21/3/2019:
During the drive back to Tel Aviv we stopped at a few more places, a Kibbutz for ice cream made on site from their dairy farm, the Ramon crater in the Negev desert which is 40kms in length – we could hardly see the other side and the ruins of the biblical old city of Be’er Sheva right across from the new city that has sprung up. This area was apparently captured and held secure by the NZ & AUS troops in the first world war. The last supper was tonight in the hotel with everyone going back to the States on the midnight flight. They all have been a lovely group of people to meet and we’ve enjoyed travelling with them. They all have a standing invite to NZ & I reckon some of them might turn up! Tomorrow check out is midday (total luxury!) and the adventure continues on our own back in Jerusalem at an air bnb for 5 nights where the holiday part of the trip will begin.
Special thanks to Kirsten & David Hart our American hosts from the Zola Levitt team who cared for everyone like we were part of their family. David will no doubt relax now that he’s on the way home to the States as he doesn’t have to count people anymore…although it might be a hard habit to break…he could be counting people on the El Al Dreamliner right now! And I wonder if Kirsten, like me, will find it a dreadful trial not having dessert options for breakfast anymore 