Time Off

Well, I'm taking some time off back in the states.  Left the 2nd of August and flew back to the states, spent a couple days in DC and then off to Vegas to meet my brother and his wife and my niece. We had a great time, no I can't quit my day job....We went on the roller coaster through the New York New York, that was awesome. We went to Stomp Out Loud - a great show and then to the Bodies Exhibit, which I've been wanting to see forever.  We also spent a  bit of time at the pool, which was nice.  Then I flew to Nebraska for some relaxation and family time. I am on my way back to DC now (14Aug) and will depart back to Baghdad on Sat evening. 

Final Flight Home

Well, a great trip overall - I would say one of the best ever.  Kallee Ray is great to travel with and Dubai, Jordan and Israel are amazing destinations.  We flew a military flight out of Amman, Jordan back to Baghdad.

Israel

The last stop on our trip was Israel. We took a day trip from the Dead Sea to Jeruselum and Bethlaham. I have been there one time before and it is amazing. this was the same as before, just a quick trip thru.  I could definitely spend more than a few hours there.  We went to all the best sights, where Jesus was born and crucified, we saw the oldest olive trees in the world and the wailing wall.  A great day overall.

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea was amazing!  There is no way you can drown in the Dead Sea and don't touch any part of your face while in the sea, the salt will burn your eyes out.  We put mud all over and let it dry and had a facial and massage at the spa in our hotel. It was nice to relax!

Wadi Rum

This was an awesome experience. We arrived around 9am from Aqaba at the entrance to Wadi Rum and met our tour guide, Sabbah Ali. We were placed on our camels shortly after that and set out on our all day trek through the desert. It was pretty hot, but not unbearable. We took a break about 1/2 way through and they made us lunch which was canned tuna in a pita with peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.  Then we took a nap - I love the Bedouin way of life!!  We ended up staying overnight in a Bedouin tent where we met a few other people and had dinner.  The most amazing thing about it was the night sky - five trillion stars and the Auroa Borealus. Very cool.  Check out Sabbah's website, he speaks English and has lived in Wadi Rum all his life.  Look him up if you ever go to Jordan - it's a must do!   https://desert-experience.org/about_sabbah.html