Camping

This shows just how much I love Maor. I went camping, Israel style at Yardenit on the Jordan River.
We happened to set up camp 10 minutes down river from the Yardenit Baptism site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. I didnt go see it but if I wanted to I probably could have swam there.

Israeli camping is mostly like American camping. You have tents, you build a fire, eat a lot, swim, play games, and sleep at some point.
There are a few things that are very different:

1) You set up camp wherever you want. There isnt a camp ground, you dont reserve spaces, and there is NO BATHROOM (hence why I obviously love Maor). You drive around down anything that looks like a road until you find a spot you like. We ended up driving through a palm tree farm until we found a good spot on the river that was a nice place to build the small village we did (6 tents/ 12 people) and watch families flip their canoes.

2) They dont roast marshmallows. Ive actually known this for a while and was promised if we went camping I would get to roast marshmallows even if everyone looked at me like a freak. And I did! I also introduced them to the Smore... using the only close ingredients you can get during Passover, matzah and kosher spreadable chocolate. I call it a Smur, because no one could pronounce Smore right and kept yelling "Hey, make me another smur!"

3) R.O.U.S do exist. While playing poker someone went to grab more drinks and this big thing was smushed in between two tents. We moved the table out of his way and he waddled back out into the woods.

3) Donkeys are Israels squirrels. When they smell food they come out of the woods and look at you like, "Hey, sup? Sooo... you gunna eat that?" They dont just hang around for food, they will come take things when you arent looking.
This morning I woke up to:
"HEY! DONKEY! GO! Shoo! Ahh!!!"
*zip*
*sound of hoves*
*zip*
"HEY!! The donkeys trying to eat the guitar!! GO!! AAAAHHHhhhhhh!!"
*zip*
....10 minutes later, sound of hoves
*zip*
"DONKEY!!"