September 23, 2007

September 23, 2007

Ashley Eskelsen

The breakfast tasted blucky. This is a term I like to use in referring to food I eat when I'm not hungry, but I eat it anyway completely understanding that such food will later leave me feeling bloated and yucky. Why was this particular breakfast blucky? At a time when I would usually still be sound asleep, I awoke at four in the morning, and ate my usual breakfast at the Jerusalem Center at five o'clock. When my sleep schedule is different than I am acquainted, I usually have a loss of appetite. Nonetheless, I knew that I wouldn't be eating anything for a long time, and being hungry, and most likely tired on a bus is not a pleasant experience. I slowly chewed through my eggs with cucumbers and tomatoes knowing that this would most likely be the last time for over a week I would get to taste this simple pleasure. But how could I have the audacity to complain? I was going to be in Egypt for crying out loud in a little less than twenty-four hours!
Although Egypt isn't that far from Israel in comparison to the Western Hemisphere, still it is longer than one's normal jaunt for the day. That is why we separated the traveling into two separate days. At first we stopped by Ber Sheva (which means land of the seven wells, or a sacred oath in Hebrew). It is here that the prophet Abraham built the first well, and afterward many Israelites had come to consider this home. There we found a gigantic well, I mean HUGE well that held all the water for the entire community. Since most of this was underground, this entire city wasn't discovered, nor was it excavated, until the beginning of the 20th century. Here in some of my pictures you will see us climbing underneath the well in various tunnels the ancient peoples built to keep the water cool and fresh!

Additionally, after visiting Ber Sheva, we visited to the Wilderness of Zin. Biblically known as Kadesh Barnea, this is one of the seven deserts the children of Israel stopped in while wondering for forty years. Furthermore, the Wilderness of Zin has become popular in modern times because this is the notorious spot where David Ben Gurion (the first Prime Minister of Israel) built his house and was buried here. It was interesting to there because I had already been there prior this summer. However, I got a totally different perspective each time, and both times I was left more and more fascinated with the subject. One of the things that fascinated me most was that Ben-Gurion didn't have a huge mansion in this highly wilderness area. Rather, his house was very modest with quite a glorious library. I really thought that was amazing. Here you can behold a very powerful figure of state, and you would never guess it by his house, nor would you guess it by his surroundings. Yet this very man shaped Israel into the state that we presently behold. It really is the character that makes the man, not the material items that he possesses! After literally traipsing, gallivanting, and bounding through most of southern Israel, we visited a Kibbutz that is acclaimed all throughout Israel for its mouth-watering chocolate, delicious milk, and delectable ice-cream. I also stopped at this area during my stay last visit; however, I never really visited the Kibbutz in general. This time we got a grand tour of the entire Kibbutz. It was really amazing. Some thought of it was sort of a Utopic Society. Everyone did their share, and everyone split everything they earned to equal portions. Not one profession got paid more than another. It was a rather cozy atmosphere. The children had afterschool programs and a swimming pool to swim in everyday. The young single adults had housing made especially for them. And the older adults had regular classes such as; cooking and Tai Kwan Doe to learn throughout the week. It seemed so perfect. For many, if not most, I'm sure it really is. However, for some reason, I don't think I would like it. I think I'm just too competitive and I would get way too bored of my surroundings if I stayed there for more than a year! I believe for the most part, though, that a majority of the people living there LOVE to be members of that community. It just wasn't something that Ashley Marie Eskelsen would enjoy. I suppose maybe it is partly because I have too much ADD or ADHD or something. I know I would get way too bored and would need more adventure if I lived there!

After staying at the Kibbutz we traveled to the southernmost portion of Israel known as Eilot. This portion of Israel is infamous throughout all of Israel for being the Las Vegas of the Middle East. "What goes on in Eilot, stays in Eilot" kinda like it does in Vegas.:) It is for this reason that I got two very different experiences while staying there. When I came there this summer we had the opportunity to stay on a house-boat. As you may have guessed, many of my friends had gotten drunk. There was none of that in my group this time. It's interesting to note how very different an experience is when everybody is coherent. I enjoyed being there both times, but I will admit that both experiences were both very different and unique in their own little ways in which I LOVED every second of each of them! :)