Greetings, this is Sidra Iskandarsjach blogging. After the Dead Sea we traveled to Ein Gedi to walk around the nature preserve and hang out in the waterfalls.
When we first got there, I remember thinking, “Its so hot: I don’t want to do this.”. When we started walking, I was really tired and my legs were in a lot of pain. After walking up for a while, we reached the waterfall. The water was really cold and refreshing for all of us because we were all sweating a lot. Most people in our group, students and teachers/chaperones, dumped their heads under the waterfall. After hanging out there for a bit, half of the class went to another little pool and the others stayed by the waterfall. I stayed by the waterfall with Harry, 
Logan, Julia, Eva, Sam, and Sophie. We were sitting in the water splashing each other and dunking our heads under the waterfall. That was mostly Julia and Logan though. I took a lot of photos for the graduation slideshow and many of them were very good. As we were leaving, we saw about 5 ibex (goats) that were walking around the nature preserve.
After En Jedi, we went to dinner at a Bedouin camp. When we first got there, we first saw about 7 camels enclosed in a pen. We also saw a cat and a dog, who became our best friends. We decided to name the cat, Kaufman and the dog, Leymur because Julia thought he looked like a lemur. The dinner was remarkable, and we sat at tables on the floor on cushions. I sat at a table with Leah, Ezra, Levi, Logan, Julia, Shayna, and Olivia.
I think that the best food that was served was the grape leaves and the yellow rice. After the dinner they served these honey pastry things that were really tasty. Some of us walked around the place and took photos. Kaufman, the cat, followed us around and Leymur followed Julia around. That was the afternoon of day 1 in Israel!
This is your Eema, Sidra. Thank you for sharing your reflections. Sounds like you were rewarded for the tough walk with cold water, nature sightings and amazing food. We can’t wait to see your photos. We miss and love you. Continue to learn and enjoy!
The waterfall looks beautiful and sounds so refreshing after your hot walk. Thanks for the update and making us feel like we are right there with you.
Harry,
We loved your post! It looks like you are having an amazing time!!
Love, Grammy and Zaydie
Thanks for the detailed update! We are all so excited to hear about your adventures. How did the scorpion hunting go? Today as we drove into school, Noah said, “I think that person biking must be Levi or Adon Kaufman….” I said, “well if it is Levi, that would have been a long bike ride!” Have a great night camping!
It is so fun to get these excellent, detailed reports of what you are doing. Thank you and keep ’em coming! Sharon Grinker
You did my two favorite activities in Israel– hiking to a waterfall and eating yummy, yummy food! Enjoy!!
Wow—you guys hit the ground running! It seems like you are adjusting quickly and are making the most of your adventures—stepping outside of your comfort zones and trying new things each day! Please don’t forget to continue to appreciate and thank your chaperones and guides—they make this ALL possible! We could not be more grateful for the opportunities you are being given!!! (Bigger Richheimers are reminiscing every step of the way—constantly excited in their anticipation of your next experience!) Trip of a LIFETIME!!! Love and miss you!!!
Omg I remember those waterfalls! Just keep in mind that although pictures are important, don’t forget to enjoy the moments!
Miss you all!