Summer Part 1 - Bible Lands Tour (Turkey, Greece, and Jordan)

This summer is turning out to be an epic and international one. I spent the first 4 weeks of the summer on a Bible Lands Tour with Walla Walla University, going to Turkey, Greece,  Jordan, and Israel. Over the course of this particular trip I took around 2500 pictures... so here is just a small sampling of them. However, this post doesn't include pictures from Israel, being at home in Hong Kong, my family vacation in Eastern China, a 3-day rock climbing excursion with my brother in Yangshuo, or a soon-to-begin 5-week backpacking trip all over Europe.     

The point is this: Enjoy and be sure to stay tuned for more!

The Blue Mosque, Istanbul.

Spice Market, Istanbul

The Acropolis, Athens

Standing on Mars Hill where Paul taught, with
the Acropolis in the background.

Looking over ancient Athens and the Acropolis.

Pergamum - One of the 7 churches of Revelation.
In the back is seen the acropolis of Pergamum with its ancient amphitheater,
which is the steepest ever found.

Corinth Canal - not that's deep!

Cross on a gravestone from Corinth

One of the pagan temples at Corinth

The ancient gate of Mycenae - untouched since it was built in
the 13th century BC (before the time of Moses). 

Temple at Sardis. On the right side, a small ancient
Christian church can be seen that was built after the Roman Empire was declared to be Christian by Constantine and the temples ceased to be used.

Our fearless leader :)

Calcified cliffs of Hierapolis.

The theater of Hierapolis, with a 15,000 seating capacity.

Machaerus - One of Herod's 3 desert fortresses.
 Here John the Baptist was held and executed.

Theater of Laodicea 

We arrived in Petra just as the sun was setting!

Water canal running into Petr

Little kid selling rocks at Petra.

Looking over "The Monastery" in Petra. It was actually a tomb.

In front of "The Treasury" in
Petra. (This was actually a tomb...) 

The "skyline" of Petra.

Emerging from the Siq - the passage into Petra.

And yes, I rode an arabian stallion. (75% Arabian... close enough)

Panorama of "The Monastery."

The ancient road of downtown Ephesus, now crowded with tourists.

Library of Ephesus.

We got to go into an excavation site of the rich
town houses of Ephasus. Those mosaic floors are original!

The last standing pillar of the Temple of Artemis - one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

Classic Turkish lunch with some buds :)

My favorite hotel - on the Aegean Sea...

Sundown worship on the Aegean Sea.

On a ferry, headed to Patmos.

Panorama from the peak of Patmos.

Monastery of Patmos.

We had 8 hours to chill on Patmos...
so 6 of us rented quads and made the most of it :D

A Patmos alley.

Catching our night-ferry from Patmos to Athens.

Just reading on the Dead Sea... no biggy!

Having some baptisms in the Jordan River, around where John baptized Jesus.

Looking down into the Promised Land
where Moses did the same with God - Mt. Nebo.