Succot Vacation

Shalom family and friends,

We just got back from an incredible vacation and this is our attempt at putting our countless experiences into words. Along with our words are many pictures attached below. Enjoy.

Our vacation began with a quick visit to my sister Rachelle and her husband Tamir, in Hertzyliya (about a 30 minute bus-ride from Jerusalem). It was Erin's first time seeing where they lived and meeting the entire family over Shabbat dinner at Tamir's parents home. It was a beautiful Shabbat filled with lots of laughter, joy, and food. His parents speak very little English and I was put to the test to be the interpreter for Erin. I felt pretty good about my progress from the first time I met them in the summer (pre-Hebrew Ulpan). It is so comforting to know that half-way around the world away from home, we have family within a short bus ride from us. Being with family again really made us miss all of you back home. We spent the night at Rachelle and Tamir's (not to mention Zoey, their beautiful and loving dog) apartment and then came home to pack for the Dead Sea.

We arrived at the Ein Gedi Kibbutz, also known as the "Desert Oasis," and as we were about to find out, it truly was just that. As you can see from the photos, the grounds of the kibbutz were absolutely beautiful. Green, green and more green - something we don't see in Jerusalem, especially now that the weather is changing.

We wasted no time upon our arrival and headed straight to the Ein Gedi Spa, where we soaked in the sulfur pools and floated in the calming Dead Sea. For those who are not familiar, the mud from the Dead Sea is supposed to be one of the finest skin treatments in the world! As you can see, we covered ourselves in the magic mud, and when we rinsed it off, our skin was left feeling soft and smooth.

Following a delicious "all-you-can-eat" dinner at the Kibbutz we decided to take advantage of the Kibbutz's 18 hole mini-golf course. After finding our way out to the course, with our Ping putters in hand, we found ourselves in the middle of the dark. The excitement and anticipation to soon enjoy a round of a familiar "home-like" game grew and once we found the light switch we were amid a course with all sorts of fun and challenging obstacles. The most challenging obstacle to the course was that the greens were really fast, as fast as if one were putting on concrete. Yep, after some very funny moments on the concrete course, many failed attempts at hitting the ball in the hole, and lost balls due to hitting the ball a bit too hard we decided that this wasn't quite what we were used to (nothing comes easy in Israel as we have found out). We then made our way to the pub (our typical evening ritual there) and enjoyed a few beers over Euchre and backgammon.

The next day, we decided to go hiking in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. There were several paths to choose from, ranging in difficulty and length and we chose a fairly challenging hike that lasted about 4 hours, including stops at the caves and all natural waterfalls and springs. The views were simply breathtaking and the springs were incredibly refreshing (as you can see in the photos). We felt quite accomplished after the hike and rewarded ourselves by a refreshing dip in the Kibbutz swimming pool.

That evening we found a nice spot overlooking the Dead Sea and made a small camp-fire (thanks to Josh for literally shlepping all the wood, newspaper, starter coals, and matches from Jerusalem. We're not sure he packed many clothes in his duffel bag). We enjoyed each others company with songs, s'mores, and stories.

The third day included a "girly" trip to the Ahava factory where there is always a deal or a special sale going on for the infamous Ahava Dead Sea skin care products. The boys sat this one out, but Emily and Erin came back with enough for everyone! Then, we treated ourselves to massages which was a fabulous way to end they day...

...However, the day never really ended because we were keeping ourselves up for the most anticipated part of the vacation. The David Broza sunrise concert on Masada. The experience was indescribable, and as you can see below, the pictures really say it all. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The concert was a perfect end to a perfect vacation. Chag Sa-mey-ach (happy holidays) everyone.
Its back to school on Sunday!