Bus 937 Camps with the Bedoins

Moving on from Jerusalem, Bus 937 made a journey into the desert.  The topography of such a landscape is a complete transformation from the city life of Jerusalem.  With stark vegetation, and complete sand cover, the desert is miserably hot during the day; yet cool as a cucumber in the evening.  Our first stop of the day was at the gravesite of David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister.  The fact that he was buried in the desert is no mistake, for he was the pioneer for development of such a landscape; it becomes clear as to why he chose that specific location, the scenery is out of this world; a desert paradise.

            Next on our agenda, was a hike through the Nahal Havarim Wadi.  The scenery here was spectacular, and the hike was challenging, yet worthwhile.  On the way up, we were able to stop in a cave, which happened to smell like ancient butt.  Once we finally made it to the top, we headed to the Bedouin settlement that would be our accommodations for the evening.  Upon arriving, we were met with a camel ride.  After our mini tour of the desert, we enjoyed a delicious Bedouin dinner, authentically eaten on the floor with a platter shared among your friends.  Lastly, we partook in a sentimental evening activity, in which we walked as a group in silence into the desert.  It was strange to think about the fact that our forefather, Abraham, had once been in these parts of our Jewish homeland when G-d spoke to him.  We were then given a chance to be on our own and have some personal time to connect with Hashem; this was very special.  After this enchanting evening activity, we were then prompted to go to sleep whenever we pleased, in a large tent that was split into three sections, one for each bus.  It was sababa beans to be able to share this large sleeping area with everyone on our trip, even though the mattresses and sleeping bags had been used in the past.  Overall this day was a day that most people will never be able to experience in their lifetimes, and I am truly grateful I was able to partake in such customs.

-Mallory Soffin