Desert Bound

Hello from a bus heading to Be'er Sheva!  There is WIFI on the bus making posting on my blog an option!  So welcome to the seat of the action - the bus smells slightly like a gym locker, so trust me, it's not glamorous!  

The blue dot represents where I currently am, the red dot is where I'm going!

I'm bound for the desert, by means of Be'er Sheva, only one stop on my route to Shivta, where I'm joining an archaeological expedition from Haifa University excavating the ruins of a Byzantine settlement that collapsed around 1,500 years ago. 

Indiana Jones may have piqued a lifelong curiosity in all things dusty and ancient in me, so when the opportunity to join the excavation as a volunteer presented itself, I found a way to make it happen. 

Once I've arrived in Be'er Sheva, I catch another bus that beelines into the Negev desert.  The bus will likely be just me and a bunch of military personal, because the only other thing in the desert besides Byzantine ruins, is an army base.  So this has the makings to be a really unique and interesting experience!  

For the next few days, I'll be working from dawn to dusk in the Negev desert.  Despite my delusions of Indiana Jones themed grandeur, I doubt there will be many treasure maps and Xs marking the spots.  It's going to be hard work and long days, but I'm excited for the chance to experience something I've always dreamed of doing!