"Spring Break" in Eilat

On Thursday, our Islam class ended, and we had a free weekend before we left for our travel component. Thus, we dubbed the weekend our "spring break" and decided to hit up the Israeli vacationing hot spot, Eilat.  Located at the very bottom of Israel, Eilat sits on the Red Sea, smack dab in between Egypt and Jordan. Eilat is a cross between Miami and Las Vegas; a beachy resort town with lots of flair and big lights. 

Waterfront during the day

Waterfront at night

We had fun exploring the boardwalk, full of vendors and shopkeepers with beach ware and ice cream galore. It was strange being in a vacation town where people were wearing shorts and tanks tops after being surrounded by such a modest culture for the last 2.5 months. At first, we were horrified that everyone was showing so much leg (how our standards have changed!). But since it was 100 degrees out, we soon relished the ability to wear shorts without attracting stars from every person on the street!

We spent a day at one of the nature reserves, snorkeling on the coral reef of the Red Sea. We saw all sorts of tropical fish, just like you'd see snorkeling in Hawaii. Except we could see Jordan across the narrow straight. So almost the same thing. 

Jordan

Jordan is literally right across the sea from where we sat. We could have swam there easily. We wanted to see how close Egypt was, so a group of us started walking. After 45 minutes, we reached the Egyptian-Israeli border. While we didn't go across (don't worry Dr. Holt we followed the rules), we did take some pictures and chat with the border guards  Looking up, we could see the top of the ridge lined with barbed wire fences, marking the border line. Next time, Egypt, next time. 

Egypt

 The next day, we hung out at the beach, alternating between swimming, sunbathing, and exploring the boardwalk. Before we knew it, it was time to get back on the bus and make the 5 hour trek back to Jerusalem. Fortunately, this bus ride took us through the Negev desert, so we got some great sunset views across the rolling dunes. All in all, a great "spring break" at the beach. Tonight, we leave for our travel component, visiting Islamic Spain, Morocco, and Turkey, before heading back to Israel. Stay tuned for more posts on the other side!

Sunset in the Negev Desert