Judean Wilderness Trip to Wilderness was not just a great hike but a spiritual journey as well. Apart from the Greek-orthodox monastery attached to a mountain the place gives a taste what people of the Bible experienced as they travel through this part of the Land. The modern road from Jerusalem contrasted with some Bedouins camps. I heard they chose to live this way and probably they are happy but the primitive dwellings made of plastic and other modern “rubbish” make an impression of poverty. Coming back to the descent to Jericho. The deep Canyon on which slope the track is showed how challenging the place is in terms of crossing. Walking across those Canyons or Wadis as they are called here would be a killing experience. On the commercial side of the excursion, we were accompanied by a local with his donkey offering a ride. I didn’t take the offer but I was fascinated to watch the animal which actually led our group through this rocky desert. The donkey seemed to have no problems climbing the uneven rocky hills, even in the sections where we humans had to search for something to grab in order to pull us up. Now I can understand why donkeys were common travel means in the Hill Country. I was also struck by some shepherds grazing their goats on the sides of the Wadis. The slopes were so steep and yet the guys with their goats travelled there. I only hope there was something for the animals to eat as from our perspective the slope was completely bare. As we were approaching Jericho I could see what Brian meant when he said that some Jewish priests had their summer homes in this Oldest City of the World. Later it was explained that the spring that is located there provides plenty of water to make the place an oasis. I guess it was a refreshing change for those living in Jerusalem to come down to the green Jericho. Even if it involved a challenging walk up on the way back. Even with Brian’s warning about the small size of the ancient city t
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