Blogs from Ein Gedi, South District, Israel, Middle East

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Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi October 5th 2017

After breakfast we went to Engedi having changed our plans and confirmed a taxi to Telaviv at 3pm for 800 sheckles we had a nice slow walk up Engedi and saw Connie and Ibex and a lot of bird life, even though there were a lot of tourists there the numbers decreased as we went up so there was only about 10 people at the top waterfall when we got there, you can see the evidence of a collapsed cave here with stalactites on the edges of the cliff around the side this is almost certainly where David hid from Saul and it is also referred to in Ezekiel 47 referring to the future when the dead sea will be healed. and be filled with Fish and Engedi will be a place for spreading nets. we ... read more
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Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi February 11th 2017

So, time for another blog post. Overdue, in fact. I know, I haven't posted anything in a long time, but that's because we haven't traveled anywhere lately. Ok, so, Saturday the weather was fantastic and we decided to take advantage and go down to the Dead Sea for the day. We packed up with food and snacks, piled into the car and headed out. I took the family to a location on the Dead Sea coast that very few people know about. I'll keep it that way for now, since it's so pristine and I'd like it to stay that way for as long as possible. I only know of the place because I was there a few weeks ago on another hike. Anyway, we parked, loaded our backpacks and went walking. We entered a small ... read more
Selfie
Coral
Family selfie!

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi November 11th 2016

What a great hike! Amichai (Amichai Spector http://www.spectours.co.il) invited me to join this hike after I joined a trip to Jordan’s Wadi Fayed that he organized (see the blog: https://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/South/Petra/blog-950587.html). The trip started really early. Or maybe really late on the previous day? I dunno. Either way I got up before 3 AM, had some coffee and something to eat and left. Eli and Kobi met me at Latroun and I continued with them to Mitspe Shalem, on the Dead Sea road. We met up with the rest of the group there, a little before 5 AM, had some coffee, cake and dried fruit, and at the first imaginary hint of light we set out. The beginning of the trail is a steep climb up to the beginning of the trail. Confusing? Well, that’s the way ... read more
Helping hands
The first rappel
Hatzatzon valley

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi October 4th 2016

A two-day family camping trip to the Dead Sea and the Judean Desert with Yoel Oren (http://yoeloren.com/). My daughter and I drove down to the Dead Sea to join a group of families on a desert camping trip. We met up with the other families at the entrance to the Salvadora stream, about 4.5 km South of Mitzpeh-Shalem on the Dead Sea coast. Soon after, our guide Yoel arrived with the eternal Jean-Pierre. Those who have travelled with Yoel (much recommended) know that Jean-Pierre, Yoel’s beat-up old pink Renault Express, has been all over Israel, both on and off-road. We all got organized, sun screen on, backpacks, water, snacks and kids, and started the day’s hike. We walked back up the road a bit to where the Salvadora stream crosses under the road and climbed down ... read more
Ibex
Salvadora spring
The Hidden Waterfall

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi May 30th 2016

It doesn't matter how good a swimmer you are, it's an inescapable fact humans struggle to keep their heads above water. We display none of the grace and elegance of our sea dwelling friends, who must consider us clumsy with all that flapping and flailing about. So imagine being in the water and floating effortlessly, with the only concern keeping the salty water out of your mouth and eyes. Would that not rival the best sensation you've experienced? Yes my friends, it most assuredly does, and a visit to the Dead Sea is a travel experience like no other. The desert surroundings and the reality of being at the lowest place in the world add to the otherworldly feeling of floating on the Dead Sea. You can be a part of this incredible floating sensation by ... read more
Dead Sea team
Tel Aviv beach
Yarkon Park

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi January 4th 2014

Yesterday we drove east from Jerusalem into the Wilderness of Judah. We drove along the Dead Sea to the fortress of Masada. We then visited the ancient city of Qumran and viewed the ruins of the Essene community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls and even saw one of the caves where some scrolls were found. On the way back to Jerusalem, we stopped at Ein Gedi for a swim in the Dead Sea. BTW, I want to thank my sweet wife Kay for the pictures & information for this report. I was under the weather & spent the day at the hotel. More tomorrow!... read more
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Masada
Masada

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi October 10th 2013

Welll day number two of volunteering has happened as of yesterday, and it was yet again an interesting experience. It was a shorter drive with Daniella to our site this time, but the same routine. We had three groups of students who all came for one hour. One of the groups (the younger group) was new to her class, meaning, VERY minimal English. I had the task of taking them to use the flashcards and work on naming numbers 1-10. As we were doing this, there was a few boys in my group who were becoming a bit restless, and I found it hard to catch their attention again, because of the language barrier. The only word I could use to communicate with them was STOP and extreme eye contact. It worked well, just straight to ... read more
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Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi September 28th 2013

Nachdem wir versehentlich mit einem am Tag zuvor gekauften Ticket in der Straßenbahn schwarz gefahren sind (denn scheinbar darf man das nicht, wir dachten aber, wir wären besonders schlau und kaufen unsere Tickets im Vorhinein) und dann tatsächlich auch noch ein Kontrolleur kam, kommen wir etwas gestresst am Zentralen Busbahnhof in Jerusalem an, von wo unser Bus ans Tote Meer abfährt. Der Busbahnhof ist ein riesiges Gebäude und irritierenderweise muss man in den dritten Stock hoch, um zu den Bussteigen zu gelangen. Es gleicht einem mehrstöckigen Parkhaus, wobei in den unteren beiden Stockwerken des Busbahnhofes eine Mall ist. Wer auch immer sich das so rum ausgedacht hat, hat sich aber mit Sicherheit etwas dabei gedacht. Äußerst komfortabel kurven wir aus Jerusalem heraus und befahren eine Stunde lang Landstraßen, die sich bergab durch pure sandfarbene Ödnis winden. ... read more
Floating in the Dead Sea
Der Canyon beim Kibbutz
Auf dem Weg zum David's Fall

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi October 22nd 2012

Die Zeit ist knapp. Drum mach ich´s kurz und sprech in Bildern. Ein paar Erläuterungen müssen sein: Am 4. Oktober war ich mit drei netten Mädels, die ich vorher eigentlich gar nicht kannte (Freunde von Freunden von Freunden) auf einem Musikfestival in der Wüste. Gesehen haben wir viel junges Gemüse, Asaf Avidan und Balkan Beat Box. Konzerte in Israel sind spärlich gesät, aber immer spaßig weil jeder oberkörperfrei mit seinem T-Shirt wedelt und sich alle gegenseitig ins Gesicht grinsen. Nach den Konzerten haben wir am En Gedi Beach direkt am Toten Meer geschlafen. Die Sonne ging gegen 5 Uhr auf. Da bin ich kurz aufgewacht und hab gestaunt, weil sie gefunkelt hat wie ein rosaroter Rubin und die See war so stille, dass ich darauf Schlittschuhlaufen wollte. Um 7 hat uns die Hitze zurück ins Auto ... read more
Dana, Stav, Caro, Michal: vier Mädchen im Schwefelbad am Toten Meer
Ein kleiner Schwefelfall inkl. Wadi zum Schlamm auskratzen
Dana und Stav im Salzmeer

Middle East » Israel » South District » Ein Gedi February 11th 2012

I left northern Israel looking for warmth and I found it in Ein Gedi: the Lowest Place on Earth and, for that week, the Warmest Place in Israel. I hadn’t found a couch to surf in the area, but there was a beach, and a warm breeze. I didn’t need anything more. I cleared a little area of rocks, unrolled my sleeping bag and watched the full moon rise over the Jordanian Mountains, feeling happy and instantly at peace. It was a feeling that would become more intense the longer I stayed. The Ein Gedi air was making me high. Sitting at 400 meters below sea level, Ein Gedi is subject to extremely high barometric pressure. As a consequence, the partial pressure of oxygen in the air is higher, which means that you take in more ... read more
Ibex
Dead Sea Salt
Dead Sea Mud




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