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photo page 21 |
The car has stayed in Israel for almost a year, and now it has to be exported
back to Europe. We combine it with a short holiday to visit the north of
the country and to be near the port to arrange our departure. Since we intend
to stay in Holland for several weeks, the total absence from Eilat will be
2 months, and we decide to bring Amitsa with us. Her own photo album (in
Dutch, sorry) can be found at:
www.henkensonja.nl/Amitsa/Amitsa-fotos_5.html
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The first stop is at 3,5 hours from Eilat: the Dead Sea. We hired
a holiday cottage in Newe Zohar, in the south of Yam HaMellach (literally
Sea of Salt). The big lake is at 400 meters below sea level, and is the deepest
dry place on earth. The mountains surrounding the lake are only 200 meter
above sea level, but the total difference of 600 meters make them rather
impressive.
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We meet this very nice and hospitable Bedouin family. They immediately
offer Vodka, that we politely decline, and then offer ice cold cans of Red
Bull as from thin air. They pose proudly for a picture, with the sea in the
back ground.
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A sturdy walk through the valley at Ein Gedi brings as to the David waterfall .
Sonja's "Nature Reserve" hat sends a shock (but a short one....) through the people illegally swimming in the pool....
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Much more to the south of the Dead Sea, we manage to locate the "Flour
cave", after a long drive over a dirt road across a huge desert plain, and
a walk through a blisteringly white ravine with wonderfully curved and colored
structures. The sun burns down on us, but Henk is carrying the big torch
from the car, because in the cave it will be pitch dark.
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The exit of the cave is a steep climb to the surface. Once there, we
see the car as a little spot in the distance. The walk back brings images
to mind of being lost in the desert. The car appears to be the oasis
with cool water and air conditioning.
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Floating around in the Dead Sea: we had to try it! It s a bizarre
feeling to float so high in the water, and drowning seems impossible, if
only because the water tastes horrible and burns like acid in your eyes.
Never before did we see so many people having fun at the sea side, without
any splashing at all! With utter care we paddle around for a while.
The water feels very oily and hot. Two days and many showers after this swim,
we could still smell the sulfur.
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Amitsa feels very much at home in the cottage in Newe Zohar. The
bed features a lot of hideaways and tunnels, and with our own pink blanket
over the bed she is allowed to jump and run around. The toilet and shower
are not very clean, they leak (and after a shower the bathroom is steamy
hot), and the air conditioning breaks down daily, but she is happy anyway!
The socks are for keeping clean, not for keeping warm.....
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Just to show that Yam HaMellach is really below sea level:
this is a screen dump of the route planner on Henks laptop, connected to
a GPS locator: -359 meter in the cottage.
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We spend the second part of the holiday near the Sea of
Galilee (Yam Kinneret). Another GPS bearing from the cottage in Amirim reveals
that we are now 500 meter above sea level.
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The cottage is of a quite different class than Newe Zohar: brand new,
very luxurious, and great hospitality. We found a complimentary bottle of
wine, chocolates, fruits, milk, and juice, and all the accoutrements for
making tea and coffee. One corner of the room features a big jacuzzi with
the most splendid view in the world. high time for a little celebration:
Amitsa and Henk open a bottle of bubbly. To let Amitsa roam around on the
windowsills we folded the lace curtains higher up, just for sure.....
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What did I say about the view from the jacuzzi?? Upper Galilee, with
the sea of Galilee and Tiberias in the distance. The cottage is build in
a hill side, and anyone passing the front window is at least 20 meters below. |
We visit Haifa to confirm and pay the booking of the trip
by cargo ship to Greece. Despite heavy traffic, we find the office very quickly,
leaving enough time to have lunch at a wonderful restaurant just below the
spectacular Baha temple. The food and drinks at Fattoush (arab kitchen) are
equally spectacular!. | 
A jacuzzi: can also be used as an impromptu washing machine.
Socks and underwear in the tub, add some soap, and while Sonja and Amitsa
are watching, Henk turns on the pump. A bit too early though: the soap almost
hits the ceiling and Amitsa didn't come anywhere near the tub for the rest
of the day.
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From Amirim, the Golan Heights are within easy reach: just
an hour by car. We wanted to finish the journey from Eilat, the southern
most part of Israel, to Mount Hermon, the northern most tip. In the village
of Nimrod, just below the mountain, we have lunch in a great little restaurant:
the Witches cauldron, decorated with lots and lots of witches. The
cook is like a magician, and we come away with two little dolls. Then it
is up, up, to the top of Har Hermon.
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As we reach the highest point by car, 1500 meters, the air
is already so thin that the bags of crisps are like balloons. There is a
chair-lift to the summit, but it closed down just 5 minutes earlier. We will
have to keep that for next time. It is strange to see the snowmobiles, small
and large. But you can ski in winter!
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View from mount Hermon over the Hula valley. In the center of the picture is a crusader castle on a hill top.
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The Hula valley has lots of attractions, like the Banias
waterfalls. There is a lot more to see here, but since we are late, we will
have to keep this too for next time.
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The highest mountain in upper Galilee is mount Meron, just
a few kilometers from Amirim. The summit is encircled by a footpath through
dense forest, but with splendid views over Galilee, Hula and Lebanon. It
is clearly visible that all the land up to the border is green from orchards
and vineyards, and from the border into Lebanon the land is mostly barren.
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Open air concert at sunset in Amirim. Villagers sit
down in the grass, two good musicians play guitar and flute, vistas over
the Kinneret, big birds of prey swooping by. This is all so beautiful !
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The ruins of Yehiam, near Nahariya. The fortress housed many people: Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders and Ottomans.
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On the entrance way to the parking of Yehiam, this chameleon
was trying to decide which direction to go. One step forward, half a step
back. When we finally left he had traveled less than a meter, and we hope
he reached the side of the road safely.
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Sunrise in Amirim. The Sea of Galilee is just visible to
the right. We got up this morning at 5:30, intending to go to the same spot
of the concert, taking Amitsa with us to play in the grass. Unfortunately,
we got lost, and after a heavy climb we found ourselves on the wrong hill,
without grass. But the sunrise was no less a miracle.
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Rosh Hanikra: a set of grottos in the north west of the
country, at the border crossing into Lebanon. A cable car brings you to the
grottos, where the sea rushes in. Very moist, but very impressive.
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A quick snap to show Yuval we actually visited his place
of birth: Nahariya. We had to use a very short exposure time, because we
left in a hurry: it was quite cheerless, very quiet, and humid.
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Restaurant Sim Sala in Amirim: we celebrate the end of
this stay in Israel, because tomorrow we will be boarding the cargo ship
to Greece. The restaurant is utterly cosy, lots of cushions, low benches,
a wood burner, lots and lots of paraphernalia from around the world: India,
Indian, Japanese, African, everything... and fantastic food!.
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