Eilat

ח׳ אדר, תשס״ו

My trip to Eilat, a little over a week ago, was a very welcome change of pace & change of scenery. Even when you love where you are and what you're doing, it's good to have some variety, and even with the winter as mild as it's been, an end-of-winter excursion to the warm and sunny mountains, desert & beaches of Eilat was glorious. We hiked for about six hours in Nachal Gishron, a rift between mountain ranges that runs through Egypt, Israel & Jordan. The views were awesome -- and I mean that in the original sense of the word. They inspired awe. To think that Hashem created these vast, stunning landscapes, these brilliant colors...and to think that this land is ours! The next day we relaxed a bit on a rocky beach, dipping our legs in the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, then rode jeeps through the desert. Shabbat wasn't particularly special in our little hostel in the middle of the secular town (although the yeshiva boys dancing outside shul after davening on Friday night belied this state of affairs), but we created our own ruach and enjoyed each other's company. Besides, it was well worth it for the two previous days.

Here are a couple of previews to encourage you to click here to see all the photos I can share (that is, all the ones I took that don't have people in them):