After a relaxing and refreshing chofesh which included
Shavuot, the MSLP gang got back together for a couple of days of hiking by the
Dead Sea.
Our first destination was Ein Gedi. We walked along the
beautiful trail next to the Ein Gedi kibbutz, and marvelled at the magnificent
scenery as it opened up before us along the way. We also made a few stops at
the lovely little pools of water to cool off from the very harsh heat. As we
were leaving, we saw a whole flock of ibex climbing and jumping all over the
cliff faces. This was truly a wonder to behold.
On our way to our accommodation for the evening, we made a
stop at the Dead Sea for a quick float; we just forgot to bring our newspapers!
Finally, we came to the hostel, where we were met with the welcome relief of
air conditioning.
Early in the morning, around 4am, we all rose to begin our
climb up Masada in order to view sunrise from the top. The climb was hot and
exhausting but well worth it as we saw the sun slowly ascend over the Jordanian
mountains to begin a new day. After the sun had risen, we had a tour of Masada,
and brought it alive with different people dressing up as characters from the
tales and telling us the story through their eyes.
Eventually, we walked back down the snake path to a
wholesome breakfast back at the hostel. We then journeyed on to our second walk
of the day, Nachal Og. This was a walk with a difference, as along the way one
had to scale up the mountains using grapple hooks inbuilt into the side of the
cliff. This was certainly a lot of fun, except for when we got stuck behind a
group of school kids who took a little longer than we would have liked…
Finally, we returned to Jerusalem where we attended a MASA event with a few thousand others. We were treated to an incredible performance by the VOCA people, a group that performs a Capella in a very unique style.
We had a great time during these two days and now are in the midst of a Magen David Adom (Israel Red Cross) training course in Jerusalem. It is very interesting and we are all learning a thing or two that will surely come in handy someday.
Regards from Israel!
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