A three-day trip is an adventure, no matter where you go. Recently, ESRA members travelled to the Dead Sea. Our modern bus with its excellent driver, Edi, at the wheel picked up 54 people at our new location - the parking lot next to Tiv Ta'am in Raanana. Those who left their cars there found them safe and sound three days later.

Ruthie, our guide, led us to the Joe Alon Museum near Beersheba, where we learned a great deal about the Bedouin culture. The museum highlights life in the desert as it used to be for the Bedouin tribes. Their way of life is clearly depicted in the museum with colorful artifacts of tent life.

Outside, seated in the large tent, we were treated to a demonstration of how to prepare coffee to entertain guests. We were also educated in the art of drinking and serving coffee Bedouin-style. Guests were an important source of information for the tribes many years ago. Hardly anything of this former culture remains today, as the Bedouin are as updated as most Israelis with cell phones, computers and modern methods of communication. Some of the young Bedouin couples meet through Facebook today!

We stopped for lunch in Beersheba where Ruthie, a former resident of the city, took us on a tour of the city. The city has grown enormously over the past few years. It has an outstanding university and an ever-expanding medical center. We stopped to admire the memorial to the Australian troops who fought as part of the British army in Palestine during the First World War. The memorial is located in an unusual playground park for disabled youth. One can push a wheelchair-seated youngster on a specially designed swing.

In the late afternoon we reached the Meridian Hotel at the Dead Sea. We had plenty of time to check in, find our rooms and even have a quick dip in the pool. The hotel was located in an area overlooking the Dead Sea, in the arms of the incredible orange boulders which hug the road behind.

The next day, many of us enjoyed the indoor pools and a few brave souls, the outdoor pool. Several members enjoyed the luxury of body massages. A short walk from the hotel took us to a shopping center which stocked healthy Dead Sea products. That evening, we were entertained by dancers and singers.

The third day we visited the Dead Sea Works. Our guide showed us how chemicals were extracted from the Dead Sea. He answered our many questions about the process, and explained how the company will dredge the Dead Sea so that more water can reach the shore of the hotel area. We were invited for lunch at the company cafeteria for the best meal we had on the trip. This was an eye-opener for many of the participants who had never eaten in a kibbutz or industrial plant.

The trip home was an easy drive with two stops on the way. We arrived back in Raanana in the late afternoon.

One can only compliment ESRA for the organization of this tour, and offer special thanks to Ruth and Meira for their amazing patience and understanding. People were already talking about signing up for the next tour!

 

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About the author

Meira Applebaum

Meira Applebaum is a retired English teacher of gifted children. Originally from the U.S. she came to live in Israel in 1967. Since 1989 she has been a very active volunteer in ESRA and held many p...
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