What a crazy day!

The day began by us heading up to the Mount of Olives for the obligatory group picture and camel riding adventure --- but it was interrupted when Lindsey and Jessica almost caused an international incident. Jessica was trying to buy some postcards (30 for $1), and Lindsey was going to get a poster of Jerusalem (also $1). While they were getting their money out another peddler tried to get in on the action and began a fight with the first peddler. When the smoke cleared their was postcards blowing in the wind, posters all over the place, one peddler bleeding above his eye and the other being restrained by the police. Remember this was over $2. In the end, neither made a sale and the girls rode the camel instead.

After visiting the sites around the old city we got our first taste of the Old City today. We visited the Palm Sunday Walk, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Western Wall, the Southern Wall excavations, St Peter in Gallicantu, the Upper Room, David's Tomb and the Dormition Abbey. Once we were done, with the sites, at about 3:15 a group of us walked back through the Old City to our Hotel on the opposite side. Mary Jo said that this was worse than a 1st grade field trip --- trying to keep everyone together and out of all the shops. The one mile walk took until about 5:00! Fortunately, I remembered the route and we got back to the hotel before it really got dark.

It has been an interesting trip. For some reason almost 1/2 of the group has been sick at some point. For three we had to get a doctor to give them a shot. And almost everyone is exhausted. Even our college kids have run out of gas! I was afraid they would do me in. Next week, I will pay for it!