JUDEAN WILDERNESS
Though there is an aerial tram to the top, there’s a certain thrill in climbing Masada in time for the sunrise.
It’s been 45 years since I had slept in a dorm, but this youth hostel was more like a 3-star hotel.
We were all there to climb, so at 5:30 a.m. everyone was up and raring to go. It was really dark!
I found it strange that it began to be light, but the sun has not risen.
Make no mistake, this was not an easy climb, but we persevered.
I was in awe that the first century Christians actually used this path on a daily basis.
Made it just in the nick of time. The sun appeared as I emerged on the mountain top. Praise God!
The ruins are truly magnificent and it was so much fun to poke around.
See lots more photos of Masada at Climbing Masada.
I never truly understood the word desolate until I found myself in southern Israel embarking on a wilderness excursion.
My chariots awaits. I got to ride shotgun with Ali, our Beduoin driver and guide, with two more passengers in the back.
With the mountains on the left and the Dead Sea on the right, we roared up Highway 90 into the wild blue yonder.
I began to see signs for dangerous curves and camels, although the camels seemed pretty mellow.
Bob and Carol began to look apprehensive; it appeared she was recovering from knee surgery.
The real fun began when we turned off the blacktop into the desert. See the Ibex?
Ali taught us some basic survival skills, like how to make soap and how to tell how long ago a camel had passed by, which I’m sure to use one day.
I found myself humming “I’ve been through the desert on a Jeep with no frame”…
Many times it was so steep I couldn’t see what was over the next hill.
On the way down, there were vehicle-swallowing holes in the earth called wadis, all carved by torrential water power.
As we descended, the sky and the water were the same shade of blue- it was hard to tell where they met.
I’ll admit I felt disappointed when we got dropped off at the Dead Sea. This was such a fun day!
Get the whole story and more pics at Wilderness Journey
Gorgeous photos. And don’t feel badly that you can’t travel to Israel. Even those of us who live here are very much restricted from moving around the country; that’s another reason why it’s so nice to look through your pictures.
I am just astounded by these pictures! The bloe of the sky and water! 👏😮