In this final installment of Dan Kaplan's 12 part series on traveling the ancient Silk Route, a walk through the Israeli desert induces powerful memories.
Stars sprinkle the black canopy stretching overhead far down to the horizon in all directions.
To the east, I notice a gradient of gray and deep blue. The sun is not yet up, so this Judean Desert is cool and still. For now we hike in the near darkness and total silence, guided by the soft light of the moon, hearing only the crunching of rocks under our boots. We walk like an ancient caravan carrying goods from Damascus to Jerusalem, or perhaps Cairo. A desert hike holds the promise of wonder.