Days 5 & 6 by everyone!

Here are some of the exciting things we did on days 5 and 6:

Yad Vashem
Har Herzl
Sde Boker in the Negev Desert
Ben Gurion's grave at Sde Boker
Hike at Ein Ovdat
Arad and Mitzpe Moav
Camel riding
Bedouin experience at Kfar Nokdim

 Yad Vashem gave us a different way of looking at the Holocaust. It was more personal and more about the individuals rather than numbers. It was a very moving experience. The architecture was very symbolic. The Children's Memorial was simple and made a huge impact. The Hall of Names really put faces and names to the numbers and gave you chills.

Har Herzl is the IDF cemetery. Compared to cemeteries in Calgary it was very beautiful and celebrated the lives of the heroic and inspirational soldiers. The graves were shaped like beds but each reflected the lives and personalities of the soldiers buried there. We heard some individual stories that really personalized the experience.  So many of the soldiers were so young when they died.

Sde Boker is a kibbutz and field school in the Negev. This is where David Ben Gurion lived the last years of his life. One of his dreams was to populate the desert and make it bloom. While we were there we visited Ben Gurion 's grave that overlooks the Negev. It was interesting to see how Ben Gurion felt so passionate about the desert.

Ein Ovdat is a hike in the Negev that leads to a beautiful spring. The landscape was incredible and breathtaking. We were in awe. It was totally different than anything we had ever seen. Part of the hike involved going up some steps carved into the mountain by Byzantine monks over one thousand years ago. The monks used to live in caves there and we were able to go into one of the caves.  When we got to the very top the view was wicked-sick!

Arad and Mitzpe Moav. Mitzpe Moav is located outside of Arad near the Dead Sea and provided us with a stunning overview of the Judean Desert. There is a bizarre white sculpture at the lookout. We sat in complete silence for a few minutes (not easy for us to do) and listened to the silence of the desert.

Camel riding and the Bedouin Experience!  We arrived at Kfar Hanokdim in the Judean Desert and our camels were ready for us. Camels smell very badly!  They were bumpy and uncomfortable to ride
but an exciting experience. We then moved into our tent and went for Bedouin Hospitality. We drank
delicious tea and learned about Bedouin culture. The Bedouin man who talked to us had 23 kids!  Our dinner was really delicious. It was served on a large platter that everyone ate from. After dinner we played some games in the tent and then went star-gazing in the desert. After a bonfire sing-a-long it was time for bed.