And the driving begins

After leaving Eilat, we began to drive north toward the Dead Sea. I hadn't done much reading about the geography and landscape of Israel, but I was still surprised with what I saw around me as we began driving. I knew Israel was the 'Promised Land' but, when I looked around, I have to admit, I wondered why God would pick this place out of all the beautiful places in the world. The landscape was certainly beautiful, but it was a desert that looked a little like the surface of the moon. It wasn't what I expected for a place where God's people could live and prosper.

Even if I didn't understand the 'Promised Land' part of the story, I did begin to understand the difficulty and the hardship of forty years wandering through this land. It's so clear that the land is harsh and unforgiving and difficult.
Interestingly enough, though, the desert was scattered with what basically looked like palm tree farms! Every half hour or so we passed rows and rows of perfectly aligned palm trees growing in the middle of nowhere.
Here's a better peak into the start of our trip. A couple notes before you watch the video: (1) we weren't as close to the dangerous section of the West Bank at this point as we thought we were, (2) Bake Sticks are a delicious Egyptian snack but certainly not sufficient for a meal, and (3) we definitely had this much fun throughout the trip and this was just the beginning!