Day 21 - Netzach - Greg

Today I woke up a 16 year old - it was made all the more special being able to celebrate my birthday in the holy land Israel. After having a refreshing weekend off we headed on a two hour bus ride to the Anzac museum in Beer Sheba. Once we got there we had a nice delicious lunch of burger from burgers bar. We all sat with our friends recalling funny story’s from our free weekend.

Once we finished lunch we headed inside for a tour of the museum. Bus 1 and 2 were split up into groups of 30. Our group started with a treasure hunt type game in the memorial site looking for different types of the graves. We were then taken by an Australian worker there who explained the battle of Beer Sheba and the Anzacs involment in the Middle East during World War 1. After that we watch a short film about the actual battle. It was quite a strange but also cool experience learning about Australia in Israel. At school we learn so much about Israel, but I had never really thought about Australia’s involvement in Israel. I felt a sense of pride being able to see how both my homes are connected.

We were then off again and drove of to do the Shivil Hasalat. While there we had the chance to see how Israel grows it’s fruit in the Negev. We also saw the worlds hottest chilli - the Carolina reaper which very cool. It was also funny to watch Aden and Dania accidentally eat the 5th hottest pepper in the world. Eating fruit and vegetables is something that I had never really thought about. The experience today allowed me to gain an insight into the rather complex process and gain a deeper appreciation. After that we were shown rockets that had been fired into Israel and this prompted me try contemplate what the meaning of Am Yisrael Chai really is.

All in all it has been a great and special birthday in the holy land.

Greg Mart