Today was a relaxing break from the exhausting days prior, such as our hike up Masada and sleeping in the Bedouin tents after riding camels. After waking up around 7:30, we ate breakfast at the Kibbutz Gvulot dining hall. We then hopped on the bus with Issa (the best bus driver ever!) and drove to the desert city of Be’er Sheva where we got to go on a tour of the Chatzerim Air Force Base. The tour was amazing because we saw all different types of Israeli aircraft on display. Some were presented in photograph form but we got to see the actual models of the older planes in an outdoor display area. We even got to enter a real Israeli aircraft to watch a video describing the history of the Israeli Air Force. We even managed to get in a few pictures of us inside some of the old helicopters and planes before we left!
Next, on our way to the biggest mall in all of Israel, our tour guide Nimrod (or Nimmy) made a pit stop at a famous Israeli pita and hummus shop in Be’er Sheva. We got to experience what is essentially the most authentic Israeli hummus you can find. It was delicious, but many of us agreed that it was nothing like hummus we had ever tasted before. Then, we arrived at the Grand Canyon mall, where we ate lunch and explored for about an hour.
After lunch we got back on the bus to drive down to a farm area near the Gaza strip called Shvil HaSalat or The Salad Path. At the farm we had a tour guide who showed us around and explained how they manage to grow vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers in the desert environment that the farm is in. We also got to try picking carrots, tomatoes, and passion fruits before we left. A bunch of us even bought passion fruit drinks that were made at the farm with the fruits they grew. After saying goodbye to the farm, we got back on the bus and headed back to K ibbutz Gvulot for dinner and some time to reflect on what we did these past 10 days in Israel.