ISRAEL - Touring the South - Eilat, Masada, the Dead Sea...and a flight

22 Mar, Tues - It was just barely dawn (Israel is two hours ahead of London time) when we reached the coast of Israel and we went straight in over Tel Aviv to land at Ben Gurion. We cleared Immigration and Customs easily, and I withdrew 800 NIS (about $240) from an ATM, then took the rental car shuttle to Eldan, the car rental company with whom Bob had arranged our van. It was a bit cumbersome having to lug all our gear on and off the shuttle but it meant that no one would be stuck waiting at the airport while the paperwork was completed. We were all somewhat jet-lagged and the route finding to Apco in Caesarea was less than perfect but we eventually got there, visited a bit with Adam and the staff and then headed back to Netanya with a non English-speaking cleaning lady who was going to work on the filthy condo in which we were staying. Just outside Netanya we stopped at a falafel stand to have either a late breakfast or an early lunch. At the condo, we unpacked and cleaned before leaving the cleaner to finish the job while we took our wings out to find some flying. We went south and along a new linear park, all nicely landscaped but also with a fence on the edge of the bluff. When we finally found a group of paragliders, no one was flying (well, almost no one; one hotshot did launch in the strong wind and played for a few minutes before toplanding in a rotor; no one else tried). After hanging out until 1500 or so, we drove to a big box store in Netanya S and bought milk, cheese, bread, and pasta sauce, while Bob and Mark got some other stuff and a blender for protein smoothies. Back at the condo C.J. and I cleaned the fridge before putting the food away. Then everyone crashed for a couple of hours...most of us got up at least for a while but soon enough went back to bed and slept until 0630.

23 Mar, Wed - C.J. and I made our usual oatmeal for breakfast and then cleaned the dirty cabinet shelves and washed all the dishes - the kitchen is now not quite so gross. The gas stove does not work but there is a hotplate, a hot water pot, and a microwave so there was no problem doing as much cooking as we might want to do. We drove to the Netanya launch again and found no other pilots there. Bob launched first showing how to get over the fence. Then Mark got off as well. I wasn't sure about launching and C.J. had definitely decided not to fly. When Bob and Mark launched a second time, I rigged up to fly. A local tandem pilot showed up about that time and the wind picked up as well so I decided not to fly. The tandem guy launched (with help) and landed, switched passengers, and went to launch again. This time a gust lifted him, dislocated his helper's shoulder and smacked Bob hard in the upper arm. His wing ended up hanging from the light pole but neither he nor his passenger were hurt.
After helping to get the wing down I drove Bob to the Laniado Hospital emergency room and left him there while C.J. and I went back to the nearby falafel stand for lunch. On the way back we checked on Bob but he had not been seen yet. We went back to launch with Mark's falafel and hung around until the same tandem guy showed up. We decided that we didn't want to see any more carnage so we took a walk on the coastal promenade back north toward Netanya. We got down to the shore where there were some bars and restaurants that were sort of in off season mode. We climbed back up the bluff and came out near the main plaza then continued north past an amphitheater and roller hockey rink. Yariv called on my cell phone and asked us to meet back at the main plaza so we could go pick up Bob and head to Haifa to visit Mike at Rambam Hospital. On the way we stopped off at a horse ranch kibbutz where Yariv's sister was the manager. She also had the GPS that Yariv had programmed for us, so now it should be easier to find the flying sites. We visited Mike until 2100 when visiting hours ended - he seemed to be doing pretty well but didn't know how long he was going to be hospitalized with the broken ribs and scapula. We drove back to Netanya where we had peanut butter and jelly (Bob brought big jars from Costco) sandwiches for dinner. We got to bed at 2300.

24 Mar, Thu - Rain was forecast so we decided touring was the best use of our time. Bob had been wanting to go to Eilat on the southern tip of Israel. After breakfast we loaded the van with overnight gear as well as the flying stuff. The first stop was north to Cafe Neto so Mark could have another breakfast (after one of Bob's protein smoothies). Then we got gas and tried to find the Amigo cell agent in Netanya S using the GPS. No luck, but when we stopped to call Amigo, someone spotted the MIRS sign right across the street. That office was closed and so was the next one we were directed to but the third office took Bob's phone and promised to have the ringer fixed "soon". By then it was nearly 1100 but we set off in rain down the Rte 2 expressway past Tel Aviv and then down to Beer Sheva where we drove by the scruffy-looking "Bedouin Market". Very soon the landscape changed from verdant green to desert tan and the sky cleared to partly sunny.
The next big stop along Rte 40 was in Mitspe Ramon where we walked up to The Camel lookout for a good view out over the Machtesh Ramon, a steep scarp above a deep, wide canyon. Near where we parked for the next overlook in town, the one that juts out and overhangs the cliff edge we saw several ibex grazing in a playground behind some apartment buildings. Driving on we crossed the canyon through Utah-like scenery. To make a loop through the Eilat Mountains, we took the turn on Rte 12 and drove through the highlands bordering Egypt's Sinai Peninsula (barbed wire and bunkers). We stopped to take photos at the Mt. Shemolo viewpoint on the descent to Eilat and the Red Sea (large photo at top of page). Parking near a big mall, we strolled along a resort beach and C.J. got to wade in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat.


It was about dinnertime so we bought an ear of grilled corn with butter and pepper at a stall on the boardwalk-like area. And we bought a schwarma wrap at another stall. Back in the car at 1800 we drove north on Rte 90. It got dark pretty soon afterward so our sightseeing was over for the day, although we did stop at Ein Boqek, a resort/oasis on the Dead Sea shore. It was too dark (and cold) for a salty dip so we continued on north another 30 min to a turnoff to the Masada National Park and the expensive hostel/guesthouse where we spent the night. The plan was to get up at 0400 for the hike to the top - the gate opens at 0430 - for sunrise at 0540.

25 Mar, Fri - The cell phone alarm clock got us up at 0400 and we were at the gate by 0430 (but it didn't open up until 0440 - one hour before sunrise). There was a 27 NIS entrance fee but Bob paid the fees out of our prepaid share. It was still dark and we missed the trail as it dropped down to cross a wash and had to backtrack a short distance. Then it was one foot in front of the other as we switchbacked up the Snake Path. (photo, left, below)
By the time we were part way up it was light enough to shut off our headlamps. We were on top in plenty of time for sunrise; unfortunately it was too cloudy to see it. Nevertheless, there was plenty to look at as we walked across the top and around the perimeter - Herod's winter palaces, casement walls, cisterns, the Roman siege ramp and their fortified camps below. There were some floor mosaics and reproductions of frescos. C.J. and I started down at 0650 in plenty of time to get to the included huge buffet breakfast at the guest house. There were three styles of eggs (but no bacon or sausage, of course), sour creams, herring, cheese, and a whole big section of fruit, salads, veggies and sauces. After breakfast we got packed up and were out of there by 0930 or 1000. Bob took us back to Ein Boqek so C.J. could swim in the Dead Sea, well, float, since you wouldn't want to put your face in the water. It was too cold and windy for me to consider taking my clothes off and getting wet but C.J. enjoyed the experience. Heading back north along the shore of the Dead Sea on Rte 90 we detoured up a winding road to a kibbutz on the clifftop where the Dragot launch is located. Bob and Mark had only been there with a group of locals so they weren't sure how to find it, and the guard did not want us to leave the main road due to the danger of flash flooding. So we drove back down (We could not have flown in the west wind anyway). We stopped for gas and drinks (fresh squeezed OJ for B & M) at the intersection with Rte 1. Heading west we drove up into the Jerusalem hills and through part of the city. Using the GPS, we found the flying site south of Netanya near Ga'ash but in a sandy area near Arsuf. Even with the GPS it was difficult to find our way through the maze of sandy tracks. There were 10-12 paragliders flying in the smooth ridge lift.
C.J. and I got two flights each of about 10 minutes toplanding each time. (It looked like it would have been unpleasant to land on the beach and have to carry the gear back up.) Later we went back to Netanya S to try to get Bob's cell phone back but they were closed (Friday and Saturday are the weekend in Israel). We had dinner at the nearby Burgus Burger Bar and then drove to the Netanya launch where the wind was too cross from the north. It seemed like a good idea to get to bed early since the next day we were due to fly with Yariv in his powered parachute at 0730 and then go to Mt Tabor.