To the Bottom of the Earth

Last weekend (before the work retreat and the Palestinian fashion show) we embarked upon a journey to the bottom of the Earth!  We didn't go alone, we took our friends with us :)

On Friday night we packed up our backpacks with all of the essential camping gear (tent, sleep bags, water purifier, headlamps) and the lightest food possible (couscous, granola, peppers, and lots and lots of water).  I consider these trips to be like a workout boot camp - we hike up, we climb down, we carry 30lb bags, then we eat just veggies and whole grains, and not very much of them because they are too heavy to carry all that way.  Is the best weight loss plan I can think of because you really have to choose between the chocolate bar and a clean pair of underwear.

We parked our car on the side of the road in the middle of the desert and headed up the first hill (pictured above) and got our first view of the Dead Sea, our destination just 6.2 miles away...on the other side of the desert.  I'll admit that I have a slight fear of heights and the first climb down took me much longer than the rest of the group. 

The area around the Dead Sea is...well...dead.  We only saw a few flowers (which smelled great!) and one or two small green oasises where water once collected.  It was beautiful to go up and down and in between massive rocks and cliffs, noticing the change in the color or the shape as we went along. 



Waterfall below. This is where the two trails "cross."



Israelis are really into hiking (but not camping) so they have books and webpages devoted to marking trails.  These are mostly in Hebrew so they are useless to us.  But there is one good site in English.  The trail guides generally haven't been updated in a few years so the first "waterfall" was dry this time and last time the "river" was really a dried up rock bed.  There are also cultural differences such as the time when "family friendly" included a 10 foot climb up a rock face.  For the most part this guide was good - but the trail itself was like walking through the desert...it was walking through the desert.  Every step gave you more and more desert. This trail guide said at a certain point two paths crossed.  My plan was to take the easy path and avoid the "400 meter steep slope down" which would be "difficult."  Well, the paths crossed, but we were at least 20 stories above the easy path with no other way down than the "steep slope." 

I was a little slow and shaky, but when we finally reached the bottom we found the waterfall and stream with plenty of time to set up camp, collect fire wood and start on a delicious dinner.  In the morning we followed the stream to the Dead Sea.  Our friends headed back to Tel Aviv and Paul and I headed to the beach for our first dip in the Dead Sea (more on this later).  After a swim we showered off and as the sun was setting we headed North in search of another camp site.  Though I usually plan FAR in advance, I had no clue where we were going (hopefully not too far or it would be dark and we would end up in the West Bank).  "What was that? Is that a trail?  Will you see if I can pull the car off the road there?" 

We pulled a U-ey and carefully exited the road onto the sandy/rocky ground.  As soon as our car was a safe distance from the traffic we grabbed our gear, threw on our head lamps and headed up the mountain/cliff.  The sign at the trail head said "no diving" so we figured there must be water - which would mean life and thus firewood....and hopefully some flat ground so we didn't sleep on pointy rocks! 

On the way up we saw our first Ibex!  Actually our first three!  The family was very suspicious of us and we didn't have time to grab the camera, the sun was setting and we had no clue where we were going or what we would find on top.  Lucky for us, when we hit the plateau there it was:  a beautiful green oasis with one live tree and one dead tree!  The ground was comparably soft with no rocks and best of all - we had an amazing view of the sunrise in the morning!  We got sooo lucky! We had enough firewood for 4 hours, there were no lights around so we could see the most beautiful starry night, and because it was the desert we didn't have to worry about wild boars or vultures.  The downside to this camping spot was that - as a green oasis it is the feeding ground for the Ibex....and the ibex....use the restroom where ever they are.  Long story short:  we smelled pretty ripe in the morning when we arrived at our work retreat!



Sunrise Over the Dead Sea - from our tent.



Like the Desert Missed the Rain...

There is a great 80s song that goes "And I miss you...like the desert missed the rain.."  If this were a late night radio show with Dalila..I would dedicate that song to all of you, because now, living in the desert, I know what the singer was talking about.

When we first arrived in Tel Aviv the big park/circle near our house wasn't lush and green - but there was some...grass (eh hmm...prickly weeds).  Sitting on our balcony, looking into the distance, it was almost charming.

Then came the hot dry summer.  In Israel I would say we have experienced 2 seasons thus far:  summer and hot dry summer. The hot dry summer fried whatever resemblence of grass there as.  The ground became dry as a rock, dust filled the air, and water plants twice a day wasn't enough to keep them alive.  Our world turned brown (with a touch of hot Med. salt water in the background).  You didn't want to be outside for it was rediculiously hot.  You didn't want to be in the park because it was brown and dusty.  The Med. was hot and full of jelly-fish.  The garden crumbled. Everything felt dead.  The life had drained out and the remnants of the "environment" were covered in a reddish gray dust. 

You see, in the desert, rain is what brings life. This is true elsewhere, but I didn't fully understand it until now.  Without the rain our world is like a shriveled up, dried out, flavorless bread crumb. I don't think I can quite explain to you the dry hopelessness of it all.  All you can think about is how dry and dead the world looks, and how much you want rain.  Rain becomes the solution to all of your problems.  My garden is shriveled up - if only there was rain.  It is so hot! - if only there was rain.  My car is dirty - if only there was rain!

This thinking is all compounded by reading an agricultural book in which the author speaks of the smell of rain, the nutrients in the moist soil, and the bountiful and healthy fruit that grows as a result of good soil and rain.  And then there is that dusty park in front of our house.  I don't think anything could grow from that land...it is so dry and hard and...dead.  (You see - it looks pretty hopeless.)

And a little rain doesn't really help.  For example, you may have seen that it "rained" here last week.  Yes - literally for 2 minutes.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked out the window.  Again on Sunday it rained and some poeple outside were even cheering.  But because the ground was so dry and dead the rain washed away and it really didn't quench the thirst.

That is how much we miss you all.  Like the desert missed the rain.  We are entering the "rainy season" now when it should rain about twice a week for about 2-5 minutes at a time. By January, that should be enough rain to bring back our stiff weedy grass.  And by January - we should see life return, even if in the form of stiff weedy...grass. 

Poetically like the rainy season - we are about to enter our friends and family season!  As I was explaining to my mom...the next two weeks include book clubs and cupcake making while Paul is in Bangkok. Once he returns we plan our big Thanksgiving dinner, and then a big Christmas cocktail party! (See...now it is sprinkling). AND THEN...we will pack our bags and fly to the States!  Unfortunately we won't be able to see everyone we want to see - but it will be a joyous, busy trip and we can't wait!!!