BIRTHRIGHT, NEVADA DELEGATION: DAY 5 – By Kadie Weisbein

Last night our hotel in Natanya held a World Cup viewing downstairs for everyone. There were several other Taglit Birthright trips staying there and it was really awesome to be able to get to know them and experience Israel through their eyes while we traded stories during our free time in the hotel. I awoke in the Blue Bay hotel, which is right on the water and is gorgeous. The views of the Mediterranean are indescribable.

With all of the things going on here In Israel we had to detour our plans but that was okay. Shabat our tour guide always has wonderful ideas as back ups. We had breakfast and went to the beach this morning. It was gorgeous and I fell asleep in the sand to the sound of the soft waves and laughter of my Birthright family. When I awoke we gathered our belongings back at the hotel and went to lunch at a mall in Jerusalem. Malls here are very much the same as back home! Most of use ate at a grill which served chicken sandwiches made to order. The onion rings aren't like at home but at least there was ketchup!

We then went to a natural springs preserve called En Gedi Nature Reserve. I was skeptical at first, because although I love nature, long and high-incline hikes wind me easily. The hike turned out to be short and sweet and as always well worth it. When we arrived at the natural spring my breath was taken away and this time not from the hike but from the beauty that God has created in between these mountains. The water was the perfect temperature, cool and refreshing. We stayed for a while and then continued on and saw some families of ibex! These mountain goats were so cute, especially the babies that followed behind their mothers.