Desert Adventures

Lindsay Mackintosh, Israel Trip Chaperone

The day was thrust into full swing upon waking up promptly at 6:25 a.m. to rouse our 43 jet lagged travelers. Suitcases were packed, bags for our overnight in the Bedouin tents were prepped, breakfast was scarfed, parents were called, the bus was loaded, and off we went into the heart of the Negev desert, where a day of adventure awaited us.

 

Students buzzed with excitement, singing the songs of Subway commercials and Disney movies, as we descended into canyon walls that rose high out of blankets of soft rock and sand to start our first activity: hiking Ein Avdat. After taking advantage of a bathroom and water station we were ushered into the canyon, beckoned a gentle breeze, and the promise of echoed sentiments bouncing off the walls. Hiking along a stream we made it to a trickling waterfall and then ascended above the waterfall using one steep staircase chiseled into the soft chalk. Along the way, we learned about the basic geography of Israel, the layers of soft chalk rock mixed with black flint, and most importantly how to be silent and enjoy the nature around us. As we ascended out of the canyon we were met with sweeping views of the carved rock beneath our feet and birds of prey above our heads. 

 

Another bathroom break to punctuate the experience and back on the bus we went. 

 

Next stop: David Ben Gurion's desert residence. Offloading the bus our travelers were tired and a little bit hungry. This just so happened to be the perfect recipe for our kiddos to relax, sit, and take in a few animated movies and tour guides... and slowly shuffle around Ben Gurion's house, taking in the feel of his space, informing us of the personality of Israel's inspiring leader. Through Ben Gurion’s eyes we were able to see how influential the Negev was and is to the state of Israel and to his personal life. The Negev has allowed this country to access the Red Sea, a channel to the eastern world, and allowed settlers to get in touch with the land by, as Ben Grunions emphasized, mimicking our ancestors who traveled through these parts in biblical times. Ben Gurion was so inspired by the communal lifestyle that people had started in this area that he repeatedly descended (or as he would say, ascended) from his political life by taking part in a kibbutz. This experience was so enriching for him that he asked for his desert home to be left untouched so tourists would be encouraged to continue to visit the Negev and become inspired by its arid beauty, just as he had. Not only were we silenced by the beauty of the surrounding landscape but students discovered a personal side to this influential leader as well. "He's like Sherlock because he wants to discover the meaning of everything." "He is obsessed with knowledge." "He is obsessed with the world." "He has the patience to be the person that a lot of people wish that they could be." Some say an empty stomach pushes the mind to explore new depths of thought...

 

Reflective sentiments behind, and running on empty—stomachs, that is—the bus barreled through the desert, delivering us to our next stop: pizza and a playground. Our travelers descended on the pizza like a plague of locusts and then, with their newfound energy, the swarm turned their forces towards the neighboring playground. The structure withstood the raid and then our band of buzzing students (quite literally) were ushered into jeeps. 

 

Oh, how the tables were turned. 

 

Our city slickers got a little closer to the meaning of "roughing it" as they toggled around in the back of bouncing jeeps. We visited an underground cistern where desert travelers could take a respite (before the glorious jeep was invented), saw a shooting range (shedding some light on the Israeli duty of serving their country), and were deposited at Ben Gurion’s grave for a whole class photo.

 

Back in the bus we went and just as your eyes may be feeling tired by the screen time you've spent reading this lengthy blog, our bodies felt drained by the demands of our already-packed day. We dragged our exhausted selves back on the bus and were deliriously shuttled to our final stop, of course, singing Subway commercials and other ditties along the way. 

 

Refreshed by the complete desolation and breeze of our sleeping spot, we were once again whirled into a flurry of activity. Arriving at the Bedouin tents proved to be an incredibly special ending to our day. We were able to ride camels, discuss what it's like to be a Bedouin woman with a traditional Bedouin woman, eat a delicious family-style dinner, partake in a drum circle, stargaze, and, finally, sleep. 

 

Until tomorrow...