The Capital of the Negev

“Be’er Sheva is at first sight highly disappointing for any visitor” says its Wikitravel article.  Perhaps this is true, if you arrive on a day when the wind has whipped the dust into a malignant haze.  And since Be’er Sheva sits in the middle of the Negev desert, there are a lot of potential particles available to clog the air. 

Bedouin Market

I happened to arrive on just this type of windy, dusty day.  However, I liked the way the dust obscured the skyline.  To me, a girl from the rainforest, the dry desert wind made the city feel exotic and foreign.  I couldn’t wait to explore the streets hidden from my view. 

I was lucky to be hosted in Be’er Sheva by the mother of our Israeli neighbour in Vancouver.  Dalia has lived in Be’er Sheva for 50 years and has countless stories about the city and surrounding area.  As Dalia picked me up from Adamama, she even showed me the tree under which she used to sit and wait for the bus 57 years ago.  I loved talking to her and learning about her life in the Negev. 

My day to explore Be'er Sheva with Dalia was the polar opposite of the day prior.  There were no clouds in the sky and the dust had settled back to the ground.  The city looked shiny and new coming out from behind its layer of airborne particles. 

Dalia and Me

Be'er Sheva has quite an interesting history.  It was built by the Ottoman Empire in order to control the rebellious Bedouin communities and to be able to place taxes on those communities.  The old city is the only one that is planned on a grid, which is great for us directionally-challenged individuals.  Most of the British/Ottoman battles took place around here with the two armies vying for control of this city and its water sources.  Now, Be'er Sheva is known as the “Capital of the Negev” and has a “lively student community” and “vibrant culture and history”.  I didn’t experience the student life, but Be'er Sheva certainly has the best falafel I have ever eaten.  It was light and delicately flavoured—difficult to accomplish in deep
-
fried fast food.  

At the Be’er Sheva bus station I said a mournful good bye to Dalia and lugged my stuff onto the bus.  I learned that it is impossible to travel light and carry around a violin too.  For this reason, it is better to travel with a family member; they can take the extra bag if the two backpacks, purse, and fiddle become too unwieldy. 

I am staying with friends right now—Barry and Isella—in Mevasseret.  Barry grew up on the same street as my mum and they were childhood friends.  When she was still here in Israel we had visited them, but I decided I wanted to see them again.  They are such wonderful hosts—perhaps I will move in permanently (don’t tell my mum!). 

Mevasseret is kind of like a suburb of Jerusalem, except that it has its own cohesive community and center.  From Mevasseret it is an easy bus ride into Jerusalem, so I shall be able to continue my touristic behaviour from here.  I think that I have actually taken the public transportation system more in Israel than I ever have in Vancouver.  I shall try to remedy that when I return to Canada.