Periodic gusts of wind shaking my tent meant my sleep was somewhat disturbed. By morning the wind had died down but rain drops were giving the flysheet a real thumping when I woke (although the tent stayed surprisingly dry). After turning over for another 20 minutes, the rain had stopped and I quickly decamped.
As I had completed a good distance yesterday, there was a possibility that I could reach Nazareth tonight. Initially this seemed achievable as I covered the first 10 kilometres of cow pasture, bushes and trees at a good pace, reaching Hanezirim Mill. Unfortunately, directly after the old mill I needed to cross a river. There is probably no water in it at all in summer, but last night's rain had turned this little brook into a raging torrent. I removed my boots and socks, and put on my canvas shoes normally used in hotels, made sure everything was in "dry bags" in case I fell over, and stepped slowly into the muddy water. The water came up to the bottom of my shorts as I very carefully made my way across. The river bed was very uneven so care was essential. On occasions such as this trekking poles would be useful to maintain balance (not brought due to weight considerations).
Safely reaching the other side I dried my feet with my handkerchief, replaced my boots and socks and continued along the trail, or at least tried to. The river had washed away part of the trail so that there was nothing to walk on between the foaming water and a fence. Consequently I climbed up to a path higher up the side of the valley, sliding on mud and using my hands for support (and generally plastering mud all over me and my rucksack). I continued to the town of Ka'abia. As I approached it, letting a herd of cows pass me (the second of the day), the rain began falling heavily. By the time I was in the town it was torrential, with rivers of water running down the street. I sheltered in someone's car port for a while, then headed down the street hoping for a cafe. A car stopped to offer a lift, but I declined (nobly committed to finishing the trail on foot). As flashes of lightening were quickly followed by the rumble of thunder, and there was no sign of a place for coffee I sheltered again under a shop front. At last the rain eased off, and after making sure all my essential stuff was being kept dry I climbed up a valley out of town and followed the trail over a ridge.
In the next valley I again reached what would normally be a stream but was now swollen into a fast flowing river of uncertain depth. At the point where the trail crossed the force of the water looked too great to contemplate a crossing. Instead I went downstream to where a vehicle track crossed. Then changing into my canvas shoes again I made my second river crossing of the day. Regaining the trail, it climbed through pine woods before making a complicated crossing of a highway interchange. More trees followed until I reached Rabbi Yehuda's tomb in a period when it had stopped raining for a little while (he was an important Rabbi who edited the Mishnah). A man and his son were sitting outside and called me over to join them in a cup of tea. Sweet and green the water was boiled on a small camping stove. It was very welcome after a difficult day, an act of kindness I much appreciated and revived my spirits. Inside the tomb, where it was suggested that repeating a psalm would be appropriate, a man was praying. Stopping briefly, he asked for some money, which I gave him feeling one act of kindness deserves another.
A little time later I climbed into the town of Mashad. I could hear a lot of cars sounding their horns, a wedding I thought, but no, parked cars meant reduced a road to a single lane. Cars were trying to come from both directions creating deadlock. Instead of reversing they were all sounding their horns. A few "one way" streets would help.
Reaching the junction with a major highway just outside Mashad in the rain, I used the bus shelter to avoid wetting my phone and asked Google which bus to catch and when. The number 24 arrived 15 minutes later as it said it would. I managed to use the bus card I had acquired in Jerusalem and was dropped off by the old city of Nazareth some time later. I checked into the Abraham hostel (also called the Fauzi Azar Inn) choosing to have a room of my own, which has a vaulted stone ceiling. It is a 200 years old Ottoman building with a courtyard and lots of character. The call to pray reminds me that I am in an Arab area, the sound of multiple muezzins (all fairly tuneful) giving a Middle Eastern atmosphere that is missing in much of Israel. I have spotted a number of mosques today. Tomorrow I hope to visit churches.
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