Fourth day at Gadna/Bedouin Tents Writer: Rosa Ilyayeva

For the final time our commanders stormed into our tents to yell: “Up now, twenty minutes to get ready!” The morning greeted us with a slight drizzle; our tasks for the day consisted of cleaning our tents and returning our sleeping bags and uniforms. Completing Gadna was a satisfying experience; after the official removal of our uniforms, our commanders finally revealed their true selves. We were shocked to learn that those commanders who had bossed us around for four days were only a year or two older than us! After we said our good-byes, we headed for a visit of Ben Gurion's house, where we discussed his dream of creating a flourishing Negev with many Jewish settlements. We then changed our method of transportation from bus to camel. Riding camels was awesome, and the view of the Negev was breath-taking. Finally, we enjoyed some tasty pitas at the Bedouin tents, where we fell asleep to the sounds of rain drops hydrating the barren desert.