If you've ever wondered what it's like to wake up at 7am to Cat Stevens' voice playing over and over again in a Bedouin tent, birthright is the trip for you. This morning we packed up early and departed from the Taglit Bedouin Camp and made our way to The Negev for a desert hike. Throughout the adventure we encountered adorable yet feisty ibexes making their way up the mountains, while taking more pictures than anyone would realistically need. Towards the end, our tour leader Irad led us in a desert group meditation. Everyone spread out throughout the desert - some were on mountain tops, some layed within the rocks, some were flat on the sand, maybe even on an ant hill - and sat in serene silence for six minutes. These six minutes felt like hours and created a strong sense of connection to our biblical roots along with a feeling of unity within our Tribe.
Piling out of the bus, we made our way to David Ben Gurion's grave, which overlooked much of the Negev we had just explored. After Irad broke down every tedious detail of Ben Gurion's life, we opened our eyes to the nutritious nature of Ibex poop, which Israeli soldiers are trained to eat in dire desert situations. Following the viewing of the tomb and the overlook of the Negev, we continued along the path to the bus when Irad stumbled upon what was described to be Ibex POOP. Two members of Bus 74 volunteered as tributes to courageously taste test the poop. The crowd went wild as they lowered the poop pellets into their mouths and discovered the pellets were reimiscent of cereal. Turns out Irad is quite the comical mastermind! Ha!
After some members ate "poop," they decided we should have real, fresh food from The Salad Trail, a sustainable farm community in the western region of the Negev. At this farm, we fulfilled our childhood dreams of being Bugs Bunny by picking carrots straight from the ground and eating them. We were also taught about the cultivation process of various fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. It was LEGIT. Early Israeli settlers came to this region of the desert and communicated by carrier pigeon to convey when they were in danger. By the end of the tour, a handful of adventurers from Bus 74 were chosen to temporarily house and release these majestic creatures. Though ordinary pigeons can be found in abundance on the streets of Manhattan, these were far more than our inferior American pigeons due to the ingrained ability to always find home.
Shortly after this spiritual experience, it was time to say farewell to the Israeli soldiers who had become such an integral part of Bus 74. The entire group joined hands in a circular formation and proceeded to "cinnamon roll," the most efficient method of group hugging. Rachel then led us in the intitiation ritual of officially becoming "Achim" (brothers/family) with one another, an eternal bond to never be broken. There were some tears shed, and some hearts broken, but it was not so much a goodbye as a sea jew later.
Later that night, Bus 74 took to the streets of Tel Aviv for dancing and heavy camaraderie. No alcohol was consumed in the formation of said friendships.
In the immortal words of Tani, "Wooooooooowwwwww"
Writing from the bar, your friendly, neighborhood, non-contagious,
SARs
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