Genesis Land

One of the best trips we've taken so far was almost one of the most unbelivably touristey but must-do things in Israel; camel riding. Thursday, we went to classes like normal and then drove about 20 minutes outside of Jerusalem to "Genesis Land" which is the closest thing the area has to an amusement park, and is far superior to Disney Land in my opinion. We were ushered into a large room and introduced to "Abraham"; an Australian man in his 50's who has assumed the identity of the biblical character and may actually believe it himself. I hoped all day that he would fall out of character, but he never did. We dressed in these smocks so we too could feel as if we traveled back in time. I kind of just felt like a dork, but it did shield your clothes from camel, so they served a purpose.

The group began hiking lush hills with breathtaking views of the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, taking turns riding the camels. There were about 7 camels, some more tempermental that others, and one baby which followed his mom the whole time. Every once in a while one of the guides would chase the baby into an awkward run, which had us all cracking up, including our two stoic body guards. Camels can be especially bumpy, but my mom and dad would have been proud of all those years of horse-back riding lessons, since posting greatly reduces the butt-slapping that leads to discomfort.

We ended our adventure in another huge tent and sat on pillows while huge trays of food were brought out to us. Abraham informed us we should eat as much as we like, and that he would replenish the trays. Clearly, he had never had to feed a member of the Davis family because I totally gave him a run for his money on the kebabs, which were delish. We got to watch dusk fall onto the hills, looking out toward the Dead Sea, and as cheesy as it sounds, you could almost imagine you were back in biblical times.