Update From Israel #Bus300

By Batya | December 31, 2014 | Comments Off on Update From Israel #Bus300

The group landed in Israel yesterday and after a long journey, all is well! Here is an update from the group’s staff, Julie, on their arrival in Israel:

“We have arrived!! After a long 10 hour journey, we finally made it to Israel. We were so excited to meet Yariv, our tour guide, Gil, our medic, and David, our bus driver. After exchanging money and getting our phones, we took an hour bus ride to Netanya, had dinner, and now we are resting up for a fun trip ahead of us!”

Today, the group had an exciting first day in Israel touring Tel Aviv! The group began by visiting Rabin Square, Tel Aviv’s city square and memorial to former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who was assassinated in 1995. They also visited Independence Hall to learn about the creation of the modern State of Israel. These sites are important in understanding the history modern Israel. Then, the group headed to Jaffa to explore the beautiful, old seaport and artist colony. In the afternoon, the group also had free time in Tel Aviv to shop on the famous Shenkin Street and in the shuk, or outdoors market. At the end of the day, the group left Tel Aviv and drove south into the Israeli desert, or Negev. They will go to bed early tonight to prepare for a big day ahead of them tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow, the group will take on the Israeli desert. They will wake close to 4am to hike up the great Masada to see an incredible sunrise over the Israeli desert. After learning about the amazing history of Masada at the top, the group will climb down and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the bottom. Next, they will travel to Ein Gedi where they will walk the Nahal David path to a beautiful desert oasis. Then, they’ll make their way to Ein Bokek Beach for a float in the Dead Sea. At the end of an exciting day, they will drive to the Bedouin tents to spend the night in Bedouin hospitality. They’ll eat a delicious, authentic Bedouin style dinner, followed by free time to relax around a campfire.

The rest of the week will offer more desert fun for the group. They will ride camels, go on challenging desert hikes, and see some incredible views. On Friday, the will leave the desert and had to Jerusalem to begin their weekend.  

There is much more in store for the group as they prepare for more hiking, swimming, sight-seeing, and camping over the next few days. They will visit the diverse cities of Jerusalem, Ashkelon, Tzfat, and the Golan Heights!

Posted in Winter 2014-15 Updates