what kept us from going to the Dead Sea? There is something so revitalizing, so relaxing, so pure about that sea. But we didn’t dare go until the corona numbers were down – and before the tourists arrived en masse. Tourism began yesterday so I thought we’d be safe. So today when Oren invited us down for the day, we drove down for two and a half hours, soaked in the saltwater, swam in the pool at the Vert Hotel, had lunch in their dining room, and drove home. Highly recommended but exhausting.
Oh, as for the visitors, we heard a lot of Russian, some Italian, a little Arabic and Hebrew. Everyone except Oren seemed to be over 60 – No, wait, there were a few girls who put the rest of us to shame in their tiny bathing suits. Some of the women could have made at least 20 outfits for the girls out of their own swimsuits…
The Wall. The play we just saw – from the book by Dorit Rabinyan – is about a love affair in New York between an Israeli and a Palestinian that falls apart when they return to Israel and eventually the wall gets built that – in addition to their fading of the romance – keeps the lovers apart. It had all the right arguments but I kind of wish it ended differently.
And it doesn’t seem to me very strange for two people to fall in love – and even marry if they grow up in the Middle East. In fact, it is surprising it doesn’t happen moree frequently.
Today is the day we’re letting in tourists for the first time in a long long time. This means Ezi and I have to start being more careful than we’ve been in recent months. No matter how strict the rules are, there is going to be a rise in the numbers.
Nevertheless, my need for a change of scenery and a rest from the intensive work involved in leading the IAWE , supervising doctorates, running a household, etc. is absolutely necessary. We have already taken a leave of absence from this year’s Israel Trail because this year is all about climbing the hills around Jerusalem.
But I think what we need is a good play this evening and a little visit to the Dead Sea tomorrow.
Some people here think that traveling abroad is the most important thing they need for their sanity. It’s a great idea, but we can live well with the relative safety of being tourists in our own land.