Day Fifteen
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
We leave Sapir after a wonderful two days of rest. We head out of the Arava and back into the desert for a five day hike to Mitspe Ramon, Israel’s largest Machtesh. Its an easy day of only 12km. A few ups but nothing very difficult. Everytime I take a break from hiking its so good to get back on the trail. I enjoy a lovely conversation with an elderly woman who has joined the walk about love. She comes from Germany and is 71 years old. It amazes me that she has the power and will to do such a tough hike. We talk about spirituality and the need to except your feelings, to allow them the space to exist and to channel them in the right directi[...]
read more »Day Thirteen and Forteen
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Wadi Barak to Sapir. Todays hike was simple and sweet. Nothing to challenging and nothing to exceptional, a few ups, and few downs and we arrive at Sapir by mid-day. The most interesting geological aspect of the day is an ancient Caldera, or top of a volcano. Don’t worry; the volcano has long been inactive. All is left is the top with its hollowed out center. I do some shopping at the super market at Sapir, which is a village of a few hundred families. I find the one synagogue and ask the Rabbi if I can join him for lunch the next day. He inquires what it is that I will be doing tonight for the bringing in the Shabbat. I tell him that the g[...]
read more »Day Twelve
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
The contrast in desert amazes me. Today we hiked to Wadi Barak. Wadi Barak is incredible with its 70 meter high cliffs and dry waterfall beds that require concentration in order to successfully navigate through them without falling over. No easy task with a 25 kilo bag on. All this in the middle of the desert, AMAZING!!
read more »Day Eleven
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Eleven, one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, appropriate considering I am hiking with the hippies again. It’s a quick hike from Shetim to Wadi Zihor. Once we get into the Wadi everything becomes beautiful again. Its amazing to see so much green in the middle of the dessert. In addition to how great it is to be back in nature after nearly five days at a festival, it is a full moon. The full moon makes the dessert light up. Its truly incredible.
read more »Day Seven through Day Ten
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
The festival is amazing. Lots of interesting people are here. There are workshops on Yoga, Mayan calender, DidgereeDooz, and much much more. The music is eclectic. From world music to trance and everything in-between. . There is a Chabad tent, so I have a kosher Shabbat. It just keeps getting better and better.
read more »Day Six
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Today started of great. Shaharut is right on the cliffs that separate the eastern Negev from the Arava. I have a great view into Jordan and the Moabite mountains. I wrap tefillin and do my morning prayers as the sunrise’s overhead. Today is one of the craziest hikes yet. Its only me and Marc today. The hike moves across expanses of arid desert and crosses the great Kasui sand dunes. I have some great photos of today that I will post later. We hike all the way to Shetim before sunset in order to make it there before Shabbat comes in. Marc and I both have some serious blisters and I look forward to taking a few days off. There is a festival t[...]
read more »Day Five
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Last night we slept in Sasgon valley. This is a beautiful place to sleep. The sandy floor makes it the most comfortable night sleep yet. Wadi Sasgon drains this area during the rainy months, bringing with it sand from the surrounding areas. Just in front of us and to the left is a huge sand dune that some of the hippies run up in order to roll down. It looks like fun, but I am too tired to be bothered. I sit back and enjoy the view. From here you can see the Eilat Mountains to the south, which we just completed, the Arava to the east, and the Negev to the northwest. I broke of from the group today in order to hike into a small village of [...]
read more »Day Four
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Today we hiked through Timna Park. Click on Timna Park to view the their website. This is a beautiful Park that has at its welcome center a wonderful man-made lake that a few of the hippies jumped into. I don’t recommend it as it really did not look like healthy water ( lots of chemicals ). It’s a good place after a few days in the dessert to buy some ice cream, beer, or just some normal food. The people here are very friendly and love to meet people doing the Israel Trail. There are showers and a place to refill your water. Hiking through the park ( whi[...]
read more »Day Three
Posted by David on
April 2, 2009
Another beautiful day on the Israel trail. Today’s hike took us from deep inside the Eilat mountains past Mt. Shlomo, Israel’s only granite mountain where the rock dates back almost a billion years, not bad considering the earth is only four billion years old. Mt. Shlomo runs along one of the many fault lines in Israel and you can see it with the naked eye. In fact its pretty hard to miss. The granite of Mt. Shlomo runs along the limestone of the surrounding mountains. Its quite a contrast. Pictures like I said before will be coming. Some other highlights of today where an ancient animal trap from the Chalcolithic Period, Amrams Pillars w[...]
read more »A GENERAL UPDATE
Posted by David on
April 1, 2009
Ok, I know I have not posted, well almost any updates. It has proven to be too difficult to do so while in the dessert. There was no phone reception and thusly no Internet, when there was reception I had no power on my laptop. So while in Mitspe Ramon, Israel’s largest machtesh ( crater ) I dropped off my computer with a friend for it was just a burden of weight with no benefits. The next day I was at a near-by festival with the hippies I mentioned before, ( I have been hoping on and off with them throughout my journey ) my snap shot camera was lifted. Thank-G-d I was uploading the photos along the way to my computer, but the computer as I [...]
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