Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Alright guys, I'm sorry it took so long but here are some long awaited photos of the Holy Land. Things are going great here and it's been such an amazing experience. We just got back last Sunday from our week long excursion to Egypt and it was awesome. We saw the Great Pyramids of Giza and then flew down to Thebes and saw both the Luxor and Karnak temples. Both of these still had paint from the original hieroglyphics! Also by Thebes on the west side of the Nile is the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of King Tuthankhamen is. I was fortunate enough to be able to see his mummy and also that of Ramses II, who might well have been the one to speak to Moses! After a not so kind all night train ride back to Cairo we ended the trip by hiking up Mt. Sinai to watch the sun rise and stopped by the Red Sea and soaked our feet in the water. The Jerusalem Center itself is a great building. We sit atop of Mt. Scopus overlooking the Kidron Valley and the east side of the city. The Old City during the time of Christ is some 30 or 50 feet below where today's city stands. From my back porch I can see the sunrise over the city and the Dome of the Rock everyday. The people are usually kind on both ends. Our courses include both a history of Judaism and a history of Palestine taught by a Jewish professor and a Palestinian professor, respectively. As I've learned more about their sides, I've gained deeper understanding for each of their claims and it's been a good lesson to learn. I know this is kind of a lot for right now, but I'll try to post some more photos again. Miss you guys and I really enjoyed the photos of Hawaii. It looks so pretty. All my love,
Kyle

1 comment:

Margaret said...

Ahh Kyle Baab,
So good to see pics of the Holy Land. It looks amazing. Mom says she can't believe you beat her to Egypt, but I can't believe you beat me to Egypt. I used to ask for plane tickets to Egypt for Christmas!
Glad you are safe and enjoying yourself. Keep up the blogging. I like seeing what you are up to.
Sending love, all the way from Seattle-ville.