Israel Day 3: Jordan River...

We packed up to leave the hotel as it was time to begin our journey to Jerusalem. Our first stop was along the banks of the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. We were surprised how commercial the location seemed, but based on the number of tour buses we’ve seen over the last few days, we shouldn’t have been surprised. When we realized there was no one getting baptized, we tried to talk Al into donning a white robe, but no such luck. As the only man in our group, he was a very good sport. He had a quiet manner with a great sense of humor; I especially loved hearing his “scientific theory” of how he can predict rain based on how many cows are sitting versus standing in a field.

The large nutria or river rats looked ready to join anyone considering a dunk into the water. They might be herbivores, but didn’t look like fun swimming companions.