Field trips full of Rain!

Happy Thanksgiving! How grateful I am for all of my many blessings, especially to be here! This past week, we got rewarded for surviving finals by having 3 straight days of field trips! What a treat! It was very fun. They were all day trips around the Jerusalem area. Tuesday we drove down to the area around the Dead Sea. We started off at the city of Masada, which is known for its Herodian history as well as its Jewish Zealot history. It's up on top of this mountain, and the ruins are very well preserved. Here I am chillin on the ruins--you can see the Dead Sea in the background!

After Masada, we went swimming in the Dead Sea! It was quite an experience! Its shores are the lowest dry land on earth! Because of that, it is a lot warmer there than in Jerusalem. The water is so salty that you completely float, and it's hard to flip and turn and stuff. And, if you get water in your eyes, it burns so badly! It was really fun! Here is a rock on the shore covered in salt. Crazy, huh? Then here's Brita, Lauren, Amie, Caitlin and I showering off after our salty swim!

After our swim, we headed just a few minutes north to Ein Gedi Natural Reserve, which was a beautiful oasis with trees, rivers, and waterfalls. We hiked to David's Waterfall at the top, which was really beautiful. We saw a group of Orthodox Jews on a hike--I've never seen an orthodox Jew with kippah and all and a tank top!

On Wednesday we went to some more local sites in the Old City. It was pouring rain this day, which added an extra adventurous element, but it was still fun (hence the hood in every pic). We started off the day at the Kotel Tunnel, which is a 'tunnel' that goes right along the Western Wall underneath today's ground. So, we walked beneath houses and buildings to where they have excavated down to Roman/Herod time. It was way cool to see Herod's special building stones, the original roads and arches, and see women praying at the closest place they can get to the previous Holy of Holies. It was fun, and nice to be inside out of the rain!

While inside the tunnel, and while walking around outside in the city, we saw a lot of Hasidic Jews with their protective rain gear. I thought how devoted these people are to their sects! Not the heat of the summer here, or the rain or snow here will keep these orthodox Jews from wearing their religious apparel. Here, this man has a sort of 'shower cap' over his fuzzy black hat. Talk about a good idea!

After the tunnel, we went to the Davidson Archaeological Garden which is an area outside the Old City Walls which has been partially excavated. It's cool to walk around in the ancient stones and arches and stuff. Here's a group of girls facing the rain to learn more about the wonderful hisotry of this city! Then, Amie and I are standing on the original Roman steps that used to lead to the temple mount. The arches have since been filled in, but the stairs have been excavated.

Today we spent our Thanksgiving at the Yad Vashem Museum, which remembers the 6 million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust. It was a beautiful museum and the perfect Thanksgiving activity. It was so humbling, on this day full of feast and happiness, to remember those who have suffered so much, or do not have anything. It made me grateful for those things which we take for granted everyday--being warm, having food, not fearing death everyday, not having to part with family members, and so many other horrors that these innocent people dealt with on a daily basis. I'm so grateful for all of the many blessings in my life.