Israel Day I, Part II - 08/13/13
After hikes throughout the day, we spent the night at a Bedouin settlement. A couple of hundred of us packed into one giant tent in the early evening and were greeted by the head of the tribe. After a hearty dinner spread seated five to a table crossed legged on the tent floor, we broke up into a variety of different workshops. Mine was on various herbs and their uses. How to make infusions (think teas), what sorts of healing properties the various plants have, etc. Each plant the presenter discussed, we were able to handle, smell, and sample. He encouraged us to always use the plants that are indigenous to our country, and to grow our own to use fresh whenever possible. Dried herbs can be fine, but they are not as vibrant. Plus, when they are sold commercially, they’ve often undergone a heating process that kills the plant and strips the herb of most of its nutritive and healing properties. This brought him neatly to a final point about GMOs. Thankfully, he said, growing GMOs is still illegal across Israel (except for certain private growers who can obtain licenses), but there is a big push to lift regulations. He sees this as a grave problem for two main reasons. For one, since many GMO seeds self-destruct in a way after the first harvest, farmers are unable to save the seeds of their plants year after year (a practice that has always been a integral piece of the farming process). This means they must buy new seeds from big companies year after year, putting the masses under the power of the wealthy few. Secondly, he is worried about the increased use of pesticides contributing to plants that are becoming resistant to chemicals.
After all the workshops were over, we had something I was not expecting. A big stage was set up in the middle of the settlement, a band began to play, and suddenly strobe lights and smoke machine arrived on the scene. All in all, an eventful day! (And I’ve skipped writing about the rest of the Israeli mall, campfire in the Negev, stargazing, and more.) I mean, really, how many people get to say you’ve danced the Hora at a rave in the Negev desert? One more for the bucket list.
ETA: The rest of the posts in this Israel trip series, including photos, are friend-locked. Please PM to be added.
After all the workshops were over, we had something I was not expecting. A big stage was set up in the middle of the settlement, a band began to play, and suddenly strobe lights and smoke machine arrived on the scene. All in all, an eventful day! (And I’ve skipped writing about the rest of the Israeli mall, campfire in the Negev, stargazing, and more.) I mean, really, how many people get to say you’ve danced the Hora at a rave in the Negev desert? One more for the bucket list.
ETA: The rest of the posts in this Israel trip series, including photos, are friend-locked. Please PM to be added.