Deserted in the Desert with a little Dessert

Dear Someone, 

I feel the need to show you all one of the driest places of this world. You may think you live in a desert if you are from Utah, I did too at one point but comparing my backyard to the deserts I have seen here has been quite the eye opener. Welcome to the Negav desert my friends.... 

Exciting right? For my brother's peace of mind I can assure him that both the Israelites and I "stayed thirsty" as we wandered in this wilderness. I am really glad I didn't have to wander here for 40 years. Be good or you might have to too. 

This is Beersheba... I think. They all start to mix together! Well lets assume that it is and this is where Abraham and Isaac lived here. Isaac saw God here! 

This is the Wilderness of Zin. Once we got there our teachers looked at us and said okay now we are going to hike up it! It was not a joke. This picture is what I took after climbing up the whole left side of the picture. It was literally a path cut out of the mountain including ladders and stairs. I did it but I complained about it. It was worth it once I got to the top. It was an amazing view.

Me and Pam on the trek up the mountain taking a breather in as cave. It was hot. My face is as red as a Hot Tamale. 

We felt really cool when we were done. Lucky for us the buses were waiting for us at the top or I don't think I would have been smiling. 

This is where the dessert in the desert part comes in! I have never ever ever been more excited to see those beautiful golden arches before. Why they decided to build one in the Negav, I don't know. I got a milkshake and I was much happier. 

This was a completely different field trip. Can you see how I get them all mixed up. It is a lot of brown. Can you see the monastery carved into the mountain? We were wondering how they get food and water in there. 

This is me and Heather at Herod's winter palace. This was cool although there isn't much that remains Herod lived here and probably killed his wife here. It would have been quite the sight in his day! 

JERICO! This was cool. We read Joshua 6 and marched around like we were going to make the walls fall down. The rest of Jerico doesn't have this much shade. 

This is the oldest tower in the world! okay, okay, that is what it claims but I bet you can't really rebuttal that! Next time I play a getting to know you game the fact I will use about my life is going to be that I have seen the oldest tower in the world. 

The faithful Boston Red Sox fans, even in Jerico. This is Robin. She is actually from Massachusetts so she is slightly more legitimate than me but I proved that I was a true fan. 

Our last stop of this day was at a tiny little oasis. This is mentioned in the scriptures because it literally just comes up from the ground in the middle of the desert! It was amazing. It is called Elijah's Spring. 

I hope you enjoyed this tour of the deserts in Israel. The wilderness of Zin and the Negav are wonderful places. I'm really glad I don't have to live there. Such cool things happened there. I am so lucky to have been able to visit. 

Love, 

Mary Jane