After leaving Be'er Ora, I climbed over a ridge to rejoin the Israel National Trail where it crossed a broad wadi. Somewhere in the middle was a lone acacia tree hung with inspiration phrases such as "a trip is the only thing money can buy which makes you richer". Mistletoe was growing in the tree and yesterday I spotted another parasitic plant in an acacia with red flowers. I was surprised that with the lack of water the acacia trees can support not only themselves but plants growing on them. (As I write this I am being watched by a black bird with a white cap and white rump, a bird I have not seen before, maybe he is hoping I will leave some crumbs).
After the lone acacia there was the entrance to mine or quarry. Large lorries were driving up and down the road to it. Mining is not new to the area, the ancient Egyptians mined copper here. Leaving my rucksack at the Timna Lake restaurant, I walked over to where the ancient miners had a temple to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and other things. There was an engraving of the goddess and a pharaoh on the rocks above reached by a set of steps, but it was barely visible. A metal tube was angled so that if you looked through it you could see where it was. A tourist party was there, chattering away while the guide tried point out the engraving and no doubt give some background. Some in the party had bright orange tee shirts, others with tee shirts with the Israel National Trail waymark on it which I rather coveted. Coveting, i.e. wanting someone else's possessions, is of course against one of the ten commandments, which were kept by the ancient Israelites on tables of stone in the Ark of the Covenant. By Timna Lake there was a reproduction of the Tabernacle, complete with a copy of the Ark of the Covenant, constructed to the specifications laid out in the Bible (book of Exodus). Strange to think that some 3000 years ago Moses and the Israelites may have crossed the desert not so far from where I was walking today.
I had Greek salad at the restaurant by the pretty little artificial lake, most other items on the menu being unavailable, and watched a heron fly lazily overhead. Tour parties came and went.
The afternoon was spent climbing Mount Timna, the flat top of which is a hard layer of dolomite, beneath which is softer sandstone that more easily erodes away, especially as there is no vegetation to protect it. This meant there were some steep bits, especially at the top where the dolomite formed a near vertical cliff. Going up was not so bad, it was the going down, not being able to see where you are heading that was more concerning, although once on the top you have little choice but to descend! There were several helpful, if rather battered, signs by path telling you about the rocks.
After topping up my water (and eating an ice cream) at the visitors centre on the other side of the mountain (and pleased to be told I did not have to pay a park entrance fee as I was walking), I hiked the last few kilometres to Mangan (as in manganese) Night Camp where I am attracting the attention of a variety of birds.
A word on the weather. In the sun it is hot, sweaty, tee shirt weather, but when I stop in the shade I need to put my fleece on. When the sun goes down, I need my down jacket as well, especially when it is windy.
22.4 kilometres walked today, including the sightseeing at Timna Park, 620 metres total ascent.
John; the bird you are referring to is the Wheatear, have seen them in virtually all the wadis...and the battered signs have been that way for quite sometime, not sure why as they are interesting/informative indeed
ReplyDeleteThanks for identifying the bird. One of the things I regret on my walks is not being able to name many of the birds and flowers that I pass...
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