Exploring the Desert from Wise Sheiks to Shining Sea
Waking up this morning in the middle of the Negev dessert and feeling the cool air blow through the Bedouin tents was an otherworldly experience. We arrived in the evening to see the sun go down and settled our packs in the tents while the Bedouins prepared our group dinner. As we salivated over thoughts of roast meat and, of course, Israeli salad and lots of hummus, we arranged ourselves on the traditional furniture that sat low to the ground. The long tables and benches that made up our dinner setting provided us with an intimate environment in which to eat. As the first platters came out of the kitchen, preceded by wafting smells of local spices, we could hardly contain our excitement over this rare cultural experience. Seconds later we were immersed in our Bedouin meal of roasted chicken over a bed of rice, potatoes and vegetables. Just as we were filling up on our delicious dinners, trays continued to come out, but this time it was a sweet surprise. The Bedouins had prepared local delicacies including sweet mint tea and assorted baklava cakes. We all passed around the various types of baklava and shared the experience, a first for many. As we headed back to the tents we were greeted by a Bedouin in traditional dress. He was strumming a 6-string instrument unlike any we had seen before and began to sing a Bedouin tune. We sat mesmerized as he continued to sing the song “Salaam”, which is an Israeli song for peace and also his name. Salaam showed us how his culture makes coffee, which is not only a tradition, but a rhythmic, musical act and a show of friendship. Salaam explained that the act of grinding the coffee serves as an open invitation to his tribesmen to come into his tent to partake in this daily hospitality ritual. After learning a bit more about the Bedouin culture Salaam left our group to return to his family 100 kilometers away (which he says is a “short trip by camel back, no problem“). After some group stargazing and a bonfire, we turned in for the night in anticipation for our morning desert hike.
Rise and shine was at 6:45 a.m. but the trials of morning rituals were soon forgotten due to a full Bedouin breakfast being prepared just 30 feet away. After our breakfast it was back to the bus as we headed to another part of the desert, where we embarked on a two-hour hike. The end of the hike included a visit to Ben Gurion’s tomb in Sde Boker. It was amazing to walk by several ibex that habited the local area around the paths to the former prime minister’s burial site. The best part of our day was yet to come as we packed up onto the bus for an hour ride to the Dead Sea! During the bus ride everyone chatted about their expectations of this rare natural land mark. Little did we know that the Dead Sea is actually the lowest point on earth and provides many of the minerals used by the Israeli cosmetics industry. As we approached the gorgeous coastline complimented by a backdrop of mountains and valleys, we could hardly shed our hiking clothes fast enough and purchase the famous black mud. Sharing several buckets, we applied the mud to our entire bodies, eager to experience the miracles of Dead Sea minerals. Watching each other go from muddy to sea foam green as the mud dried on our bodies, we waited 10 minutes before launching into the salty waters. Once the water hit our skin we marveled at how baby soft our skin felt and kicked up our feet as the mud did its magic. We enjoyed the beautiful sea for an hour or so before settling in to the Masada Guest House to await our 4 am hike up Mount Masada tomorrow morning!
By Yana Kupava from Princeton, New Jersey and Jenn Sinrich from Swampscott, Massachusetts
Please enjoy the posted pictures from various group members. We welcome your thoughts and comments, and miss everyone back at home!
