It’s a Small World

The only good thing about feeling really sick is that at the moment you don’t give a hoot that you’re missing a party. Later it’s a different matter. The house emptied early, and I woke up to silence, sunshine, and a fun note on table from my clan. I brewed some chamomile tea and proceeded to spend the day as lazy as a cat. Occasionally I’d do some laundry or sit outside while Fadwa and Hannah worked in the garden, but mostly I curled up on the couch and slept. The living room has huge windows that let in copious amounts of brilliant sunshine, so it really was perfect.

It was dark by the time the rest got home, weary, happy and absolutely full of stories. Karen brought me a handful of flowers she had picked, and everyone regaled me with wild tales of hiking through a canyon where they had to swim upstream for a ways and finally climb a waterfall to continue. Stories of Dalen swimming Kari across in a fireman’s hold and Andrew choosing the dry trail which went over some extremely freaky spots. I’ve done it before and that’s not for the faint hearted.

Wadi Qelt (the biblical Jericho Road) is Heath and my favorite hike. You start by descending a steep road into the canyon by the stunning St Georges Monastery. The harsh desert gives way to beautiful greenery, an ancient aqueduct runs along the canyon, and a slightly less ancient aqueduct that still carries water is flowing a little lower. Massive trees give shelter from the sun, and the wildflowers once again outdo themselves. At the bottom, a river flows and tumbles over and around rocks, rushes through little canyons and makes your heart sing with it.

Its not a deep river, and the trail follows it as you hike up towards Jerusalem on the old Jericho Road. You don’t even try to stay dry. There is no possible way, so everyone just splashes and rock jumps their way up, choosing their own routes. Goats graze on the hillsides, walking on impossibly steep places. Caves here and there are clearly used by the herders. I’m considering becoming a goat herder in that area. Unlimited outdoors, beauty and the occasional tourist to watch. Can’t think of a better life!

Eventually the canyon walls close in and here’s where you can choose to forge ahead and swim, wade till you’re waist deep or so and then take the scary part up and over, or stop early and take the gentle, old people trail up to the more accessible main path. You all meet back in an open meadow and compare adventures. It’s great! The return route is on the upper path and has beautiful panoramic views instead of water.

It was also the last full day for our first group to be in Israel. The last thing I saw before going to bed was everyone gathered in the living room, some in their pj’s, and they were discussing ways to get Kari’s stitches out:). I just laughed. Her face was stitch free in the morning!

We all seemed a little subdued the next day as we toured Caesarea, wandered on the beach and watched the surf roll in. We had an apartment rented close to the airport for night, so we all headed over there before supper yet. Dr Lena joined us for a few hours and we sang and ate schnitzel.

And then they left! Which felt really gross and empty, but not for long, as we had 3 more couples with us by the next afternoon. Randy and Lois, James and Ruth, and Vic and Ang.