Diller Teen Fellows Summer Seminar - San Francisco

July 19th, 2007 - The Negev

We are eating like hobbits; first we have tea time followed by breakfast and then there is “first snack” quickly followed by “large lunch” leading to “second snack” and finishing with “big hearty dinner.” Each meal consists of several components. Our current favorites are peanut-butter and chocolate spread on wafers or pretzels; cereal with a creamy nutella center; spreadable cheese; Israeli olives and pickles, and French fries. We are cultured.

Finally, we are clean. After two and a half days of intense hiking and camping, we are more than happy to report that we have all showered and shaved. After our first 5 kilometer hike, we set up camp, meaning that our Israeli staff dropped off our luggage at the campsite and made us dinner consisting of schnitzel, soup and spaghetti. The “San Francisco Diller Mountain Women” are proud to report that they slept underneath the stars without a tarp. We all had a great night’s sleep as the Milky Way blanketed our dreams. The next day, we began our 13 kilometer hike and followed the meal plan religiously. That night, we watched the sunset from our humble abode in the middle of a cliff. Dark and early, we were woken up at 3:00 a.m. in order to climb the highest mountain in the Ramon Crater to witness the sunrise. Our treacherous hike down the mountain was a success, and we were relieved to find more food waiting for us by the bus.

With love,
The San Franciso Diller Teen Fellows (Adam, Caroline, Ariel, Maggie and Hannah)

P.S. The views from the top were amazing!