4 countries in 3 days
Day 1: Israel to Jordan
Woke up early to drive to the border at Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport. We dropped our rental cars and crossed on foot, slightly nervous upon seeing the signs that read "DANGER: MINES" on the sandy no-man's-land on either side of the small paved road.
We met our tour guide on the Jordanian side of the border and boarded a bus to the ancient fortress of Petra. Petra is beautiful and surprisingly well-preserved for its age. It is almost ridiculous that visitors are allowed to walk in and around much of the surrounding buildings carved into the rock walls. Brad bought a hat just like Indiana Jones', so here he is reenacting the final events of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
After Petra, it was a 3.5hr ride to Amman, where we would be performing and staying at the Grand Hyatt Amman. We were surprised to have to go through full security before entering the hotel. It's a different world here! I was super excited to see my friend Emily Sosangelis from TD at the concert. She's working in Amman now and took this photo of us singing:
We had a late-night dinner at the Ambassador's residence, where we met some embassy staff, the ambassador's family, and some friends as well. Off to Cairo at 3am...
Day 2: Cairo, Egypt
Pretty much straight from the airport to the pyramids! We toured and rode camels.
After the pyramids came a quick lunch concert at the Embassy, followed by a dinner party at the home of a Yale alum. Here's the view from the window. You can see the Nile and the island where we stayed. To the left of the big cylindrical tower you can see the charred, empty building that once served as the headquarters of Mubarak's party before it was torched in the revolution.
We ended the day with a concert on the outdoor stage of the Cairo Opera House, with special guests the winners of Sing Egyptian Women, a competition sponsored by the US Embassy. The first place winner sang Killing Me Softly with us at the end!
Days 3-4: Egypt to Athens, Greece
Half of the group took a tour of Cairo in the morning. We saw a beautiful mosque and citadel, walked through the crowded, dusty market streets and really got a feel for this amazing city. We even drove past Tahrir Square while hearing about the personal experiences of our Egyptian hosts and tour guides.
Off to Athens next! After the 2 hr flight, we checked into our beautiful hostel. Julian, Spencer, Brandon L., Reuben, and I went for a night run, discovering ruins and landmarks galore.
We found the first stadium of the modern Olympics!
And Spencer gave a thrilling impromptu lecture on Greek history and mythology. He should be a tour guide here!