July 12, 1999 - You know those days when you just let go and fly a little bit? Today was one of those days. Without a doubt it was one of the best days of the trip (not to mention it was my birthday). We began the day with a wakeup at the butt-crack of dawn (5:30) in the middle of the desert under a light blue sky that seemed to swallow everything around us. Aside from the fact that the stupid dog from the store nearby decided to venture on over to my backpack in the middle of the night and eat my birthday cookies (along with the rest of my backpack) it was a great morning. After breakfast and services, all 100 of us split up into 3 groups, depending on what program you wanted to do. You had the choice of a 5 hour hike, a shorter hike, or a llama petting zoo. I went to the petting zoo, and our group deemed ourselves the "woosie group."
Kendra Goldstein

I fell asleep under the stars, slept with quite a few rocks under my back, woke up at 6 am, and it was wonderful. Somehow I managed to get a great night's sleep. After a long bus ride we arrived in Eilat, and boy was it hot (a newspaper said somewhere around 115 degrees Fahrenheit). We went snorkeling in the Red Sea, and were able to see some of the most amazing fish. They were all colored so brightly, and surrounded by vibrant blue water (the color I've seen only in pictures). I then went parasailing, which was awesome. It felt wonderful to be sitting in ropes high above the water and see the land of Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. They all seemed to fit together so well, as it should be in an ideal world. I couldn't see the conflicts or the fighting, or even the difference between them. That's the way it should be, and maybe one day it will be.
Meghan Quiat

I never planned to get up at 6:30 on my summer vacation - and never buy choice. Yet there I was, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes at 6:30. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. Yeah right, but I was getting up for a hike to go to a scenic overlook, a place where we would be able to see Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia at the same time, not to mention the Red Sea. While half the group slept, the other half started off on a 2 hour hike - sans breakfast I might add. All we had to eat were biscuits, a lot of biscuits, and some tea. Never the less, we hiked, enjoying the morning coolness and the slight breeze. The rest of the group would wake up at 8:00 and begin their day. But we were realizing why we had woken up so early. After hiking for about an hour, Gabi had us stop and form a single file line. Then we all closed our eyes, but put our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us, and slowly walked forward. We walked over a hill, and then we all turned to the right and opened our eye. The entire Red Sea and its bordering countries played out before us. Collectively we gasped. Then we had a morning service, hiked down and rejoined the group. Even on empty stomachs with a mostly down-hill hike, may of us ran down the hill, letting our momentum carry us. But an air-conditioned bus has never felt so good. We ate breakfast and we drove to the Dead Sea. The water was warm and green. It looked like a picturesque sea, but when we went in, it was one of the most bizarre experiences we had ever had. Because the water is so salty, whenever we lifted a leg, it automatically floated to the top. And when we couldn't stand anymore, we all floated without any effort. In fact, we could just stand in the water, our feet not touching the group, but our chests were out of the water. And while it was fun it started to sting all of our cuts and if some water splashed in our mouth, it stung our tongues and tasted awful. And some water even got in some people's eyes and they said that that was one of the most painful experiences that had ever happened to them. We washed off, dried, and then drove to a Bedouin village, where we rode camels and donkeys. It was fun, but donkeys have this amazing talent of being able to go to the bathroom while moving, including on the riders behind them. Needless to say, it detracted from some of the fun. Later we partook of the Bedouin hospitality. They served tea (which was amazing!) and coffee and dinner, which was the best food on the trip. We all fell asleep in two massive Bedouin sleeping tents. Tomorrow - Massada!!
David Schwartz