Another busy day is coming to a close. The aromas of roasting eggplant and garlic are wafting through the apartment which is set up for a big party that will start when Nili, the bride to be and her friends return from the mikvah. (The mikvah is a Jewish ritual bath for women only which is done monthly by orthodox women following menstruation so they can be purified.)In Nili's case, even though she is by no means orthodox, she is required by Israeli law to perform this ritual before she can get legally married in a religious ceremony on Monday. At the conclusion of her bath, during which prayers are recited, she dresses and then is showered by her female friends with candy to bring good luck.
I was invited to go with them but I am feeling exhausted, partially jet lag but mostly from a full day of sightseeing under the guidance of Nili's brother, Oded. He took us into the West Bank where we walked down to an ancient Greek Monastery nestled against a steep cliff in a valley bisected by a rushing river. After leaving the monastery we drove through the parched and rocky desert toward the Dead Sea. We stopped and walked up one of the dry river beds through a slot canyon with a small rivulet of water flowing through it and as we were walking back out we were informed by the park service ranger that the area was closed due to potential flash flooding which is a danger this time of year in the desert when it rains at higher elevation. It has been unseasonably cold and wet and it was a good choice to head into the desert to the Dead Sea where it was cool and sprinkling lightly but much warmer than the hills of Jerusalem.
The Dead Sea is a vast turquoise inland ocean in the lowest spot on earth. The water is intensely salty and forms amazing crystal structures at the shore where the water dries out. We didn't float in it today because the wind was chilly but hope to return later in the week for a dip.
On the way back to Tel Aviv we stopped briefly for a view of Old Jerusalem and I froze in the blustery cold wind and driving rain. This is not the weather I expected in Israel!
An expectation that was fulfilled however, was eating some excellent hummus. We stopped off in Abu Ghosh, an Arab village on the way home and enjoyed a culinary delight with the creamiest, yummiest hummus I have ever eaten that was served with a dozen tasty toppings and warm-from- the-oven pita bread.
I will not be very hungry for the party tonight!