February trip odds and ends

This is my final post about our trip to Egypt and Jordan. What a blessing that we were able to travel before COVID 19 really took off and countries were locked down. I'll kick off this last post with something you don't see every day - a camel crossing sign. Excuse the glare. I was seeing them when we were in the car en route to our next stop and didn't have the chance to take a better pic with the window rolled down.

I've posted pics like this from our travels when we were living in England, soda cans from different countries. I included a Starbucks this time, too, purchased in the Amman airport. I have no idea if that's really a name in Arabic. It could say western woman in sweats. Chubby gal with no makeup. Who knows!

This pic below was taken from a pull-out on the road in Jordan en route to the Dead Sea. That tiny white speck on the top of a hill way off in the distance is Lot's Cave. Archaeological investigations have proven it's the site of an old spring and Byzantine era monastery. This is reputed to be the place where Lot and his daughters sought refuge after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. See Genesis 18-19 to read this riveting Bible narrative about how much God hates sin!

I ran across these two pics below in my camera role and for the life of me couldn't remember its significance. So I had some time on my hands - thanks, coronavirus - and searched photos on Jordan tourist websites until I found it.

In the top pic, you can see some leftover snow from earlier in the week. I had no idea it would ever get cold enough in Jordan to snow, yet there was tangible proof. What you're seeing in these pics is Montreal Castle in Shobak. Commissioned by Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1115, not much remains today of this Crusader era castle. Its early purpose was to tax traders and pilgrims traveling through this area. It changed hands several times as this region was passed back and forth amongst the various people fighting for control of it.