Impossible Dreams

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 - Today I got up early and met Alex to start the day. We had big plans - go to Madaba to find him a new hotel, then visit Mt. Nebo, Bethany, and the Dead Sea. Easy right?

We had to get a share taxi to the bus station and then a bus to Madaba. That part was easy. He checked into his hotel and then we were off. Got a taxi to Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses saw the promised land and later died and was buried. He picked a good place - there were really nice views of the area, including the Dead Sea and Jerusalem (if there hadn't been haze and pollution). We walked around, and then went into the church there dedicated to Moses. Inside the church they had some old tile mosaics that we saw. Had our pictures taken near them and then we each lit a candle for a loved one - him for his great-uncle and me for my Uncle Mark.

After Mt Nebo, we tried to find a ride to nearby Bethany, the place where Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan. No luck. We waited over an hour and nothing. We started walking there and kind of gave that up. Then we found a minibus going back to Madaba, so we decided to see Madaba instead. No Bethany, no Dead Sea.

Madaba is a fairly large city an hour away from Amman. He had some sandwiches for lunch there and then had some time to walk around. In that time we went to the Archaelogical Park, the Church of the Apostles, and the Museum. We had a hard time finding then in general, and asked a lot of people for directions. They were all interesting enough, but mostly tiles mosaics. In the church we walked all around near the floor mosaics, trying not to step on them while we followed the curator around. In the museum, which was mostly outside, we ate some grapes from a vine when no one was looking.

At 4pm or so we walked to the bus station so that I wouldn't get stranded. Eventually found one, but before that, someone asked us where we were from (everyone asks). Alex said France and the guy said France was good but spit on America. So I didn't mention I wasn't French. But whenever I say America, people claim to love that too. Who knows?

Got back to Amman and headed to an internet cafe after juice and schwarma. In the internet cafe some guy walked up, gave me a candy, and went back to his computer. When I was leaving I thanked him and he gave me a pear and asked me to dinner. Took the pear, denied the dinner. He was Dutch. Near the hotel I was walking past a shop and slipped because he had just hosed the tiles out front. He felt bad so he gave me an apple. Two fruits from strangers in five minutes. Weird.

Came back, showered, chatted with my roommate Mary, and slept.

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