Back from Israel

Well, the most important part of this post is the pictures, so if you're looking for those, you can find them here. There should be a caption on the bottom of each picture. This panoramic is taken from the Mount of Olives, looking toward the Old City of Jerusalem.

After our little fiasco that I wrote about several posts ago, our trip to Israel went smoothly. I think living in Egypt for over 3 months really prepared me for Jerusalem. If you can bargain with cab drivers in Egypt, then you'll have no problems in Israel, which is calm by comparison. Even the small, crowded streets of Jerusalem didn't seem in the least bit overwhelming because the streets in Cairo are louder, more crowded, and the vendors are more aggressive in Egypt.

One thing that was strange to me about Israel was how secular it is in comparison to the Arab Republic of Egypt. It's not that it was any different (at least I don't think so) from the way people dress and behave in the U.S., but I guess it was just weird having been away for so long from girls who wear short, tattered jean skirts and Ugg boots. By the way, Ugg boot season is upon us...I might have to do a post about that in the future because they exist here, too.

Overall, Israel was nice. It was fun going around to all the places where well-known events from the Bible took place. I especially enjoyed my time in Capernaum and upper Galilee, like going into the synagogue where Jesus spent a lot of time. I also enjoyed wandering the streets of Jerusalem, trying to picture life from long ago, which wasn't too hard with all the crowds, the narrow cobblestone streets, and all the vendors.

Oh, and since we weren't in Egypt, I got to have ham for the first time in such a long time! I had 2 ham sandwiches and a nice pepperoni pizza...they were both glorious.

That's all I can write for now...I've got a big ol' paper that I have to whip out today. Thanksgiving break ends on Sunday for us, so I have a few more days of freedom!

Happy Wednesday!