Kiwanian Cindy Eaton shares her experiences during a trip to the Middle East this year. Photo by Brooke Davis

BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

Kiwanian Cindy Eaton had never visited the Middle East until her trip this year, but found it fascinating and eagerly shared her experiences in a presentation to Los Alamos Kiwanis Nov. 8.

Her adventure started in Amman, Jordan with Overseas Adventure Travels. Aside from the snag of a one-week luggage delay which was taken in stride, she enjoyed exploring the city and its historical architecture. This was followed by a trip to the Greco-Roman city of Jaresh, established in 70 AD. She was intrigued by the customs, including how the women dressed and how weddings were arranged.

Of the places she visited, Eaton was most impressed with the ancient community of Petra, a collection of tombs, houses, and palaces located on a 5000-year-old trade route. She recalled walking through a towering narrow canyon to the massive Treasury, said to be the storeroom for the Queen of Sheba’s gifts to Solomon.

The next part of the trip that she found very interesting was her visit to Egypt, which included a boat trip upstream (south) on the Nile. She noted that 96 percent of the people in Egypt live on 4 percent of the land – “The Nile is life”. Eaton showed photos of Egypt’s famous pyramids, which she described as “absolutely gorgeous” and spoke of the incredible Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where many pharaohs were buried.

She summarized her experiences by saying, “I had a wonderful time.”