The Adventures of Corey and Sarah

A Day in the Life of a Kibbutznik

Labels: Israel, Kibbutz Yahel

posted by Corey and Sarah @ 3:49 am 1 comments

Some Photos

Labels: Israel, Jordan, Kibbutz Yahel, Petra

posted by Corey and Sarah @ 11:04 pm 2 comments

Rain, Hail and ... SNOW!

Last week Corey and I took a short trip to Eilat (very south of Israel) and crossed the boarder into the Hishite Kingdom of Jordan to visit the lost city of Petra.

EILAT

We caught the 'regional' bus from out Kibbutz to Eilat, which stops at all the other kibbutzm along the way. Ours is one of the nicest! On arriving in Eilat, we were greeted with warm sunny weather. After all the travelling we have done we have managed to master the art of orientating ourselves in a new city. I always have my head in a map (printed or drawn on a back of a business card) and Corey is always snapping pictures.

We headed to our hostel which we were very nervous about as after we booked it we then looked at the comments on this hostel. To our horror it had the worst comments! Mainly about a very grumpy, rude and unhelpful manager. But, after waiting a few mintues for someone to show up at reception, we were greeted with a lovley man, who was very helpful and curteous and he even lent us his Israel guide book to read.

After here we walked around Eilat for the rest of the afternoon. Making one stop at the Government Visa place, all government offices of this type must be the same. Just like Centrelink it was very frustrating and the staff were not so friendly. We needed to get a re-entry visa so that when we came back into Israel our volunteer visa would remain valid. It may have been a waste of time and money, but better to be same than sorry. At first we were told they couldnt see us because they don't do visa things in the afternoon and we hadn't made an appointment. All of which we had not been told about and they only opened on Wednesdays at 2:30pm anyway! Long story short, it was a quiet day and they got it done for us.

Eilat is a tax free zone, so theres not much to do there except shop and go to the beach (which isnt as nice as Tel Aviv) and do some snorkelling. So we bought a few things, went to the Mall and all the market stalls along the beach front of the hotel section (huge hotels you can see a mile off). From our Hostel room we could see Israel, Jordon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Of course we sampled some of the local cusine - shawarma or kebabs (not the stick kind). Very delicious.

PETRA

The following day we were up early for our trip to Petra in Jordan. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the week, the weather changed and got really dusty and cool. So we had been hoping that it would clear up by thursday. It was looking promising, but it was a bit cool.

We got picked up from the hostel in a Desert Eco Tour's jeep and they took us to the boarder where we met our very funny Jordanian guide, Ali. Middle Easterners are very comedic. As we went through about 5 different boarder checks we began to get a concerned about the decreasing temperature. We were both dressed for summer (shorts and skirt!) so I was quite concerned. As the 9 of us jumped on the bus and headed into the mountains, Ali informed us of Jordans history. As we reached the high point of the mountains we were crossing (petra is up and over) it began to snow! I was feeling very silly regarding my attire.

After a 2.5 hour drive we arrived at Wadi Musa, which is the town above ancient Petra where you'll find all the shops and accommodation. Wadi means Valley and Musa is Arabic for Moses. They beleived Moses had been at Petra.

At the entrance to Petra there are some dodgy bedouins selling souvenirs ripping off the tourist. I got ripped off buying some ugly track pants - I had no choice. They were the kind with elastic around the ankle and they were a little short. Nice. The lovely bus driver lent me his jacket. So I looked a treat - horrible track pants and a giant coat. Corey went as he was, long shorts and his zip hoodie, he soon bought another terrorist head piece to help with the cold.

Petra was amaizing. The Siq (sounds like Seek) is so narrow and high. And all the way along, about 1km, they have this ledge which the water runs along all the way from the entrance, where they dammed the waterway, to the main living quarters. Incedible.

It didnt actually snow in Petra, but the wind was cold and very dusty. In the Siq, we were sheltered, so it wasnt too bad. The colours in the rocks are amaizing. The original inhabitants (can't remember their name, Corey does) used the first part of Petra and the Siq as tombs and decorated them by carving symbols in the rock. There was one awesome spot where they carved a caravan (Camels and masters), which they only discovered was there in 1995. Petra was rediscovered in the early 1800's.

Finally you come around a corner and you get your first glimpse of the amaizing Treasury (made famous by the Indiana Jones movie). You just get a glimpse of it through the narrow gap in the rock walls. It was the best part of the day. Its call the Treasury as they originally thought it housed Egyptian treasures, but it didnt. It was probably used as a funeral hall.
It is so high and so amazing to think that they carved it by hand out of the very high rock wall.

Just in front of this was a bedouin sovenir tent. They had a fire going, so we huddled around this while Ali explained more about the Treasury.

Around the corner, behind The Treasury are more tombs, caves and carvings. Also more pesky bedouins trying to sell you stuff. The Bedouin people were actually living here in the caves until the 1980's before Petra became an official National Trust location. The governement gave them housing but allowed them to be there during they day. They are the only ones allowed to work and sell things within Petra.

Unfotunatley, due to the horrible weather we were slightly rushed out of Petra so that we could have our pre-paid for lunch at a local restaurant and get out of Wadi Musa before we got snowed in. They had already closed one of the roads off. I think we probably left just in time.

Anyway, this is long, so I will finish it up now.

We drove back to the boarder at Aqabar and crossed into Israel. We got dropped off at the hostel where we defrosted.

BACK IN EILAT

We had most of the day the next day before we had to leave on the last bus before Shabbat (3pm). Our plan was to go swimming at the beach. It unfotunately was too cold to swim, but we did go and look. Then spent most of the time walking around the shops.

So thats about it. Our next trip will hopefully be a whirlwind trip to Cairo, Egypt to see the Pyramids and the Cairo Museum in 3 weeks time. Then we get back and leave the Kibbutz a week later.

We will post photos soon.

Labels: Jordan, Petra

posted by Corey and Sarah @ 9:07 pm 4 comments

Life in the Desert

Life in the desert is amaizing.

It is dry, it is warm, it is dusty, but yet it's greener and they have/use more water here than back in Geelong!

Out Kibbutz is like an oasis, in a valley in between two (what appears to be, from ground level, parallel) mountain ranges in the Arava Desert. One range is in Israel and the other is in Jordan. We can see the boarder from our kibbutz, it's constantly patrolled by soldiers. Next week we will see these mountains from the other side, we're going to Petra in Jordan.

The mountains are absolutely spectatular. Every minute they seem to be changing appearance: shape and colour. They are captivating and if they're within view, I can't help but stare at them. It's like nothing I've ever seen. Just beautiful.

And that is the strange thing, to call the dry sand-covered desert 'beautiful.'

Everything is sandy and rocky, grass really only grows where it is specifically planted and cared for (Corey's job!). But there is plenty of grassy areas. They have an extensive irrigation system for the gardens. And hoses and long handled squeegies are used everywhere, e.g in the Refet, (Dairy), the kitchen, the packing shed, kitchen floors, bathroom floors. I don't think normal mops exist here in Israel. You just wet the floor and then scrape it clean/dry with the squeegies.
But its the easiest way to do it and everything is always getting sandy.

It's lovley and warm here duing the day and quite cool at night, so its easy to sleep.

We have just discovered the nicest cafe that is privately run here on the kibbutz with light meals and delicous cakes! You forget where you are when you are in side it. It has the best decor and interior design. There is also a Pub open on Shabbat.

Well, that's enough for now,


Shabbat Shalom,

Sarah

Labels: Israel, Kibbutz Yahel

posted by Corey and Sarah @ 12:11 am 1 comments

The Festival of Purim

Esther 9:22 - 28
He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.
So the Jews accepted Mordecai’s proposal and adopted this annual custom. Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim). But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole. That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.
So because of Mordecai’s letter and because of what they had experienced, the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year. These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.

We are blessed to be here in Israel for 2 of the best Jewish Festivals, Purim and Pessach (Passover/Easter).
This weekend is Purim, there's lots of fun for the kids - dressing up, face painting, games - and fun for the adults - lots of food and drinking. Tonight there is a party with a Wild West theme. Also, people give gifts at Purim time too. This evening the story of Esther is read aloud, we will go to that too.

It's amaizing to be here celebrating a very ancient Biblical Festival. It's fun.

Labels: Israel, Kibbutz Yahel, Purim

posted by Corey and Sarah @ 2:07 am 1 comments