A Full Week of Adventure
Today marks day seven of our journey; a full week of adventure is behind us. Most of us are sore and some of us are sunburned, but all of us are ready to continue this epic adventure through Israel.
Looking at the incredibly modern city of Tel Aviv, you would never know that it was once completely desolate, a vast desert budding up to the Mediterranean. The city is incredibly diverse in its architecture and beliefs, and its nightlife definitely lived up to our expectations. After taking full advantage of our night out, we groggily packed up our things and headed out to learn more about the city’s creation and evolution.
Our first stop today is Independence Hall, the first house ever built in Tel Aviv. Our lively tour guide did her best to keep everyone alert through the fascinating story of the beginnings of this beautiful city. Our ancestors fought to save this barren “vineyard” to have a safe land for Jews in Israel. The name “Tel Aviv” today translates to “old” and “new,” our fitting theme for the day.
From Independence Hall, we walked over to Taglit Start-up nation, which had some of the best air conditioning we‘ve experienced on this trip so far. :) We learned about all of the exciting innovations to come out of Israel, including the Iron Dome, Waze, and an awesome water dispenser that condenses water from the atmosphere to help people in areas of drought. We also had the opportunity to hear from an Israeli entrepreneur who worked on an App that lets you visualize clothes you’d like to buy onto a picture of yourself, just like the scene in Clueless. Amazing!
Lunch today was at Sarona Market, the most glamorous food market we’ve seen in Israel. After eating mostly schwarma and falafel for the past six days, most of us ran straight for the burgers and fries; teaching the Israelis about the importance of greasy food. The market was full of delicious options from around the world, and cute little shops for people to stock up on souvenirs and sweets.
After lunch, we headed to Rabin Square, named after the beloved prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated right next to the square after a rally in 1995. Yossi briefly filled us in on this terrible tragedy, and then we split into groups and interviewed citizens around the square about their first hand knowledge of living in Israel when in happened. Most of the Israelis we talked to were still very upset about this tragedy that occurred over twenty years ago. My group talked to a man named Mike, who was at the rally the night Rabin was assassinated and he remembered waiting outside of the hospital in masses of people waiting to see if he would be okay.
We all piled back on the bus and headed to our next stop, the Negev. Most of us fell asleep while the bus was still in Tel Aviv, and when we woke up, we were surrounded entirely by desert. Now being well rested from our 2 hour drive and nap, we were ready to embark on one of the coolest and most unique parts of this entire journey. We arrived at our home for the night, a Bedouin tent community in the middle of the Negev. As we stepped off the bus, we almost immediately hopped on camels and walked out into the desert.
Our sleeping place tonight is an open communal tent with small mattresses and sleeping bags for everyone. We were very graciously welcomed into the community and were taught about the traditions and history of Bedouin villages. Our hosts brought us delicious tea and incredibly strong coffee and let us ask questions about their lifestyle. Most of us were fascinated by their many wives and children, and surprisingly good English. For dinner, we sat on the ground and shared a large platter of couscous with peppers, potatoes, chicken and meatballs. As we left the dining hall with watermelon and more tea in our hands, we noticed the sun setting and the stars coming out. Even though tomorrow would be the earliest we have to wake up all trip [4am to hike the Masada], no one could pass up the opportunity to walk into the desert and watch the stars.
Surrounded by my 45 new friends, we laid in the sand under the incredible night sky; we were pointing out shooting stars, sharing stories of our personal pasts, and laughing uncontrollably. Going to sleep was not as important as living in the moment and truly appreciating this entire experience. Todah for everything Israel, for being out-of this world beautiful, and for being so welcoming and warm [and not just the weather].
Photo Credits: Header Image-@skolshotzphotography, Image 1-@jmevorah, Image 2-@ka_preston, Image 3-@nsandler
