Summertime….and the living is sticky. I live in a sauna. The
air in Ra’anana is soupy thick, burning, as if the lid were taken off a giant,
simmering stew. So we steam, feeling lethargic.
air in Ra’anana is soupy thick, burning, as if the lid were taken off a giant,
simmering stew. So we steam, feeling lethargic.
I love running yet find I cannot breathe, I can hardly place
one foot in front of the other even to walk to the couch. I can no longer relax
in the garden and must now watch my outdoor plants from inside, as if watching fish in an aquarium. The flowers wilt in the breezeless
air.
one foot in front of the other even to walk to the couch. I can no longer relax
in the garden and must now watch my outdoor plants from inside, as if watching fish in an aquarium. The flowers wilt in the breezeless
air.
So when Amir suggested we get away to camp in the desert, I
looked at him and twitched, already feeling a prickly sweat drip down my
neck.
looked at him and twitched, already feeling a prickly sweat drip down my
neck.
As he eagerly packed up the gear, (including his brand new ultralight tent cleverly suspended by hiking poles), I
checked the desert weather forecast. I never do this as July weather in Israel is usually hot and sunny,
hot and sunny, then hotter and still sunny.
checked the desert weather forecast. I never do this as July weather in Israel is usually hot and sunny,
hot and sunny, then hotter and still sunny.
To my surprise, the day temperatures in the centre of Israel matched
those in the south. The night temperatures in the south were 21 degrees celsius, while they hovered at 28 degrees in the Tel Aviv area. I looked at humidity:
65% in Tel Aviv; 20% in Mitspe Ramon. Now I was interested.
those in the south. The night temperatures in the south were 21 degrees celsius, while they hovered at 28 degrees in the Tel Aviv area. I looked at humidity:
65% in Tel Aviv; 20% in Mitspe Ramon. Now I was interested.
We drove south in the dark, the air conditioningblasting in the car. Around Be’er Sheva, realizing the air temperature was
cooler, we opened our windows and sucked in clean, dry, cool air.
We
continued south towards Sde Boker and down into Nahal Zin, where we would pitch our tents in the dark.
Stepping from the car my daughter gasped, “The stars!”
We looked up and saw a multitude of twinkling lights across
dark velvet. Silence. Cool, clean air.
dark velvet. Silence. Cool, clean air.
“Ahhh,” we sighed.
We perched on a mat atop the sand as shooting stars streaked
by so closely, I felt I could reach out to touch them. We had front seats at nature’s very own fireworks show. 3D surround sound, yet smoother. A white mountain loomed in front of us and jackals shrieked,
their cries echoing off canyon walls.
by so closely, I felt I could reach out to touch them. We had front seats at nature’s very own fireworks show. 3D surround sound, yet smoother. A white mountain loomed in front of us and jackals shrieked,
their cries echoing off canyon walls.
Our dog, who’s used to retiring for the night atop an
Oriental carpet, looked at us confused, stressed. “What is this?” he seemed to
say, curling up on the thin mat. “Where is this?” he wanted to say, pawing the sand.
Oriental carpet, looked at us confused, stressed. “What is this?” he seemed to
say, curling up on the thin mat. “Where is this?” he wanted to say, pawing the sand.
We patted his head reassuringly, then slipped into our
sleeping bags in our cozy tents, totally convinced this was the ‘best value for
money lodging’ with the most superb view.
sleeping bags in our cozy tents, totally convinced this was the ‘best value for
money lodging’ with the most superb view.
Ever.
That is, until the jackals surrounded us and started to howl.One howled and the other answered. They had us surrounded. The Oriental carpet
dog instinctively abandoned his urban self and stood upright in the tent, demanding
out. Now.
He ran into the darkness and all I could imagine was that he
became dinner for the pack. Fast food from an urban takeout. All I could hear were paws scraping, sand flying,
howls. And then silence.
became dinner for the pack. Fast food from an urban takeout. All I could hear were paws scraping, sand flying,
howls. And then silence.
I peeked outside and saw a white form curled into the sand.
Was it a rock or a dog? Was he alive or an appetizer? I was too chicken to
investigate and as soon as I thought I had fallen back to sleep, I heard an
even eerier sound. A flute and then loud, plaintive singing. In Arabic.
Was it a rock or a dog? Was he alive or an appetizer? I was too chicken to
investigate and as soon as I thought I had fallen back to sleep, I heard an
even eerier sound. A flute and then loud, plaintive singing. In Arabic.
As the notes echoed across the canyon, I sat upright, trying
to wake my husband in the next tent. It was like one of those nightmares when
you try to scream and no sound comes out.
I wanted to wake him up yet did not want the ‘singer’ to hear me lest I too become an appetizer.
to wake my husband in the next tent. It was like one of those nightmares when
you try to scream and no sound comes out.
I wanted to wake him up yet did not want the ‘singer’ to hear me lest I too become an appetizer.
I thought about my large bed at home with my duvet and air
conditioning and house alarm and en suite bathroom with electric lighting and
streetlights outside and maybe police and everything so known and so
predictable and so normal.
conditioning and house alarm and en suite bathroom with electric lighting and
streetlights outside and maybe police and everything so known and so
predictable and so normal.
I grunted towards my husband’s fancy ultralight tent. Again. Teeth clenched,
I asked, “What is that?”
I asked, “What is that?”
“A ghost,” he mumbled. “And stop waking me up.”
I looked at my watch, praying for daylight to come soon.
3:59 am. The sky was as dark as ever. I knew this was the last night of
Ramadan. Was this song a farewell prayer to Ramadan? Was this a shepherd
calling to lost goats?
3:59 am. The sky was as dark as ever. I knew this was the last night of
Ramadan. Was this song a farewell prayer to Ramadan? Was this a shepherd
calling to lost goats?
I pondered until the notes stopped. And then the birds
started to chirp.
started to chirp.
“Coffee? I grunted to the form in the fancy ultralight tent next to ours.
And so the day began. As I stepped out of the tent to a
fresh, new morn, I was thankful to have survived. Even the Oriental urban dog was alive and
wagging his tail like his old playful self. No hard feelings from a Labrador.
fresh, new morn, I was thankful to have survived. Even the Oriental urban dog was alive and
wagging his tail like his old playful self. No hard feelings from a Labrador.
As I sipped my coffee, the sun churned the eastern sky tangerine and candy floss. The air was so cool, I actually needed an extra layer. I thought of a July Ra’anana morn, where the
sauna is never in the off position.
sauna is never in the off position.
In the distance, I saw a couple jogging from
Midreshet Ben Gurion down to the desert floor. Nice. I could do that.
Midreshet Ben Gurion down to the desert floor. Nice. I could do that.
We packed up the car and drove our 4X4 deep into the desertto Ein Ekev, a large oasis with a cold pool of water. We jumped into the fresh water and looked up at a deep blue desert sky.
Yes, the desert is actually a better
place to be in summer than central Israel. And why has it taken me eleven years to
figure this one out?
place to be in summer than central Israel. And why has it taken me eleven years to
figure this one out?
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