Although a bit tired ;) everyone was up at 4:00 a.m. and ready to drive to Masada by 4:30. We walked up the Roman Ramp and everyone made it up in less than 15 minutes. It was a bit hazy so we actually had trouble seeing the sun rise until it got over the haze. We had a chance to pray in the ancient synagogue on top of Masada and to learn from our very theatrical and interesting guide, the different stories and deeper meaning of Masada. Most of the students climbed down the challenging and famous Snake Path to the bottom of Masada, though some of us opted for the cable car. From there we drove to a beautiful oasis in the desert called Ein Gedi and after a short hike cooled off under a fresh waterfall.
After a good lunch we went swimming in the Dead Sea! Most of the students really loved this, though a few found that the incredibly salty water made every cut or irritation burn. Mr. Chestnut, Morah Greenblatt, Norma, Warren and Dr. Stephens especially enjoyed floating in the Dead Sea! After that we drove all of the way down to Eilat (stopping for an ice cream and Israeli chocolate milk treat) and checked into our hotel. After dinner, believe it or not, we still had some energy and we went out to walk around the "boardwalk" area of Eilat for a fun hour.
An incredibly busy, strenuous and fun day with awesome kids! Tomorrow we get to sleep in till 8:00 :)
It sounds like everyone is having a blast. We were glad to read the full updates and we appreciate the pictures - they're great. Below are comments from the students:
ReplyDeleteMax misses his big brother. We all miss you. Nice pictures. Have you made any friends with the students from the school from Buffalo? We would like to hear more about the food. What have you been eating? We can't wait to hear all about it when you return.
Hi this is Korrine, I hope everyone is having a blast and can't wait to hear more when everyone gets home. Have a wonderful time and please post some more!
ReplyDelete