Many of us had never ridden a camel before and we were all very excited. We named our camels and took tons of pictures with them.
Many of us had never ridden a camel before and we were all very excited. We named our camels and took tons of pictures with them.
As soon as we knew it, we were at the top of the desert mountain, where every thing stood still. A breeze ran past our group as we looked over the edge and took in all the beauty. It was truly something.
The 1-mile walk from Rabin Square to the Sarona Market gave us a good feel of the exciting and bustling city of Tel Aviv.
The sky by night in this desert is as indescribable as the land by day. I saw more stars than I've ever seen in my life, and a meteor as well.
We went to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Playground in Sderot. What made this playground unique was it was all indoors and individuals can get to a safety room in under 15 seconds, if need be. This playground had a wide variety of equipment for all ages and we had fun playing on the big kid equipment.
The views were unbelievable. It was as if each stop just kept outdoing the last. To finish off an amazing day, we got to experience what life was like as the Bedouin's, complete with sleeping in tents and getting to ride camels. It was a truly special way to welcome in 2016.
Today has been the longest and most fulfilling day of the trip! While we're sad it's almost over, we also appreciate all of the amazing experiences, sights, conversations, and moments we have spent together over these last nine days. Here's to making day ten one of the best!
The last stop of the day was definitely not the least, a Bedouin tent. We were treated to a dinner where we ate Bedouin cuisine while kneeling on cushions at the table. Following the dinner we were greeted by a man who taught us about the culture and introduced us to their coffee and customs regarding guests. The best part of the night followed, when our group hiked out into the desert. We all broke from our group formation and wandered in different directions to gain a little perspective of the endlessness of the desert of southern Israel. It was a perfect way to reflect on the day and week under the same sky that has been witness to so much history.
This day is exemplary of the multi-faceted nature of a Birthright Israel trip attempting to capture the complexity of Israeli life. Like the rest of the world, it is made of individual voices, and only by hearing each, one by one, can the whole picture be fully understood.