Last Saturday 22-Jan-2011 the group arranged a trip to Chermesh Ruins on mount Carmel, We all woke up especially early that day as I was to drive Neta to Bat-Yam to Etti's mother and we needed to get to the meeting point at 09:30.
We met all the guys on time and headed to the starting point, the trip today wasn't very long.
We walked through the pines the kids ware hunting for the Ornya mushrooms and Nitay the guide explained to the children about it and how to cook it
Few hundred meters from the starting point we came across carved in stone graves and the kids went inside to listen to the story of the place
When we finished the short walk through the forest we made a short stop for feasting and got back to the vehicles and drove to the Carmelite Sanctuary (The Muhraka) . the building itself is not a monument worth watching but... and here comes a big but, the view from the place the Sanctuary stands is astonishing.
I'm not resizing the photo bellow with a reason, it is composed by 5 separated photos stitched by software to create a 180 degrees view from the Sanctuary roof.
This is where the photo above was taken from
Another famous statue is located at the front of the Sanctuary, Elyahu the profit statue
Near the entrance there is also a small garden from where you can catch a glimpse of the view bellow
We finished the day with launch, the kids played hide and seek with Nitay
We packed half the house, stuffed it in the back of the Freelander 2 Etti got from work and headed south towards Sde Boker to Han Hashayarot, a perimeter filled with large Bedouin tents, it was about 2 hours drive and luckily I used Waze, a free GPS software for iPhone that unbelievably found the spot in the middle of the desert. we arrived there at 18:30 and together with other 8 families and that much kids we concurred one of the tents and started cooking dinner the Timberland way, using Poike Pots on a bonfire. weather was altogether on our side (considering it was December and we ware in the desert which is usually freezing this time of year ) and after dinner we put the kids to sleep and I have made some good cooked black coffee on the portable gas system I have.
Chan Hashayarot Perimeter
The Bedouin tent from within
Etti and the kids
heaving 3 kids it was a bit scary carrying them all the way to the desert to sleep in a Bedouin tent! together with another 8 families. we ware especially worried about Neta which just turned 1.4 years and was basically a baby. fortunately for us Neta considered the perimeter one big sand box and was running around pretty much content with the big playground she was fortunate to be in. Etti which was worried about how she herself manage the "Community" sleep over and the shared showers! well what can I say? we survived! and we loved it.
Day 2 - Friday, 10-Dec-2010
The Bedouin tent
Etti and Neta in the tent
breakfast
Friday morning after heaving a field breakfast we rearrange for the first trip for that day to Tel Nitsana, we picked Eldad which will be out tour guide for that day and started the one hour drive. Tel Nitsana is located near Nitsana border pass and Ezuz, a very small village in the desert, near the Israeli Egyptian border. the place itself is an ancient Nabataean village on a hill, the climb was not that hard considering I had Neta in back carrier
The Turkish governor house ruins in Tel Nitsana
Following Tel Nitsana we continue by foot about 1 KM to a statue named "Peace Path" by Dani Karavan which is a series of 100 concrete columns spread about 0.5 KM starting with 4 columns with the four directions, than each column has the word peace written on it in deferent languishes
From the "Peace Path" there is a road to Nitsana Cave, the cave just opens up while walking that road, its fairly large and has few "rooms" which can be used to refresh
From Nitsana Cave we walked back to the car to take a short drive to "Nitsana Bosom" which is a must see if you happen to be in that area, the kids loved it. its chalk rocks curved by water and wind to create a smooth rounded "boosm" like hills
after we headed back to the tents area we started the arrangements for Tomer's 6th Birthday, Etti backed a cake in advance (yes we carried it from the day before), and we arranged Birthday bags filled with good stuff for the kids and we held a proper birthday in the desert
Day 3 - Saturday, 11-Dec-2010
We woke up the third day to some high speed winds exhausted from the day before and from the little sleep we had, we decided to pack and head back home and not continue with the group to the planned trip to Mitzpe Ramon. the rest of the group agreed that the weather is probably not suitable for a tour and they decided to head back home as well. looking at the pictures bellow you can imagine it was a good call.
Considering all it was a great trip, an educating experience and a good family togetherness
