I'm on a Boat
Wednesday marked the last day of classes at the Technion, and what better way to celebrate than on a boat leaving from Haifa Port. The view of Haifa from the water was beautiful, unfortunately we saw little as technical difficulties prevented us from leaving the dock (more disappointing than Boos Cruise). The DJ remixed familiar tunes and the bartenders served vodka generously from a bottle with a squirt nozzle (the ones that dispense the same amount each time you push on the nozzle, like for hand sanitizer)
White Night
The arts came to Tel Aviv this Thursday for White Night. It was a music celebration found in different pockets around town. In the main square, you found people with headphones; they were all tuned to the same station so they all listened and danced to the same beat. The reasoning behind this was to encourage the shared enjoyment of music in an environment where others could still converse freely. It was amusing to watch people sing along.
In other pockets of town, we found drumming sessions, and local bands, and artists doing covers (and a man dressed as a jellyfish...) The streets were lively with people watching the Eurocup, enjoying food at different establishments, and of course the free music. Art galleries were also supposed to be open, but we only came across one. There were wild parties and swing dance sessions along the beach. The festivities went on all night, but our crew turned in early to catch the early bus to Ein Gedi.
Ein Gedi: Desert Oasis and Waterfalls
We caught the early bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I have never fought so hard to get on a bus in my life. Everyone was up against one another as the horde of people struggled to fit through the narrow bus door. After securing a seat, we all fell asleep. We made a transfer at Jerusalem, and headed towards the desert.
First stop was Ein Gedi, the desert oasis. We hiked up the beautiful trails to see David's Waterfall. It was no Victoria Falls, but it was amazing to see such lush greenness and flowing water in the desert. Wading in the water was relaxing and cooling in the heat. Once we hit the top, we turned off the falls trails, and headed towards the Ein Gedi Oasis. This involved hiking in the beating sun up the side of the mountain. We came across a small patch of green with a small pool (more like puddle) and took a break. Hikers that arrived shortly after informed us that we had arrived at the Ein Gedi Oasis. Considering that Ein Gedi is a large bottled water company, I was underwhelmed by the oasis, but it was beautiful nonetheless. We continued hiking through the desert to get to the Ein Gedi Kibbutz. This kibbutz dispelled the image in my mind that kibbutzes were solely agricultural communes. This particular kibbutz housed a beautiful botanical garden and a hotel and spa. We enjoyed a fine lunch there before taking a sherut to Masada.
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| View atop Ein Gedi |
Masada
Needless to say, it's difficult to get around the desert without a car. On Shabbat, it's near impossible, so we relaxed at the Masada Guest House, which have been our most comfortable accommodations by far. We ate like kings at the "all you can eat" dinner, and rested early in preparation for our hikes up the mountain. The 4am wake-up call was not the most pleasant start to the day, but it was necessary to hike up the mountain in time to catch the sunrise. The hike was grueling, with a lot of steps and loose rocks, but at least the sun was not beating down on us. Once at the top, I situated myself on a wall on the Eastern side and waited for the sun to rise. The sun rising over the Dead Sea and salt dunes was a magnificent sight and slowly lit up our surroundings, helping us appreciate the Snake Trail, which we had just hiked up.
But there was more to see atop Masada, for on this rocky plateau, there had once been a palace and fort. It was fortified by Herod the Great as a refuge in case of a revolt. It was overtaken by Jewish rebels and the myth is that when the Roman army came to lay siege, Masada's some 900 inhabitants committed mass suicide. Now it is a World Heritage Sight.
Walking around, you can only see the ruins, but you can imagine the splendor of the palaces and bath houses and churches. Walking to the North Face, turning the bend into the palace, you are dazzled by the view of the sun streaming in and the vast expanse of desert on the horizon.
We returned from Masada in time to be the first patrons at breakfast. We enjoyed a traditional Israeli breakfast of colorful salads, fruits, yogurts, and cereal.
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| Sunrise atop Masada |
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea welcomes you with warning signs. Do not drink the water, do not dunk your head, do not swim for more than 15 minutes. Sounds like unnecessary warnings, but you come to understand why.
The shore is rocky and covered in salt deposits. You can even pick up hot salt rocks. Walk into the water and sit back is the proper way to get your float on. It is quite amazing how much more buoyant you are. Floating is effortless, in fact, more effort was used trying to settle lower. Water in your mouth is a terrible experience; the taste and sensation of the extreme saline solution is unbearable. Even worse is water in your eyes, which stings and temporarily blinds you. This in conjunction with the 41+ temperature probably justified all the warnings.
Getting back
After our wonderful desert adventures came the biggest adventure yet. Sheruts do not run in the desert on Shabbat, so an expensive taxi was becoming an attractive option to get back. But hitchhiking is a cheaper and viable option. We situated ourselves at the bus stop next to two fellow hitchhikers. As they were there first, we did not compete with them for rides. We waited patiently, and found out that they had been there for a couple of hours. They eventually landed rides, so Esme and I were next up. We were down on luck for a while, but the situation got worse when a crew of 6 boys situated themselves 20 feet in front of us and started hitchhiking as well. We got sympathetic waves from people in cars, but the sketchier looking boys were ruining our chances as people were unwilling to stop. We eventually landed a ride to Tel Aviv, so the girls headed off. The boys have their own crazy hitchhiking stories because they had to go back to get Kenny's cellphone at the Hostel (long story), but that's their tale to tell.
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