Day 5 – Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Masada and La-Traviata
June 16th, 2014
One of the unique things about Israel is that in its very small and narrow size it packs several different climate zones. The Judea Desert is an amazing place with lots of special things to see and do.
We were excited to start our 5th day with a short drive to visit Ein Gedi nature reserve where we got to experience a real oasis and bathe in the waterfall in the middle of the desert and then the historic site of Masada by daylight. It was amazing and impressive enough at night but in the day we got to learn about the history of the place and see every nook and cranny of the mountain. Masada was a fortress that served a small group of Jewish defenders some 2000 years ago. This is where they held up to defend themselves from the Roman troops. Unfortunately the end was unavoidable but their bravery wrote one of the most well-known and respected episodes of Jewish history.
Our day was sealed with an even more breathtaking experience than the night before. We returned to Masada by nightfall again, this time to watch the Opera La Traviata. It was a spectacular production!