22 January 2009

Omar is a man who has a shop here full of amazing olive wood carvings. He does them all himself. His work is amazing, it really is. And all of his carvings are totally for LDS people too. His best customers are us students I’m sure. His carvings really are incredible though, and beautiful. Omar is quite the artist. And he’s got carvings of everything, Christ of course, Moroni, Nephi, Relief Society thigs, CTR, abstract carvings of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, camels, and… he has nativities too. I think I might have to invest in one of them babies. I’ll definately be getting something.

Dearest Mother… here’s some pictures so you can see the lovely nativity selection.

This nativity has quite a bit of detail and is $140 I think.

I really liked these abstract ones, such cool beans. This is $90.

This nativity costs $90 too, and I maybe like it better. I don’t know Joe, too many decisions in my life.

The Big One: this nativity has so many characters and so much amazingness to it. And with the star at the top, you can twist it and it plays Christmas music! There is so much detail to every single figure. This nativity costs $300. Here’s another thing in the Holy Land that is incredible edible egg.

I don’t know what I want to get or what I want to do, but I definitely will buy something from good ol’ Omar. He’s just so great. There’s a few fabulous shopkeepers around here who just love us “Mormon University” students. It’s so excellent.

Wednesday… another field trip! We have the coolest field trips around here.

We went to the Kotel tunnels. They are a bunch of tunnels underground along the part Western Wall that is underground. More city was built up on top of the wall waaaay back in the day. There was this guy who took us all around through the tunnels and explained all of this incredible history to us. Again, it’s hard to realize I’m actually here in the Holy Land.

Waiting around for the tour to start…

Schlomo… hehehe. I don’t know what this sign was on, but I took it as we were waiting around.

Seven branch candelabra, symbol of Judaism. 

Chelsea + Western Wall + Dome of the Rock

Western Wall (most holy site to Judaism). Dome of the Rock (one of the Islam’s holy places).

The Rampton brothers, of Eagle River, Alaska! Yay Alaska crew!

Lauren and Chelsea… happy in Jerusalem and at Kotel! Time for the tour!

model of the 2nd temple, which was destroyed in 70ish AD.

Pretty signs…

Our tour guide, who told us about this stone that the Romans could not destroy. This one single stone is bigger than a bus! How did they do it?

As all field trips are… this one was fabulous as well. The tunnels were pretty crazy daisy. And it’s so interesting learning about all this history. And learning why the Western Wall is so sacred and holy, and learning what it was like way back in Jesus’s time. This place it soooo good. Jerusalem all the way. Yay yay.