Winding Down

After sleeping in an enormous tent with nearly 50 bodies like the Bedouin people of Negev desert, we saddled up on our fury friends the camels and took a memorable ride through the sand. We will have pictures and thigh bruises to remember this fun ride. After finishing our brief nomadic experience, we were off to the Ein Gedi where we were greeted by Ibex and beautiful scenery. After cooling off under a waterfall, we had an engaging conversation about the intense and frequently misunderstood conflict between the people of Israel, the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Just as our heads hit the pillow, we were awoken before sunset to hike the great Masada and see the sun creep up over the adjacent mountains. Just as we shook off our grogginess, our pal Yossi decided we were up to the challenge of hiking down Masada on a path he rarely takes his hikers through. It was definitively a once in a lifetime experience. When we finally made it back to our bus, sweaty and tired, it was time to float in the Dead Sea. Picture getting a cut on your arm and wiping it with alcohol. That’s how the dead sea feels. But it was an absolute blast. People moisturized with mud and baked in the sun. It’s crazy to think we head back to our respective cities tomorrow.