When in the Negev...

When American tour groups come to visit Israel, there are a set list of mandatory activities that need to be done in order for it to be considered a legitimate trip. (Note: this list may vary depending on the length of time spent in Israel.)

As the tour bus heads south from Jerusalem, the group gears up for a "taste of the Negev". This means a stop at a Bedouin tourist tent for dinner and perhaps a camel ride if you're lucky, a hike in Ein Gedi or another random wadi in the desert, and a quick stop at the Dead Sea.

And yet, no matter how many times I've done all these things, I still have fun with them. Wednesday night my entire Year Course section went to Kfar Nokdim (one of those touristy Bedouin places I was talking about). A guy dressed in a costume talked to us about Bedouin customs and history as we say on cushions being served coffee and tea by some other employees in costume. From there we had a wonderful traditional Bedouin meal of rice and lamb and pitot and salad. (Less traditional were the plastic cups and forks that were brought out with the food but it's always important to accomodate your clientele.) Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to put down the evening, it was very enjoyable with good food and good conversation. I just felt out of sorts, since I am now living in Israel and participating in the day to day activities of Israelis and here I was at one of the biggest tourist hot spots in the country.

Today's siyur was even more fun than last night though it had a similar touristy feel. In the morning we went on a 3 hour hike in the desert, climbing up a cliff, walking along the ridge and then walking back down through the canyon below. I love hiking in the desert. Last summer when I was on Young Judaea's Israel summer program, Machon, I went on a 4 day hiking trek in the desert that was by far the highlight of my summer. The views are always breathtaking and the terrain keeps you on your toes and always interested. I have always found it extremely amusing when the bus drops you off in what seems to be middle-of-nowhere desert and then all of a sudden you see a random metal ladder scaling the length of a cliff. You can't help but wonder who in the Israeli government got the luck of landing the job of deciding where the ladder or rope or stair would go in the seemingly endless expanse of desert. Enough of my random musings....

This was definitely one of my favorites out of all the hikes in the Negev I've ever been on. It wasn't particularly strenuous but it was an adventure with a fun mixture of rock climbing, metal ladders, ropes to scale up slopes, snaking curves at the base of the canyon and vast expanses of rocks on the ridge. The weather also cooperated. Winter is definitely the time to hike in the desert. With the combination of cool air in the shade and in the canyon and the heat from the sun when at the top of the cliff it was all around a very pleasant experience.

After the hike we drove to the Dead Sea where those without excessive cuts and bruises went into the water. My friends and I, already well aware of the pain all the salts and minerals can inflict on skin as battered as ours, opted for the mini mall with all the spa stores. Very fun walking through an entire mall of stores like Ahava and trying all the samples.

Though I felt more like a tourist in the last 24 hours than at any other point since I've been here I'm still so happy I got to do all those "cliche" touristy things again.