Day 2 in Jordan

Fuel status:
6 hrs of sleep in the last 52. Yes, I am in bed.
Much to tell, but I will keep it brief. ...lets pick up from this morning's email.

So Nashat picks me up around 11. We hop in his car and head toward the Dead Sea which is a 45-50 minute drive. At this point I have no idea what I am going to experience. My lack of geographical and historical knowledge about this place is truly tragic. Dad: um... sorry about all that money for the Old Testament classes at Baylor. I'll get ya back one of these days. Good news- I'm learning it now!

On our way to the Dead Sea, Nashat explains that we will also see the "Baptism Site". "Ok, cool," I'm thinking. Next question: "What's that". "It is where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan. You are Christian, no?" the chain-smoking Muslim asks me. Its embarrassing at this point. "Yes, of course, I know what you mean now," silently shocked that the site is in Jordan. Who knew? I blamed the flub on lack of sleep.

The tour of the Baptism Site and Jordan River took an hour (maximum time allowed by Israeli army- shared border) and we were hanging out on the East Bank the whole time. The vistas are unlike anything I have seen before... well, first hand, anyway. You know how Africa looks like Texas, right? This place does NOT look like Texas (though you do have to give them credit for their Kebabs). The dirt is white. Seriously- white. Maybe God was going with a theme here... it is holy land after all.

Anyway- I have plenty of photos from the Jordan and the Baptism Site to upload for you. And, wouldn't you know it, just when we leave the small but ornate cathedral on the bank of the river, my camera, whose battery I checked this very morning, dies. Lovely. Perfect. Beause a trip to the Middle East is a pretty common occurrence, really. UGH!! Nashat seemed to think my camera dying was no big deal. "There is nothing there to take picture of anyway. Is just Dead Sea." Um, I'm sorry, have you met me? Clearly this person has not spent a significant amount of time in my presence. Otherwise he would have understood those utterances to be blasphemy. Seeing as how we were walking Jesus' footsteps, I chose grace and asked the Father for wisdom and discernment for this man.

Suffice it to say that we then drove to a 5 star hotel on the Dead Sea where we had to pay 35 Dinar (like $50) just to get in! This is a concept I cannot understand. I mean, come on. It's not like we are in Dubai, or the Champs-Elysees, or...ahem, Beverly HIlls! Even they don't charge an entrance fee. And another thing- I found out today that the US gives Jordan assistance every year of about $300million, give or take $50million. Now, it may just be me, but can someone explain how and why we give aid to a country whose currency is worth 1.5 times the dollar? Just curious.

Oh, it should also be noted that every hotel I have entered since landing has had some form of security- probably for appearances, really, but it is there none the less. I had to put my camera bag through airport-style screening before I could enter. I say its racial profiling. Just because other blonde white chicks from Texas commit crimes of terror in the Middle East doesn't mean.... oh, wait.

So we eat our ridiculously expensive meal at the hotel (most of the entrance fee was returned in food vouchers, fortunately) and went down to the famous Sea itself. I couldn't wait to see if people actually do float in that water. Sadly, a swimsuit was one of my forgotten items in the race to make the plane on Saturday. I did, however, join the ridiculous looking crowd of Speedo-ed European revelers in applying Dead Sea mud to my extremities. Don't ask. I have no idea. Something about detoxification and purifying yadda yadda. When in Rome, right? After it dried and my skin looked like I was 80, I went to the Sea to wash it off and see if any of this hype was legit. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am here to tell you, people really DO float in the Dead Sea, I had to put some effort (more than usual, anyway) into keeping my arm underwater while washing off the mud, and it is indeed so salty that any cut on your body actually stings before you get in the water.

We sat at this gorgeous 5 star hotel on the beach of the Dead Sea and watched the sun sink through the cloudless sky over the hills of Israel.

And no, I do not have proof of any of this. Please send complaints to the wonderfully confusing LCD battery light programmers at Cannon.

Other details: lots of wild cats and dogs, lots of checkpoints near the border with Israel, Dead Sea looks like Lake Yellowstone...minus the fish, tons of camels and nomads everywhere. Yep, that is true as well. Awesome radio stations. I heard 'Walking In Memphis' and almost forgot about the pictures I didn't get to take.

Ok, thats all for now. Falling asleep as I type. Tomorrow is Petra. Google it. And see if you can find me a hotel.