By Emma Goldstein
By far, my favorite part of this entire trip was our stay in the desert. Upon arrival I was completely unaware of the effects a three day desert stay could have on me. The trip began with us setting up camp. We laid out our sleeping bags, and explored the area. I could tell by the beauty of the surrounding mountains that it was going to be a great experience.
On the first hike, on the first day, we used the opportunity to get to know each other better and to get to know the desert better. We played name games and learned about the environment we would be spending our next few days in. When we returned back to the camp, we ate and got ready for bed. I watched the stars with my friends for hours. Out in the desert the sky is clearer, and the stars are brighter than I’d ever seen before. It completely distracted me from the rocky ground I was sleeping on.
The next morning we woke early to the sun rising. It’s hard for me to even describe how gorgeous the sun looked rising over the mountains and turning all the dunes from a soft sandy color, to a brilliant orange. We quickly set off on another hike. We winded through crevices in the mountains, up rocky hills, and down into valleys that were once filled with water. We stopped for breakfast around eight. We made sandwiches, I cut bell peppers, and ate cereal. Even though these hikes could be physically demanding, I felt nothing but pure joy. I was simply too consumed with the beauty of my surroundings.
On that same day we spent the afternoon at the Red Sea snorkeling. Each group took turns swimming through the coral reefs and then hanging out on the beach. After that, we headed back to a different camp to set up. This camp was perched higher up on a mountain with a 360 view of the surrounding valleys and mountains. We took a short hike to a nearby mountain top that overlooked the sea. As someone who values sunsets more than most, this was the prettiest one I’ve ever seen. We spent time alone to think and watch the sun sink behind the mountains. After, we gathered again to learn a little bit about where we were standing and then headed back to camp. Eating here was an experience itself. I spent time with my friends, walking around and listening to music. One of our guides, Omer, gave us a tour of the night sky. He describes every constellation and star. Before this I had hardly recognized the patterns of the night sky. That night we went to bed and prepared for our next early morning day.
We woke up and headed to the sand dunes. We took turns rolling and running down them. It was a fun end to our trip to the desert. After, we headed back to our buses where breakfast was set up outside. I said goodbye to our tour guides and got on the bus. As we drove away, I said farewells to the desert, and then knew how important it was for me to return sometime soon.
