Hello SU Birthright followers! It is us, Jacquelyn Sparks and Jackie Grossman! We are currently sitting on a bench in a Bedouin village watching the hot Negev Desert sun set behind the dinner tent. After our intense hike, which Becca talked about in the pervious post, we took an hour bus ride (which we spent singing songs and telling stories on open mike) to our Bedouin village where we will be spending the night. We got off the bus and immediately walked to put our things down and set up our "beds," which are in reality merely padded mats and dusty sleeping bags. At first, we did not believe that the tent would fit all of us, but to our surprise it did and we are literally sleeping on top of each other. On the plus side, we cannot take showers. There׳s nothing like Birthright bonding!
Next, we were ushered to a brief safety orientation about the camels we were about to ride. We had the privledge of riding a camel together (aka the Jackie camel). How do we describe getting on and off a camel? We guess the closest thing would be hydrolics. The ride itself, through a portion of the Negev, was also a journey...let's just say it felt like we had taken an advanced spin class! Despite our slight chaffing, we think we can speak for everyone when we say it was one of the coolest experiences we have had thus far in Israel. We mean, when are we ever going to get the chance to ever to that again? Certaintly not at the Syracuse zoo!
Before our delicious meal, we had some time to kill and spent it mingling with the various other Birthright groups who are also sleeping at the village tonight. We met kids from all over the country--UPenn, Tulane, Indiana, BU, USC, and Rutgers--and in one way or another, found some sort of connection within each group. Jewish geography at its finest!
Finally, it was time for dinner. Honestly, we didn't quite know what to expect...sitting on the ground in a giant tent did not seem ideal for a group of over one hundred people! Little did we know this would be the best meal thus far. A giant platter of yellow rice with chicken and tomatoes, cucumber salad, pita, hummus, tahini, an assortment of olives, and potato were all parts of this incredible meal. We stuffed our faces and asked for seconds like the traditional college Americans we are!
Alright, looks like break time is over! We have to put on layers for a night walk through the Negev. The cool breeze feels great after a full day of shvitzing. We are looking forward to the rest of our trip! Until next time...
--Jacquelyn Sparks and Jackie Grossman
No comments:
Post a Comment