TREES

and just because I was so happy snapping away... here is one shot I did that made me want to buy a hallmark card.. hope you enjoy the pics!

TREES by Joyce Kilmer

I THINK that I shall never see  

  A poem lovely as a tree.   

  A tree whose hungry mouth is prest  

  Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;     

  A tree that looks at God all day,         

5 And lifts her leafy arms to pray;     

  A tree that may in summer wear 

A nest of robins in her hair;    

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;  

  Who intimately lives with rain.  10   

Poems are made by fools like me, 

But only God can make a tree.

Feeling Indiana Jones

By the sheer number of sites we visited, I decided to just talk about the highlights of the trip. Starting with the first, which is PETRA.

Petra is like a product of a hollywood movie. something not real. It dates back 3000years ago and was the trading point between the east and the west. It is the city of the ancient Edomites, who the Bible says are the descendants of Esau (the red haired brother of Isaac, son of Abraham) that is why, the rocks are colored RED.

It was about a 1.5 km walk to the start of the trail going into Petra, we had to walk carefully through the path because it was uneven. We were told that the day beofre, there were showers and a flash flood went through the valley and Petra was not accessible. Good thing they got the path into working condition.

The hard part of walking through is trying to keep up with our group, taking pictures and not stepping on camel/horse poop. They have carriages for those people not willing to trek the path. But it would be a shame to not see the cliffs and rock formations. Also, it is not a PAVED path so the ride would be VERY bumpy.

 ancient dwellings made from the rock  face (going into Petra)

the 1 km walk into Petra proper, you are awed by the pathway and rocks, surprisingly, the camel poop is not smelly at all!

 helloooo camel!

 the upper portion of the treasury @PETRA. the most famous structure and the first thing you see when you enter. the magnificent building takes your breath away. You can imagine how the ancient travellers stood in awe as they entered the city of Petra to be greeted by this building. They probably came in caravans of several hundred camels... imagine!

 the treasury... what adventure dreams and Indiana Jones movies are made of

some other buildings carved on the walls.

The day was made short.. we were told you need 3 days to fully explore Petra. We only had one day. bummer. It would be another reason to go back eh? One of the best sights on this trip. Truely a highlight and worth the visit. For photographers, it was one of the best places to get amazing pictures.!

National Geographic

I will post some pictures for awhile.. suffice it to say. I took a lot and brought out the national geographic in me.

These were taken when I climbed Mt. Sinai. We went up early morning and waited for the sun to rise. It was hard but fullfilling. An hour and a half camel ride up.. then another 1 hour for the next level (no camel bec it was too steep) . After the sun rose, we took some picture and quickly went down. They tell us the temperature will rise VERY quickly. As with any desert, the nights are cold and the days are hot so you can guess I was wearing 3 layers and had to peel them off 1 by one as I descended the mountain. The next day was killer as my legs were aching! but oh well... you only do this once in a lifetime.

so..I'm back

whew! Watta trip! ok, so I got to see PETRA... and I got to go up a 7000 ft mountain plus visit some old dude called Tutankamen. But really, what I got out of this trips was whole lot of information, perspective and  a lot of new friends.

Aside from which, I also got to practice some photography. I have got some great pictures and experienced so many things i don't know where to start. (might take a few more blogs to tell it!)

Monday and I have to work on WORK first..but here's a preview of my trip...

the library at petra

church of the beatitudes

random pic of flowers

Wish I could stay

It is 3 days till the trip of a lifetime. I am still enjoying my new house and wish I wasn't leaving so soon.

My house is so comfy, I am tempted to NOT go to work everyday. The domestic goddess in me has kicked in. (hello.. Nigella Lawson!)

One of the things I have done (that was not possible in my old townhouse) is:

---Making homemade ice-cream (french vanilla cookies and cream and ahost of various sorbets)
----Soaking in a bubbly bubble bath (ooh yeah!)
----Gardening in my flower power of a garden
----Planting seeds in the "farmville"
---Decorating the living room and fireplace.

I still have a bunch of things in my list but I am so pressed for time that it will have to wait. Gotta get thing ready for the 3 week trip. Gonna meet "the mummy"!

To those who got to chance to see my house, they said it felt so comfy and homey. (that was what we were aiming for really).

Excited to host a dinner party for my friends when I get back. Bought some lanterns and put in the candles.. It would be nice to have conversations on the patio in front of the fountain with candles burning in the background..

I hope I have time on the trip to blog. (I doubt it) looking forward to it and yet not wanting to leave ...