vagabonding amongst donkeys and old russian women

Last weekend, I could've sat around watching movies on the computer, or bummed around in cafes drinking cup after cup of coffee, but really I didn't want any of that. So naturally, the only alternative was to go to Jordan. (Obviously.)

Aurora and I planned it all ahead during the week and on Friday we were set and raring to go. We took the bus down to Eilat--a very scenic route that passes by the Dead and Red Seas, respectively. We got there in the late afternoon and the sun was pleasantly shining, so we dropped off our stuff at the hostel and went to the beach for some swimming time. Not only did we swim, we did some calisthenics with some old Russian women, who might just be my favorite kind of people in the world, because they are prepared for everything. They bring around all sorts of items and devices in their giant foldable bags and wear big golden necklaces and have oddly dyed hair and speak loudly in Russian with voices as thick as the sour cream in the borscht they often eat. Anyways, I am getting a little sidetracked. After eating pizza and getting carded at several different seaside cafes, we retired pleasantly at an early hour to prepare for our epic Tomorrow.

We arose in the wee hours of the morn and were picked up by a jeep in the parking lot, along with two other girls who happened to be from Hebrew University and a German guy. We were driven to the border crossing to meet up with the rest of the tour group, which included a bunch of Norwegian Presbyterians, Italians, French, Israelis and Canadians, and we met our guide, Ali, who was probably actually Borat because he looked and sounded just like him. After the shenanigans of the Jordanian border crossing we drove through Aqaba to Petra and saw the most amazing desert landscape I've ever seen and probably will ever see. I felt like I was on Mars because it was that surreal and beautiful. Jordan is definitely a pretty poor country though, which could get a little depressing at times.

Finally around noon we arrived to Petra. The first part involved walking down to the siq where Ali talked about the ancient Nabateans who built the city and the Romans and the funerary places as well as the aqueducts. The rocks are golden and spectacular but they keep getting more spectacular as you walk towards the siq, when they start turning red. Suddenly you turn a sharp corner and arrive at the treasury, which is rather jaw-dropping because it is built right into the red stone. You could see current excavations going on all around us, and we only saw a fraction of the city of Petra, all things considered. We ate a nice Jordanian lunch and walked back (some people rode donkeys or camels) to the entrance at our own pace. We all really lucked out with the weather, which was perfect, and it wasn't tourist season, so nothing was all that overcrowded. The only negative part is all the little Bedouin kids who try to hawk you cheap goods, which is also pretty sad.

We got back to Eilat in the early evening. Aurora and I went out for some British pub food and checked in early again. It was back to Jerusalem the next day for another scenic ride. My classes have been going pretty well now so far. I love my environmental science and my architecture classes and I'm starting my internship tomorrow working with kids in special education. I also had dinner tonight with one of my former camp counselors which was quite nice.

I miss and love you all. I'm sorry it's been taking me a while to get letters and postcards out but I promise they are coming!