Quick Hi from Bryce

Hey fellow MESPers'
it pains me to still be roaming around the Middle East without some of my so lovable travel companions...

I don't have much time (I have to go referee a girls soccer tourniment in the blazing hot sun of Saudi Arabia -an experience few young American lads have had without a doubt. haha), but I wanted to at least give people a chance to share in a few recent experiences.

- A DAY AND NIGHT IN NABLUS -
An appropriate place is to start a couple weeks back giving the abbreviated version of my encounters with the "wanted" freedom fighters in Nablus. As was stated in a previous blog, the girls left me in the afternoon to return to J'salem. I strained my brain trying to remain diplomatic to all the people gathered around me peppering me with questions and swearing they had a good place for me to stay the night. I ended leaving with a 12 year old boy on a bike...
I soon realized that my life was in his hands... we wondered around the ancient old city that had bullet holes, martyr posters, and even old blood stains everywhere.

A guy on a motorcycle came roaring down the stairs and almost ran me over!
He jumped off his bike and moved in close to examine me, (I convinced him, with the help of the little kid that I was not an Israeli spy). I learned later he was the leader of the armed resistance (terrorist opperations?). he was a pretty scary dude, but later it was hard for me not to humanize even the likes of him, because he (machine gun and all) was playing with 3 little children in the street when I saw him again 2 hours later.

My housing option looked like it was falling through (not good when there are no hotels in the city) and it was getting darker (closer to the gun battles that take place during curfew), I met another leader of the resistance who stared at me and blew smoke in my face... He made it clear that he wanted me to stay with him that night. I cordially said I had already made plans but thanked him for his hospitality anyway (which would have led to who knows what!).

i ended up staying with a side-kick of the main terrorist dudes (he had a smaller gun after all).
But, due to the sensitivity of the issue, I won't go into detail about the events that followed.
All I can say is that I didn't sleep much (with the sporadic gun-fire at night), and I never felt luckier to be alive in the morning...

Well, I'll talk more about the Tel Aviv, Sinai on the beach with Jami & Ruthie, Cairo with Tim and the gang (he and I WALKED FROM THE CITADEL all the way to Agouza!), and my adventures in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hope you all are still kick'n it with a tasty groove!
much love.