Sand, Sand Everywhere

It's not terribly surprising that sand is a central feature of the desert. I just mention it because it has become a part of my life in ways I hadn't quite imagined, and there is a surprisingly wide variety of sand here. Well, I'm not sure I would even characterize a lot of it as sand. Rocks, perhaps. Or boulders. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of sand to go around. I just didn't expect that on my morning runs I would have to concentrate so intently on the ground so that I don't break my ankle or do a face plant from tripping over a huge rock in my path. Or that I would have to actually follow a set path. I ridiculously imagined something more like a beach in Florida or the stereotypical pictures seen of the Sahara desert. It is especially ridiculous, seeing as I was in southern Jordan a couple of years ago, and shockingly, it was rocky terrain.

My morning runs have been quite wonderful despite the fact that I miss the great vistas for the majority of it. I have the opportunity to explore the area during sunrise. I like this time of morning because it is quiet and peaceful. It is also really nice to see the colors change as the sun hits the mountains at different angles (the same is true for sunset). Apparently there are fairly dramatic changes in the color of the mountain depending on the time of year as well. I guess I'll have to wait to find out. I also found a running partner! Now I have incentive to keep it up and great conversation for the road.

These runs have their downside as my shoes no longer resemble their original color and I track in lots of unwanted sand. Let's face it. It has nothing to do with running, simply leaving the room and coming back in almost guarantees a fresh layer of sand for the floor. Luckily (or not), we can only feel it as the tile floor happens to be exactly the same color as the ground outside. My sandals, once a lovely deep brown, is now also a dull, dusty tan color. My feet have also taken on a similar hue (but I am anal about washing my feet before I get anywhere near my bed). My backpack and other paraphernalia are slowly taking on this color as well. It's just part of desert life. I now have a greater appreciation for my brother's extreme distaste for a sandy environment. I've figured out that it's not really sand that's the problem, it's that it is so dry that whenever the wind blows it brings up all of the sediment on the ground. Sand is a different matter entirely...

Sand and the desert has made its way into important Jewish rituals here as well. At the end of Rosh Hashana it is traditional to perform tashlich - symbolically casting away one's sins into a flowing body of water. Being in the middle of a desert, it's a challenge to find such a body of water. The Kibbutz members took this problem to some Rabbis who determined that in the absence of water, one can use sand dunes (because it simulates water, in that it constantly moves). For the record, sand dunes do look a lot like the sand found on a Florida beach.

Fortunately for us, there are some wonderful sand dunes about 1 km away from the kibbutz, so I had the unique experience of throwing my bread crumbs into the sand instead of Puget Sound or the Jordan River (in Bloomington, Indiana - not nearly as exciting as the alternative). It seemed very appropriate on a number of levels. I am in a part of the world where sand has become part of the collective psyche. Interestingly, Muslim tradition has a similar view of the use of sand to replace water. Before entering a mosque, Muslims must perform a ritual hand washing. If there is no water available, they are allowed to use sand. And finally, all living creatures come from dust and return to the dust, right? What a beautiful image on the day that we are celebrating the creation of the world!

Ok, I'm off to Shabbat services.

- M