From Ein Gedi to Masada to the Dead Sea

Justin Taras and Ari Allen

We arrived at Ein Gedi after a long day of strenuous activity. Ein Gedi is a Kibbutz/Hostel in the Judian desert that overlooks a landscape of both the country of Jordan and the Dead Sea. After a much needed shower, we went to the dining hall to a delicious meal.

Upon leaving the dining room, the group was gifted with a beautiful site; a full moon illuminated the Dead Sea, creating a murky and pervasive haze that emanated through the majestic mountains. Following this, we proceeded to the activity room for some group fun. Not only did a massage circle happen, but an intense game of rock, paper, scissors broke out. After some laughs, we were free to roam the Kibbutz and take in the scenery with some much needed downtime.

The next morning, we had a compelling reason to wake up: coffee cake and babka. It made hitting the snooze on our 3:00 alarms a little less tempting. Hiking up the snake path under a full moon, which flooded every ancient crevice filled any void in our motivation. Some of us were ascending in groups, listening to Miley's "The Climb" while others chose a more solitary and peaceful journey.

Upon entering the gate at the top of Masada, we were greeted by a full and properly yellow setting moon, making the ruinous crest of the mountain appear more martian than earthly. I guess "of this world" would seem banal considering the role this mountain has played throughout time for our people. After the challenging hike, we were fortunate enough to travel to the "lowest place in the earth", the Dead Sea. Known for it's ability to make you float, we took advantage of this unique opportunity to not only float, but to rub it's famous mud on our bodies with dreams of soft skin and intriguing photo ops. With a day spa adjacent to it, the entire Dead Sea experience became one of both uniqueness and relaxation. We still have a day and a half's worth of activities left, and it's coming to an end quicker than anybody expected.

Over the next 48 hours, we should appreciate the time we have left with one another, cherish those connections that have been made, as well as reflect on what we've accomplished these 10 days.

Stay Classy Everyone!

Photos credit: @gfrankfurter (header), @daliterman

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Masada

Dead sea

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From Ein Gedi to Masada to the Dead Sea

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