Aqaba and the Red Sea

We loved Aqaba.  Our first hotel was in the town, and the beach was full of Shebab, so I didn't feel comfortable swimming at all during the day.  We went down to the beach that night for a little swim, hoping there would be less people.  There weren't, but we went swimming anyway.  So we took off our shoes (first mistake) and walked in.  It wasn't the sandiest beach I have ever been to and walking on the rocks was not so fun.  Finally we got to a point where we could lift our legs and float out farther.  Just at that moment something stung Michael.  His face said it all.  He said he'd never felt a sting like that ever in his life.  It was a quick swim.  Turns out he got stung by a sea urchin.  Thankfully it wasn't bad at all.  We soaked his foot in hot water when got back to the hotel.  

 Me and my alien camel.

Some kid succored me into a camel ride in the middle of the city. I rode a camel!!

The next day we bought some snorkeling gear and changed hotels.  We found one on the south beach away from the the locals and it had it's own private beach where we could snorkel.  

The coral and the fish were beautiful! And you would not believe the amount of sea urchins we saw.  It is a miracle that we didn't get stung every step we took into the ocean the night before.  

We spent hours on end snorkeling.  We found Nemo and his anemone, Dory, and a couple blowfish, along with hundreds of other kinds of fish.  At one point we were swimming in a school of fish that had to be about 10,000 little fish!  It was amazing. 

Our hotel had a private beach, which was very nice, except for the old European lady who though private meant nude.  At least Michael wasn't around.  It was scarring. 

I drug my beach chair into the water and found this little guy right by my feet. 

The sunset over Israel.  It was breathtaking. 

Here's where we parked our yacht. No big deal. 

Some snorkeling videos:

Snorkeling1

Snorkeling2

Snorkeling3
Snorkeling4
Riding a Camel

Jerusalem: The Garden Tomb

The probable location of Golgotha, or Skull Hill.  The current location of a bus station, and on top of the hill; an Arab Cemetery.  I was amazed to find how close this was to Jesus Christ's burial tomb.  It fits the description mentioned in the scriptures of being outside the walls of the city and near a road.  This hill was easily seen by those travelling on the road to Damascus, I believe. 

This is what it looked like about 100 years ago.  

Joseph of Arimathaea was a secret desciple of Christ and also a member of the Sanhedrin, or a senetor.  He was very weathly and had a garden outside the walls of the city. In John 19:41 it says "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid." laid Jesus "in his own new tomb which he had hewn out in the rock" (Matthew 27:60)

I was amazed at how close the tomb was to Golgotha.  This was the most incredible place to be.  We were blessed to have almost the whole place to ourselves.  It was very quiet and wonderfully peaceful. 

He lives!

Almost immediately after we went to the Garden Tomb we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  This is the site that the Catholic Church believes to be the site of Golgotha and the tomb. 

I couldn't believe the stark difference between here and the Garden Tomb we had just left.  This Basilica was filled with people, it was huge, and extremely ornate. 

Not only the way it looked, but just the overall feeling was different, to me. 

Apparently the LDS Church has not outwardly said either place to be of validity, and I have learned that it really doesn't matter.  In my personal opinion, the Garden Tomb seemed to be a legitimate location, but if not, it couldn't matter less to me.  It is important to me to know what happened, not where it happened.  Christ atoned for our sins, was crucified, died, and rose again in all glory, reunited with his body.  He was the only one who could save us from our sins, and how eternally grateful am I that He went through it all. 

I could appreciate this church for the mere incredible architecture.

Jerusalem: Temple Mount

The view from our rooftop hostel. Good morning Jerusalem!

Home Sweet Rooftop. We slept under the stars on this hostel rooftop along with people from around the world. 

The religious tension is so thick within the walls of the Old City.   I have never been anywhere like it.  There are so many different kinds of people with such strong religious beliefs.

The Western Wailing Wall.  Jewish people come here to pray because it is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the ancient Jewish temple.

We kinda broke the law according to the Chief Rabbi and the Torah. 

This is inside the temple mount.  Some left over pillars from some ancient time period. 

Can you imagine the time it would take to chisel this?

Dome of the Rock!

No touching on the temple mount! You will get yelled at.  See, you can clearly fit a Quran between us. 

Can you tell I was keeping my distance?
 The middle guy is someone we know from church and randomly saw him and his friend here.  

The Pool of Bethesda.  This was one of my favorite parts of Jerusalem because it was so easy for me to picture Christ here.  This site is believed to be the place Jesus healed the lame man who had waited so long to be healed.  It was believed then that an angel would come down and trouble the water and whoever was first in the water after it was troubled would be healed of whatever ailment they had.  

John 5: 2-9

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

Ben Yahuda Street

I love markets! (they call them souks 'round here)

Fun nightlife on Ben Yahuda Street

There were musicians all along the street.  We probably saw at least 7 street performers. 

Zakki! Yummy! This ice cream was to die for! 

We saw all sorts of people in Jerusalem.  We especially liked these cute twinners.

Here are some video links:

Jewish Rockers