Last day of Jordan

Today we spent the morning in downtown Amman: the pictures are through the bus window - so not too great! {I think I've used that excuse before!!}

Corner shop

 

Mosque 

 Mosque close-up with shops in front

Clothing stores. Ha, ha, I just noticed that Kent's reflection is in the rearview mirror :)

Kitchen gadgets

 

 

Head bands 

Other stuff

 

There is a grocery store in the background but the stand out front is full of nuts and dried fruits

This guy waved at me and asked me to take his picture - then he looked away. ;)

I can't remember what this white stuff is called.

After the drive through old Amman we went to a theater and an adjoining museum in Amman.

 Emperor Jackson

I took lots of pictures in the museum - it was warmer in there, for one thing!  :)

 

 

 

You can tell I liked the jewelry & clothes

The women kept their money with them at all times by sewing it onto jewelry or clothing. If they, for some reason, were abandoned by their husbands they would at least have money.

Different stones used in jewelry

 

 

 

  

The bottom floor had several lovely mosaics. This was our favorite. Can't you see that hanging in your house somewhere?

On our way out of town, we stopped in the parking lot of a huge tourist shop. We had Kentucky Fried delivered there for our lunch. There was lots of browsing while we waited for the chicken to arrive, but I don't know if there were many sells. Then we were on our way back to Jerusalem. Our last stop before the border was Beyond Bethany, which is the Jordan river baptism site in Jordan. You take a windy path down to the river itself. These are some of things we saw along the way:

 

 Yes, here is the "mighty Jordan rolling"!  ;) 

The people in the front are some of the students. The people across the river are in Israel, at the Israeli Jordan river baptism site.

We had a lovely experience there, reading the story from the bible and singing songs.

Our border crossing was uneventful, almost, and we arrived home for dinner at the Center!! AND no one got sick on this trip - I think that is a first.

So we've left the Jabbok River, had lunch and now we're at a place called Jerash, which was a Greco-Roman city:

These are all at the entrance

 This is the hypodrome

Central Plaza - it's oval

 These are all the cardo - or main street of the city

Some close-ups of the columns etc.

This area was once the market of the city

 Those are animals carved in the stone, so this was the meat market

 This is the North Tetrapylon - tetra meaning 4 and pylon meaning pillar, support etc. This was at a major intersection within the city. There was also a South Tetrapylon, but not as clearly recognized.

North Theater

One of our students is a dancer.

This is one of our faculty - also a member of the Tab Choir

He's singing "There once was a farmer who took a young miss . . . ." She's responding

The group singing

Sorry the videos are so short but I can't download them to the blog if they are much longer. :(

Nymphaeum - dedicated to nymphs

South Theater

Other stuff

Getting a lesson on how to put on a kafia

This was the end of day 3 and we spent a nice evening in the hotel.

On me and us

Just a quick update on my health and our general life here in Jerusalem. Then, more Jordan:

I feel as normal as I can, considering. The fatigue seems to be getting less and less, which is good. I have my first oncologist visit here, on April 2. Most of the time I am very happy to be here and I love what I am doing and the people I work and live with. I have days when I feel down, tired, unmotivated, and very homesick. But, I have days like that in Orem too [well, not the homesick part :)] so I might as well be here, hopefully doing something good and helpful for someone else.
Kent is also enjoying being here. He does such a good job and those he works with really love him! The students think he's hilarious - announcement sessions are a laugh a minute!
We try to get away once a week if we can. I'll tell you about our latest afternoon off after I finish Jordan.
This Saturday is District Conference. Elder Rasband, the president of the First Quorum of Seventies, will be our visiting authority. Rumors are that we are getting a new District Presidency - we'll see. Our Branch president has gone home and he has not yet been replaced. His counselors carry on.
Anyway, Elder Rasband and his wife, and their daughter and her husband have already arrived. Yesterday and today they are being shown around the Galilee area by our Service Couple up there. Tomorrow they arrive here at the Center and then Kent and I will be their tour guides through Sunday.
I am so grateful for Kent - who is a terrific tour guide and doesn't get stressed over it! I'd be a mess if I were on my own!!
So, that's life in Jerusalem. I know that the news at home paints a scary picture of Israel vs. Iran but we are not worried here. There is no sense that war is brewing - so please don't worry about us. Don't believe most of what you read in the papers - they're just trying to sell papers!
Love to you all,
Kent and Nancy