Day 8 - Tavel to Petra

(Somehow I ended up with Day 8 before Day 9...)
Yesterday we spent the day traveling to Petra. We had numerous stops along the way. We first visited St. George's Church. This church was in Madaba which was known as the city of mosaics. This church had a famous mosaic on the floor that was a map of the holy lands. It is an important mosaic because it helps scholars determine what cities were named and where they were located.

After St. George's, we headed to a mosaic factory. This factory employed and taught disabled individuals how to make mosaics and then had a huge store room to buy them (and many other things). We spent about an hour shopping. Steve, our leader, told us that in the ten (or so) years he's been leading METS, only one person a year buys a table at this place. Our group bought four. We are becoming known as the shopping group.

Our next stop was Mt. Nebo, the traditional sight where Moses looked into the promised land but did not enter it. It was an amazing view of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley that surrounded it all. We also visited the Moses Memorial Church at the top of Mt. Nebo which is a Franciscan Church.

Back in the bus, our next sight to see was the Wadi Muja. It was the biggest Wadi I have ever seen (not that I've seen too many Wadis to begin with). It was like the Grand Canyon. It was extremely windy and the long hair of the ladies was blowing everywhere.

We moved on to the Kerak Castle. But after the Crac Des Chevalier, this was but a mere shadow. I took very few pictures.

We finally arrived at the Grand View Hotel and had the opportunity to watch the sunset off the back porch. The other METS team was also at this hotel, so we had a night of sharing stories and catching up with one another.

Most in our team have what I have deemed the Crusader Crud (aka: Montezuma's Revenge). So whenever we stop for the restroom, there is always a long line.

Here's a random thought that has been brewing in my mind ever since I've been here in the Middle East. There is almost no homeless problem in the Middle East. The tribal structure and the extended family appear to make homelessness almost non-existent. We have seen no one sleeping on the streets. As well, there seems to be very little gross poverty. We are constantly asked to buy things, but I have seen no beggars. I remember a poignant moment in Italy when I climbed the Spanish Steps out of the "Madison Avenue" of Rome and found a woman laying prostrate spread eagle with her face to the ground banging a metal tea cup on the sidewalk while wailing. I expected to see more like that. But have not seen anything. What does this say when compared to the richest country the world has ever seen which prides itself on "family values?" I'm not sure it bodes well for we Americans. The Middle East has abundant wisdom to share with us.