Update from Israel #Bus37

Thank you to the group leaders of Israel Outdoors Bus 37 for sharing this update from Israel!

Hello! We are having a great trip! It has been very cold and mostly rainy so our group has lovingly named ourselves “Israel Indoors”. Truthfully, the weather has not kept us down at all.

Earlier this week, we explored northern Israel and stayed on a kibbutz. While there, we visited a view point to see Israel’s northern bordering countries covered in snow and then went to an amazing olive oil press. After that, we drove to the south and experienced rain in the desert! We hiked to the top of Masada and were the only people up there! Very cool. After that, everyone was able to float in the Dead Sea and then warm up in an indoor hot spring nearby. That night we slept in a Bedouin tent and then everyone rode camels the next day!

This whole time the American and Israeli participants have all grown very close, like family. Everyone has been getting along great! Now we are in Jerusalem and have visited Yad Vashem and Mt. Herzl, which were both very emotional and moving experiences for everyone. Unfortunately had to say goodbye to our Israeli peers but everyone promised to keep in touch. We then took a beautiful hike near Jerusalem and crawled through a cave in the side of a mountain where a natural spring flows. We can’t believe the trip is almost over!

-Jacqueline (North American staff member)