forward to going to Egypt???). In the nearer future, we're planning a trip to the Western Wall, and I think we might be visiting some caves, too (I'll have to check my schedule). 'Til next time, shalom y'all!
I think I'll never get tired of saying that. ;)
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