If you asked the Bus 113 participants what Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are like in Israel, they will look with a confused look and launch in to a spirited recounting of camel riding, the Bedouin tent, the Dead Sea and the story of Masada. That is not to say we didn’t see any Christmas trees—we did see one at Ben Gurion Airport, and we (somewhat ironically) had Chinese food on Christmas eve at our hotel—but today was just another wonderful day of exploring Israel.
Israel is best experienced through our many senses. Today, after eating our way through another gourmet breakfast full of choices, we boarded the bus with lots of gear—for cool weather, as well as bathing suits, towels and water shoes for the Dead Sea. Our eyes quickly saw that the topography and weather quickly change as we left Jerusalem for the Judean Desert.
Once we arrived at Kfar Nokdim, the Bedouin tent, we had a group meeting, reviewed some rules and policies and recited the Shehecheyanu over Israeli grape juice. Once in the Beduin tent, we sipped sweet tea and strong coffee and learned about Beduin life and culture from a very impressive older woman. She explained the Beduins are Sunni Muslims, and there are 9 or 10 tribes. She told of her arranged marriage at a young age, her 7 daughters and 3 sons and her three dreams being realized—having a movie about her, flying to Germany for son’s medical school graduation, and writing a book about her life.
The next sensory experience was the camel ride. We put on helmets, chose partners and got ready for that sudden standing up motion the camel makes before taking us down a desert path. We then enjoyed a very tasty meal of Israeli salads, fresh pitot, chumous and other salads, rice and grilled meats. The staff was very attentive to some special diets and allergy issues and prepared special meals. One participant commented, “Riding a camel for the first time was fun. I never saw a Beduin tent like that before!”
Perhaps the ultimate sensory experience of the day was the Dead Sea. While it was a generally chilly day, it was sunny and a drop warmer at the Dead Sea. We and a few other Birthright groups and tourists were braved as we entered the salty sea to walk, float and socialize with friends. Some even put on mud! Proud of the group from enduring all of the steps for this experience—schlepping extra clothes, changing in unusual places, showering, etc. All would say it was very worth it!
Given the length of the day and the extreme winds around Masada, we viewed it from the base as our wonderful guide, Rony, told us the complex story.
Many rested on our long drive back to our hotel—just in time for another big dinner (salads, soups, breads, tons of entrees and sides and desserts), followed by Chanukah candle lighting and an evening activity. We reviewed highlights of the day, played a game where participants picked images of Israel which reflected their experiences, and we went over tomorrow’s schedule. Back to Tel Aviv!
Photos coming soon!