The Desert
As mentioned previously, when travelling, one’s
experiences are made up to a large extent of the places one visits and the
people one meets.
The place …..
In September last year, a small group of new families
came to live in the Arava. Amongst the new arrivals was a seven year old boy
called Levanon Elinson who is in Year 2. In January, Levanon’s teacher decided
to exhibit his artwork for the rest of the school community to enjoy. This
young boy’s artistic rendition of what he observes around him made a very big
impression on me, largely because it reflects much of what I see and feel here
in the Central Arava.
My current surroundings bring me a level of calm and
serenity which I have never experienced before. Huge expanses of open space fill my soul,
providing an unexpected sense of stability. As I drive to and from work on road
90, my eyes absorb the miles and miles of hills and sand in varied shades of
brown. The vegetation is sparse but the
Acacia trees are abundant, using their double root system to survive the harsh
conditions of the desert.
Water is not plentiful in this area and needs to be
brought to the fields from other parts of Israel for the purposes of
agriculture. What the farmers in this area have created is nothing short of a
miracle! The most popular crop here is peppers (red, yellow and orange) and
they are truly delectable: sweet, crunchy and a staple part of everyone’s diet.
They also grow - among other things - dates, melons, cherry tomatoes and
eggplant. Once they have been harvested, the fruit and vegetables are exported
overseas and also marketed locally.
The week after I arrived in the Central Arava, I
donned my tracksuit and runners and Iphone in tow, walking and jogging, I covered the circumference of the moshav in about half
an hour. Since getting sick, which included a very bad cold, as well as an
allergy attack (there is a first time for everything!), I have not returned to
this exercise routine – which I was doing three to four times a week. Aside
from the obvious benefits of regular physical activity, for both body and mind,
there is something else that is drawing me back there. On more than one occasion, as I focused on my route and
expended large amounts of energy getting to my intended destination, I looked
up to see the sun setting behind the mountains. And once again, being the born
and bred city girl that I am, I was in awe of the beauty of this desert!
And finally, I am reminded of the blessing said in the
morning which thanks Hashem for giving the rooster the wisdom to differentiate
between day and night. There is something very special about waking up to the
sound of a rooster crowing in the immediate vicinity! But I have to say from
personal experience, when it crows at 4 o’clock in the morning, it is clearly confused
as to when daytime actually begins!
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