July 31st--Joe Alon Center, Israeli Air Force Museum, David Bun Gurion's House, Beersheva, Mitzpeh Ramon

Today was another whirlwind day for the Kohns. We set out from Jerusalem early this morning to explore a part of the country that we had never visited before, the Negev. Our first stop was the Joe Alon Center, also known as the Museum of Bedouin Culture. We have been noticing the Bedouin camps in our travels and were curious to learn more about them. We found the museum very interesting and insightful. We enjoyed learning about their beliefs and culture, struggles with modern society and deep rooted traditions. We also got to sip hot tea in a real Bedouin tent (made out of woven goat hair impervious to the rain and wind). There was also a small exhibit about the Bar Kochba Rebellion.
Next we continued to Beersheva to the Israeli Air Force Museum, which I thought the boys would love, but the heat was intense, especially walking around on the black tar to see all of the airplanes on the lot. The car thermometer registered an outside air temperature of 114 degrees! Insanity! After about an hour we were good to go. Surprisingly enough (NOT!) the place was empty. We definitely could not compare the experience to Latrun....
Next we stopped in Beersheva for a quick stop at Pizza Hut. The food was yummy, but when the power went out in the restaurant and we lost air conditioning, the heat intensified pretty quickly so our stop was brief.
From there we continued on to Sde Boker to see David Ben Gurion's summer residence and where he spent the later years of his life. We were struck by the simplicity and his reason for choosing this particular place. He chose the Negev because he wanted to show his solidarity to all of the settlers in the Negev who fought in the War of Independence. He believed that the Negev was imperative to the success of the Jewish State in terms of science, nature and tourism. It was pretty powerful to see how he actualized his commitment and solidarity and didn't just "talk the talk".
Hot and exhausted, we continued onto our hotel in Mitzpe Ramon. We decided to stay here because both Yehuda and I have never seen the crater and thought it would be another new experience for both us and the kids. We didn't realize how literally in the middle of nowhere we actually are!
After getting settled and making arrangements with the front desk for tours and activities for tomorrow, we set out for a simple dinner of falafel and schnitzel and a stop at the supermarket for some snacks for tomorrow. With nice full tummies we set out for our trek to the crater at sunset. The views were breathtaking as we walked along the edge of the crater (side by side with the ibex) and then climbed up to the top of camel mountain for the most fantastic views. The almost full moon shining brightly over the crater made the long trek well worth it. The temperature had dropped significantly and the desert winds blew strongly. Pretty amazing! Our great day was topped off by stargazing on this beautiful, clear night. Laila Tov!