http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Israel , South District en-us Tue, 10 Nov 09 20:24:19 +0000 Tue, 10 Nov 09 20:24:19 +0000 Thursday 917Be'er Sheva Bedouin MarketNaya was in school again today so we were off early to Be'er Sheva a city in the north Negev. Once a week there is a large market mainly for the local Bedouin people. It is like a giant flea market with the Dollar Tree as part of it. So much junk in our eyes also lots of clothes jeans traditional pants robes and dresses as well as modern clothes http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Be-er-Sheva/blog-447351.html On April 29th at about 8pm lsquoGuide Ramrsquo decided that it would be good to go off to the Negev Desert for a few days hike and start the Israeli Trail. So within a couple of hours all was packed and we headed down into Haifa to catch the night bus heading to Eilat which departed at 11.30pm. After five hours we arrived at our destination which was Timna. We started the hike with trepidat http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/blog-442763.html Happy New Year everybodyToday is 151214881513 14921513150414928206 Rosh Hashana New Years Eve We are now in year 5770 actually.So what did I do on New Years EveI ate an apple and dipped it in honey. This symbolises a sweet start on the year to come. The sad part is I didn't find it tasty at all http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-439587.html The title of this blog is inspired by a divingcenters slogan. In our last day of the first star course a photographer joined us in two dives. The picture he took are amazingThe first dive that day was to the Satile The Satil is a sunken navyshipwreck. The deck is on 18 metres depth and the bottom of the ship is at 24 metres. 18 metres was the furthest we went during our first star course. I http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-439349.html I spontaneously decided to go to Eilat with three of Roees friends two weeks ago. We bought bustickets and left at midnight. The busride is five and a half hours from Haifa to Eilat. We arrived there very early in other words. Our first diving lesson started at 9 in that same morning. I first completed a one star diving class which allows me to dive down to 18 metres. The course lasted for five d http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-439296.html Ein Gedi Dead Sea and Nature Park http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Ein-Gedi/blog-436493.html This trip to Israel could not be going any better Aside from the gorgeous weather amazing people and fantastic lectures I am learning an immense amount about renewable energy. The past few days have been filled with lectures and field trips based around renewable energy and sustainable living. We visited the neighboring kibbutz Lotan. Lotan is the most environmental place I have ever been http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/blog-416194.html How is it that one of the most extreme deserts in the world is able to also be the agricultural center of a country With the Arava valley losing more than a meter of water a year to evaporation and gaining less than five centimeters of rain per year it does not seem as if much should be able to grow. However the other day we visited the experimental orchards outside of the Kibbutz. The or http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/blog-415261.html awesome pictures from Hai Bar http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/blog-413572.html So today was gorgeous as always In the morning we got a tour of the kibbutz and learned a lot about its history and also had an introduction to the course. During our afternoon siesta we went out to the pool for a couple hours and swam layed out I am already starting to get tan. In the evening we went to Hai Bar Nature Reserve which is an amazing place. Hai Bar's goal is to bring animals t http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-413456.html So after fourteen hours of traveling from NY to London to Tel Aviv I am finally on Kibbutz Ketura and it is AMAZING. From my room I can see the mountains in Jordan the border is only three miles away. The kibbutz has around 140 members a pool surrounded by mountains tennis courts soccer field an algae farm which produces algae that changes color based on its stress level date palm tree f http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-413296.html I was really starting to question my faith After all these Muslim sights Irsquove seen Israel gave me a chance to answer the call. But would I take this opportunity to connect with my religion I chose Mt Nemo instead of BethanyBeyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptised. Now I had a chance to go to either Bethlehem or Masada. The night before my Aussie mate Chris bought a backgammon set and a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Masada/blog-410495.html I got up late today did some laundry and basically just chilled out until about one. I guess you could say that I am trying to conserve energy for tonight. At about one thirty I went to the reef beach with Ruth Rafi and David and we rented some snorkel gear and took turns snorkeling over the reefs that are right at the shore line. They are incredible I saw yellow coral masses that probably w http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-407278.html June 8thUp at seven to catch the public bus to Eilat. We finally get to ride on one of the innumerable green buses that are all over the place here. Said goodbye to Smore and started the 5 hour bus ride. We got here at two thirtyish and went where To the beach of course though the sand here is not as nice. From here I can see Jordan and Saudi Arabia and I know that Egypt is right around the poi http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-407274.html We started the day with the usual great breakfast we have had available most mornings three or four kinds of yogurt plain with olive oil and spices is fantastic eggs cucumber salad cheese and fruit. Mmmmm. Then we went out got on our camels which were all tied together and our train was led on a little loop in the desert by a Bedouin dude on foot. Not exactly camel racing but it was fun http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Arad/blog-405800.html Yesterday Tuesday June 2ndWe began the morning with a visit to the Bahai gardens in Haifa which were very beautiful. I do wish that we had had a bit more time there as it was lovely and very peaceful even in the middle of the city. We then shuffled back onto the bus and drove off. We made a quick stop at the monastery above the Cave of Elijah and made a quick jog down to a lookout back on http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Be-er-Sheva/blog-404797.html We are now exactly one week away from flight from Cairo to Athens. Today we are sort of flying blind. As I explained to Joshua we have no idea where we will be sleeping the night or even what country we will be in. Depending on what happens with border crossings we might end the day in Jordan Israel or Egypt. After breakfast at the hotel we set off in a crew cab style pickup truck. Our driver http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-396848.html Here in Israel there are security check points EVERYWHERE. Not manned by police or military just security dudes with handguns. But they are literally everywhere grocery stores IKEA movie theatres etc. Paranoia is God here.So this weekend on our Dead Sea vacation we were coming back to the hotel from a hike in the desert and while going through security with the car everyone was being aske http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Masada/blog-394628.html The showers cold water from jerrycans as usual. The food some ours some of the many Jeepers whom we met on the way.The Jeepers are good only for feeding us and sometimes giving some water. Other than that even though many of them are nice people they merely estroy the desert the calm and the beauty.The way HIKONU LEVIAT HADASHDASH little cobble stones in English.Old Kato When I t http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Mitzpe-Ramon/blog-391821.html I found myself in Eilat for the second time in five days. I had made a mad dash to Cairo to see the Egyptian Museum and the pyramids I wouldnrsquot be able to forgive myself if I had made it this far without seeing them but finally it was time to relax after two weeks in the always challenging but also extremely rewarding Arabic countries of Egypt Jordan and Syria. I was only in town for t http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Ein-Gedi/blog-390430.html