 |
You are here: the-vu>
Travel> Louis the
Scooterer 6
Scooterer Stories
By Louis the Scooterer
Published December 2005
OKAY, we finally have
to leave Masada, but lets quickly go to the cableway
complex for a final look, and a fruit juice drink
at the open air fruit juice stall on this large
terrace outside.. (have cameras ready..) great
juices and great views.
So, when you leave
one place, before you blink your eyes many times,
you are at the next place, this time the Kibbutz
Mitzpe Shalem, also with these magnificent views
and also the home of ARAVA beauty products, and
has a lovely large cafetaria and shop. Inside
the shop we were shown a video about the area
and the products, and every day (exept Saturday)
you can watch the factory machinery and workers
through glass windows. As always the people are
so friendly, and a continuous flow of buses and
cars bring the visitors.
Metsukey Dragot, Hooray, finally, Oh well, on
yet another follow-up visit on a beaut day (a
Saturday morning) the weather fantastic, and travelling
in a rent car, with a young man who comes from
India, to work for short periods in hi-tec in
Netanya. We drove into this magic place on top
of the mountain, and immediately saw a group of
young people sitting on a terrace, drinking cool
drinks and drinking in the scenery of the Dead
Sea, and the mountains.
 |
We found the
reception/entrance into to a lovely big
coffeeshop, a big room with a big counter
with stools and the other walls have low
chairs with cushions and the tv set, and
a door to the terrace. Here, Leah welcomed
us and explained that this is a "hosting
village", that is always full to capacity
on a Friday night, and also many religious
people come to enjoy and relax...the full
Saturday. Others come to climb and hike
and do rappeling and mountain stuff, others
come just to meditate, and walk on the mountain
paths and climb rocks and also has a lovely
play area for children. Then a couple of
hours after sunset [on Saturday] the place
almost empties and the weekenders travel
away, relaxed, to their homes, (could be
anywhere in Israel).
Anyway the 1
young lady and 3 fellows on the terrace
gave us much info about their lifestyles
and homes and jobs and their travels and
their plans and hopes, and 1 single ibex
perched on a high rock was "performing"
for us. A large round low building is for
"getting together", also on the
"other side" a bedouin tent, looks
exactly as you may imagine from a bible
story, where you sit on rugs and cushions
and sip tiny cups of tea.
Certainly I will be back to sleep-over and
have breakfast, in this magic place where
you can see the sunrise and the sunset from
the same spot. A couple of hours flew by
and it was time to leave.
|
 |
A few kms up
the road at a sign "Ovnat" is this
"out of this world" restaurant,
made from a large container, with some colourful
signs, and here I had my "best freshly
made sandwich" and sat in the "middle-of-nowhere"
eating and drinking, and seeing the scenery.
After a visit to the most unbelievable toilet/building,
then we need to carry on. |
A few more scenic kms with sea on our right we
see a high nondescript fence that you dont give
a second glance ?
At the end of this fence is a sign pointing to
the sea, and we turn in to Einot Tzukim (Ein Fashkha)
for a visit and a walking lesson never to be forgotten.
We have a swim in a man made pool that is fed
with fresh water from stream from the mountain.
No filtration plant here, fresh water flows in
from a stream, then flows out the other side to
make its way into the dead sea. The place caters
for picnickers and campers and hikers and outdoor
types who love "roughing it"...nothing
unusual about that, and some days during summer
holidays, and Jewish festival days there will
be thousands of people around this "open
area", loving the heat and what comes with
that. (of course much garbage at the end of the
day.)
 |
The closed area
[not open for the public] is called "The
Hidden Reserve" and small groups are
taken on a tour through this absolute paradise,
which has many types of trees and shrubs and
flowers and much of interest, also a large
pond that is fed with fresh water from underground,
that pond also has "fresh water fish"
that have been introduced, just a few meters
from the saltiest water on the planet. AMAZING,
[ well done rangers. NO mess here.] The walking
tour shows where the water line was in recent
years and how the sea has receded, and current
water edge is quite a distance from the road.
A good tour with much information and I was
amazed that the small children already know
so much about nature. At the end of the tour
we say our goodbyes to the people and the
guides, and back on the road we now stop at
a small sign (that we never saw before, that
the rangers told us to look for) that shows
the water level (painted on a rock) of about
100 years earlier. AGAIN AMAZING.
Also amazing is the friendliness of all the
different rangers and guards that work there.
My personal hat off to Adi who I met the first
time when I was there on my scooter.(2001)
Then on a later visit together with my daughter
from South Africa, (2003) he gave the 2 of
us a private guided tour through that magic
"Hidden Reserve". |
[digressing for a
moment , that, when together with another daughter
and husband, also from S.A. we visited (on my
birthday) April 2005, and found this unbelievable
large crowd, we hung around quite a while, then
left without seeing Adi and not visiting the hidden
reserve) that was the busiest day of the "high
season", and probably the day with the most
flies and probably the biggest mess to clean up...
(cant win em all !)
A short drive to "Lido" where the regional
council offices are, filling station and a coffee
and eats place and a few pictures later we get
going south again. (This is the "lowest point"
on the planet (and for our trip) its the furthest
point going north that we do on this plan, then
we head back south.) reasons become clear ---
later ?
NOW, going south again a quick pop-in to Kibbutz
Kalia, which also has b / b facilities and also
own the date plantations across the road. We are
invited into the dining room for a cuppa and a
chat. Also on their kibbutz, is...
QUMRAN - is the place where in 1947, some Bedouin
boys found unbroken pottery inside the caves,
which contained the Dead Sea Scrolls, and now
some areas have been excavated and ancient ruins
found which tells the story of how it was living
there in those times. On paying your entrance
fee and receiving a brochure you go into an auditorium
to watch a video about the place, then explore
at the open excavations. A couple of hours with
cameras, and imagination, and then some refreshments
in the new complex with this shop and cafetaria.
Dont look at your watches coz guaranteed the time
has flown...so pleasantly ?
Now we have the return drive (south) and pop in
to Mineral Beach for a quick look and a quick
drink, ( this area also belongs to Mitspe Shalem
where we went to Ahava shop.) We will be driving
for a couple of hours til we get to Ein Bokek,
(time for a short nap and to catch up on reading
some of the brochures), and sightseeing, and a
few stops to see the same views from different
spots. Some rock sculptures on the side of the
road commands us to stop for pictures, then a
couple more stops at several bridges and viewsites,
and finally we leave road 91 and go on scenic
Road 31 up to Arad. (Now you can see why we backtracked
south.)
 |
Louis
the Scooterer is 69 years old and
it sounds like he's just getting started.
|
You are here: the-vu>
Travel> Louis the
Scooterer 6
|
|
