12/25/06: Christmas

We got to sleep in a little today and then ate a great buffet breakfast. I have to say that this trip’s food has been outstanding. Catered buffets with good food…I can’t complain. We set off in our SUV’s around 9. This time our crew dropped Fr. Gary, Peter, and Dirt McGirt and picked up Wallace, Miller, and Tooleus. We first went to the Red Lizard Train, a scenic train that took us through some gorgeous canyons and breathtaking views. I took some great pics and took in the desert sun. Though everyone was in good Christmas spirit earlier that morning at breakfast, by the time noon rolled around we all forgot what time of year it actually was. The temperature was somewhere in the high 60s and we were surrounded by palm trees.

We stopped at this oasis right at the Algerian border which was something to look at from a distance. In the midst of the sandy desert was a forest of green palm trees. We ate lunch at a really nice hotel overlooking some ancient city and then stopped at another oasis town. This one was my favorite. There were dramatic gorges and high cliffs with a canyon of palm trees and a clear river. There were a few little waterfalls and a big clear blue pool that Miller and I kicked it at for about an hour. There were tons of frogs in it and it brought me back to the times when we’d go frog hunting with dad at Merricrest after school.

We headed back to our hotel (which btw is one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever stayed at) and I took a nap until dinner. After dinner I finally tapped into the run I bought at the duty free store and hung out with Fr. Gary and a few other dudes until pretty late. All in all it was an excellent Christmas.