Wednesday 9th July: MASADA

An early morning for Tribe Tour but it was well worth it! This morning we woke at 4.00am (a challenge in itself!) to climb the Roman ramp at Masada in time to see the spectacular sunrise! The hard walk justified itself when we reached the top and witnessed the beautiful views at dawn.

At the top of Masada the group learnt about the Jewish people's last struggle with the Romans at this site and we discussed their decision to martyr themselves, rather than fall at the hands of their enemies. It’s obviously a very contentious issue and it raised interesting points of debate. We also got to see the remains of the oldest synagogue in Israel, built on the Masada plain.

Having hiked our way to the top, we were able to rest our feet on the way down and take in the views from the cable car down.

The group then set off for yet another hike, this time at Ein Bokek, to see the springs and to cool down a little in the shade. The day continued at a slightly slower pace travelling to the Dead Sea, to float in one of the most special places on earth and relax a little. This was followed by camel rides and the Bedoin desert experience, where the group sipped on sweet tea and learnt about the history and culture of the Bedoins.

The day ended with a bonfire and the group slept at Chan Hashayarot.

Abbie Bull: "Praying at the top of Masada was very Spiritual, I felt connected to G-d! The water hike really connected us to nature and i made lots of new friends. My camel is Gabi (Gil plus Abi). We are having lots of fun."

Gil Lazarus: "Masada was great and the hike up was fantastic - i got to the top in ten mins!! I was really looking forward to the Dead Sea and really enjoyed floating."