From the Gulf of Aqabah

A quick post from our hotel room off the Gulf of Aqabah. I am writing on my I-phone as we decided not to bring our laptop into the desert. We arrived here yesterday coming straight from our overnight under the stars in the Sinai Desert - our guide called it "the billion star hotel!" It was an incredible experience following many others including a five mile camel ride up Gubel Mesa - traditional Mount Sinai, which we did from historic St. Catherine's Monastery earlier in the week. This was also under the stars, as we began the trek at 3:30 am in order to be to Elijah's Plateau by sunrise where celebrated the Eucharist and then walked the five mile return trip. Today we take a ferry up and across the Gulf of Aqabah to Jordan for our visit to Petra. On Tuesday, we head back to Jerusalem and then we're off to Englan (via Paris) early Wednesday. I'll write more extensively when I can use my laptop and will also include pictures.