Amber Morgan: Adventure

Hello again world. I was unable to write for a few days because apparently, internet is hard to come by in the desert. Yes, I spent the last few days in the wilderness of the Bible. I always envisioned thick shrubs or perhaps a jungle. Yet the natural world here is unlike any other place imaginable.

Our adventure began with a visit to Ein Gedi, an ancient spring used by King David long ago. We read the passage about David and his men sitting in the back of a cave that King Saul entered when David was fleeing for his life as we looked up at the caves all around us in that same region. The springs were beautiful. The water was fresh and pure and the rocks framed the sky, with a view of the Dead Sea close behind. It was a utopia, a glimpse at an unpolluted world of natural, exhilarating beauty. I didn't want to leave and I am looking forward to when I can return.

Also, we visited the Qumran community. Yes, I saw the cave where the first Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Yes, I am very excited about that and realize it is nerdy.

A few hours later, at least it seemed, we arose at 4 am for a sunrise hike of Massada. Pro: hiking in the early morning hours means no blaring sun in the desert heat. Con: it was 4 am.

It was difficult, but it was a good time. No one died. I of course reached that semi-nauseous stage, which I will do anything to avoid. Luckily I found myself hiking next to my friend Zac who was an army medic. I consulted him as if he was my personal physician. I reported my symptoms and demanded immediate advice and attention. Thanks to his help, I did not pass out at the top of that mountain. Amely also walked with me and didn't mind when I took water breaks. I am making this sound very dramatic, don't get me wrong, Massada is a huge rock jutting out from the desert floor. There's a reason Herod built his fortress on this choice spot. There's a reason it took the Romans months to have a ramp built up to the stronghold's walls. We did see the sunrise from a tower on top of the mountain, though I did not want to welcome another set of stairs.

The same day we received the Israeli spa treatment: rub thick black mud all over your body, let dry in sun, and wash it off as you float atop the Dead Sea. First, the Dead Sea does not look dead. I was slightly surprised. It doesn't smell, there are no rotting fish, its bright turquoise. Also, I enjoyed floating in the Dead Sea more than I thought I would. You could of course sit in the water. You can also lay on your stomach and swim almost on top of the water. If you go deep enough you can stand and jump like you're on a trampoline. Fantastic. After this we tried out the hot sulphur pool. Caution: hot means really hot in Israel. It wasn't just a jacuzzi temperature. I decided to tan instead after a few minutes in the pool.

Today was perhaps the biggest adventure of all. We drove across the Negev Desert climbing up I think 1500 feet from the depths of the Dead Sea. We passed Bedouin settlements of tin and cardboard among the sand dunes, with camels and sheep wandering in herds. Then we arrived in Sederot, a city in close proximity to the northern corner of the Gaza Strip. 3 km away to be exact. The city is so close the residents only have a 15 second warning when the siren goes off to seek shelter. This if course is true only if all conditions, such as weather and technology, are functioning at top performance. We saw schools with shrapnel damage and concrete reinforcements and bomb shelters as playground equipment and bus stations. Last Saturday two rockets hit nearby. We ascended a hill and looked across the highway below to see the outline of the buildings of Gaza. There is no fence to divide the are where we stood, just a dirt path. There was a zephyr in the sky to detect rocket firings along with two tall towers with sensors. It was an eerie, surreal feeling to be so close to a city ruled by a terrorist organization, that is exploiting its citizens, a place where rockets are fired at this normal community of families because of the radical ideologies triumphed by Hamas and all the other threats.

I am now, obviously, safe and sound in Tel Aviv. But there are families now on both sides of the divide who are wondering what tomorrow will bring. For the Gazans, there is the reality of being ruled by an organization that exists to exterminate another people group. For the Israelis, there is the reality of being the recipient of genocidal attempts from a neighboring area, during a time of ceasefire.