The Negev Desert

Shalom from the desert! Today so far, we’ve done more than I usually do on any given Monday. As usual, we woke up super early, ate breakfast, and hit the road by 8:30am. On the ride to our hike, we played “That Camel is Mine!,” a thrilling game in which we Shorashim-ers claim as many camels as we can find. So far, Erik is winning with two spotted. Some have also claimed Ibexes and Donkeys.

Our hike was awesome. HOT, but awesome. We climbed down a huge, rocky crater while learning about flash floods and a plant called “malach,” a name that means exactly what it tastes like: salt. The mountains towered above us, and all over we could see signs of other life, along with the aftermath of heavy rains. After that we headed out to take a larger look at the crater, which is a type unique to Israel, and can only be found here because of the way the mountains and tectonic plates interact. At the lookout, there were TINY birds floating around on the heat waves, and we all took tons of pictures.

Now we’re about to embark on another journey entirely: tonight we all sleep in Bedouin tents and go camel riding. I’m SO STOKED.

But enough for now. Hope you are all having a lovely day in the States!

LoveLove,
Bek