A little game of "catch me if you can"

I spent the better part of today trying to run away from King Saul in Ein Gedi. Instead of going to Nahal David like King David (I figured that Saul would search that trail first), I hiked up Nahal Arugot and chilled around the Hidden Waterfall and Upper Pools.

I woke up at 6:00 to catch the 7:00 bus from Jerusalem to Ein Gedi. I went with my friend Mike, who goes to school with me at Michigan. As soon as we got off the bus, I thought that Yul Brenner got in right in Cool Runnings when he said, "It's not the heat that will kill you, but the humidity." (He was talking about Calgary in the heart of winter, but the point is still relevant) It was in the high 30s today.

One point of interest from the bus ride. About halfway through the ride, a woman got on the bus (normal) with her dog (not normal). Apparently, the Egged" bus rules don't take issue with dogs on buses, but somebody with a dog allergy might.

We walked from Highway 90 to the trailhead for Nahal David to buy waters (Don't worry, I already brought a liter. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to bring another liter and a half) and tickets. By the time we reached the building, I felt as if I had spent fifteen minutes in the shvitz at the CCRB.

We walked the kilometer to the start of the Nahal Arugot trail and set out on our adventure. It was only about 8:30 when we hit the trail, but the temperature, sun, and humidity made it felt like noon.


On the way up, we took the river trail which winds through the river up to the waterfall. For about 20 minutes, actually walk in the river. For the rest of the time, you walk along the banks. The scenery is spectacular. Nestled in this desert canyon is a lush riverbed with trees, plants, bugs, and plenty of ibex.

As you can see, we took a hafsakah (break) at the waterfall before continuing our trek. It took us a little bit over an hour to reach the falls.


After we swam for a few minutes, we continued up the Upper Pools. The Upper Pools are pretty much what the name says, a few pools that are higher up on the mountain that the waterfall. It is very peaceful and serene up there.


When we returned to the base of Nahal David, I ate the best, terribly tasting pastrami sandwich ever. With our level of hunger, anything would taste great. Unfortunately, the only non-fleishig sandwich left when I ordered was an egg sandwich. Normally, I enjoy eggs in most forms, except sandwich.

For those not so familiar with the region's geography, Ein Gedi is located on the shores of the Dead Sea. Obviously, we had to stop by for a dip (more of a float). Among the parts of my body that let me that there is a high salt content in the Dead Sea: the cut on my toe, the cut on my elbow, my thighs, and the cut on my wrist. I would like to thank them right now for the sensation that these body parts sent me.


This photo is almost as standard as person simply floating in the sea, but it would've been a hassle to arrange that shot. So, we stuck with simplicity.

When I set out on journey this morning, I had contemplated staying at the Ein Gedi Youth Hostel for the night but after 30 minutes at the Dead Sea, I realized that I didn't have to spend any more time in the area.

On the bus back to Jerusalem, the bus driver pulled over to the a kiosk at the Lido Junction for a hafsakah. I had never been on a public bus that took a break like this, so it was interesting. Luckily we stopped because I got to take a picture of this sign.


At about 3:00, I felt that Saul had called off the search for me, and it was safe to return to Jerusalem.