As we mentioned in the previous post, Fulbright sponsored a trip to Israel's south. It was the first trip of the new year. The main purpose of the trip was to meet the new Fulbrighters and to reconnect with the others. Ambassador (Dan) Shapiro showed up for an informal meet-and-greet before we all headed out on the bus.
Just like the trip in February, we stayed over night at a kibbutz. This time, it was Kibbutz Ein Gedi located on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea. The kibbutz has created an oasis in the desert and the scenery is a beautiful contrast between the sand and stone of the desert, the bright green foliage of the oasis, and the brilliant blue of the sea.
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| View of the Dead Sea from Ein Gedi Kibbutz |
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| Morning sun on the desert mountains |
It was great to get to know everyone over dinner followed by tea on the bar patio. According to the signs on our table, we were the "Funbright" group. Judging by the amount of laughter at dinner, this is proving to be quite true. The other neat thing about this group is the huge diversity of backgrounds. There are several archaeologists - from classical to digital, professors, photographers, engineers, historians, ecologists, and biologists. It definitely made for some spirited and hilarious conversation.
The next day brought the jeep excursion, lunch at another kibbutz, a trip to a weaving center in a Bedouin town, and finally a long bus ride back to Haifa.
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