Adam and I are still cleaning the sand of the Red Sea from our clothes and backpacks as we bask in the wonder of our most resent holiday. We returned late last night from a week in Dahab, Egypt, on the Red Sea. Our bodies, minds, and hearts are all the lighter as a result and we've found a new place to return to someday with our growing family for more of the same. All of this only five hours away from our humble routines here in Israel. We won't stay away long, that is for sure!
We left our home in Be'er Sheba and headed to the bus station here early last Friday AM. We both left with a great sense of purpose and pride as I had spent the previous day helping our neighbor though her first labor. She succeeded on all counts in the natural delivery of little Alice Nell. I was acutely aware during this labor of what is approaching on the horizon for me! Adam completed his Neuroanatomy exam last week, and is totally engrossed in his new system: the reproductive system. Appropriate, no? So, well aware of where we will find our selves in four+ months, we headed off on our last international holiday sans children.
This week is Passover, and there is always Shabbat to consider when planning for over-land border crossings (Shabbat is a weekly holiday here in Israel for the sabbath where most things including public transport and borders close from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday). So we have to be sure to reserve our tickets, arrive early, and be patient as the place will be packed. Riding buses in Israel is not for the faint of heart, or for those with a fear of pushing. I cease to be amazed with the hostile disregard for other's space, safety, and the polar opposite of this westerner's idea of order that individuals arm themselves with as we board buses here. Sadly, I shamefully admit to partaking in this madness, as well. It overcomes me as I get in line and wait for my seat: I put on my game scowl, sharpen my elbows, and prepare to take no prisoners.
That said, we made it on to the bus in plenty of time (we always do, in spite of the urgency with which people push and shove) and just to help you get a sense of what this experience does to me in spite of my deep breathing and well intended goal of not getting cranky, here is a photo adam took of me once we reached our seats. Looking tough, eh? Really, I was just cranky.
Dahab is only five hours from our doorstep in Be'er Sheba~amazing! The drive through the desert looks a lot like this the whole way: rock, sand, sandy rocky mountains. And then, all of a sudden, there is water!!!!
We arrived in mid-afternoon. I took my first of many naps, and Adam went to wander a bit to scout things out. This is a pic of Dahab from a hill just outside of town. A small-ish place teeming with ex-pats running hotels, dive companies, and the like. That part was unexpected. We stayed in the only Bedouin-owned hotel in town, it was amazing. Its called the Bedouin Moon Hotel, and we highly recommend it.
Here is the view from our hotel room. We would sit out on our patio in the evenings, watching the light slip away enjoying the cool evening air. Most evenings we walked about 30 minutes through town for dinner, after the last call to prayer broadcast on some serious sound systems by the local Mullah at the city's mosque.
The week passed in a deepening state of relaxation for us both. Adam spent his week underwater, reading his first non-medical books in over a year, and eating an impressive amount of chicken Kabob. He would try to describe to me his experiences during his underwater jaunts. He told me it feels like being on the inside of an aquarium; with full mobility. Being able to go up, down, sideways, front, backwards; a feeling of full physical expression.
Adam also joined me for a few yoga classes and he expressed a feeling of more mindfulness on his breath underwater thanks to the instruction in from the local Yogi. He looked like a different person as we were leaving: relaxed, renewed, and standing a bit straighter!
I spent my time in yoga for a few hours each day, reading wonderful books, and napping either by the pool or in our gorgeous hotel room with a view of the Red Sea. The yoga sessions were every morning and each afternoon for two hours. We did a great deal of breath work, mediation, and lots of good stretches and openers for hips and backs. There were only four of us, students, and so we received a great deal of personal attention
We enjoyed one another so much. The quality time we were able to share was just what we needed. Lots of laughing, talking, and also time to recharge on our own. Perfect.
So that brings you all up to speed on the adventures of Adam and Sera in Israel. Adam heads back to class and I head up north for meetings and lectures tomorrow. The next trip takes us across the pond to NY and Texas, touching down briefly in Vermont, Vegas, and Arkansas. Hope to catch some time with you all this summer while we are on that trip, but Adam will have his head to the grindstone with his first board exam at the end of July. We are expecting great things.
And for those of you who are interested, here is a pic of me and our bump~ beaming. We are 18 weeks along now, and feel great!
Lots of love from us,
What we were reading material
Sera: Best Buddhist Writing 2007 an anthology, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen
Adam: Gynecology and Obstertics text book, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris, and The Universe in a Single Atom by the Dalai Lama
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