It was fortunate I had not rushed to Messilat Zion last night as I would have missed the view from the top of Mount Orna. Spread out below me on the coastal plain were a series of white cities with large tower blocks in their centres. In the far distance was Tel Aviv, 3 days walk away.
Leaving Mount Orna behind me I stopped for a coffee and pastry for breakfast at the petrol station by Messilat Zion. After, the trail follows part of the "Burma road", built very quickly during the 1948 war so that convoys could reach the Jewish enclave in Jerusalem without being attacked. It was in a wooded area quite different to how I recall seeing it in some old black and white film. There was also a water pipeline built at great speed beside it.
The trail passed close to some overgrown ruins, according to my helpful guidebook they were of a Crusader fortress. Unfortunately I could see no signs telling me exactly what I was looking at. Latrun monastery was shortly after, dating from 1890. I visited the simple church of this Trappist establishment, and the shop where people were tasting wines produced by the estate with a view to buying some. Unfortunately too heavy for my rucksack! Outside there was a monument celebrating three great thinkers; one Christian, one Jewish and one Muslim, which I thought reflected a positive and humble attitude.
Across a busy road there was a cafe by a group of museums of which the Armoured Corps Museum seemed most prominent. I skipped the museums in favour of a salad lunch in the cafe. While I was checking some details in my guidebook two people come up to my table, and I was introduced to one of the book's authors, Jacob Saar. Being totally unexpected I was at a loss for what to say. Despite my incoherence he posed for a photo with me and signed my book, pleased that I had cut out the pages describing the route going from north to south, as instructed by the book (another part of the book, which I was using, describes the route from south to north).
Flat agricultural land followed until Yishpro, a giant shopping area, where I stopped for a lemonade, the weather having become a bit warmer. All these stops for refreshments were definitely slowing me down compared with my progress before Jerusalem. I progressed through woodland of the extensive Ben Shemen forest passing houses of the village of Gimzo. It was Thursday night and maybe because Friday and Saturday constitutes the weekend in Israel, there were a lot of people about in cars and on quad bikes. Thinking I might well be disturbed I avoided a picnic site tonight. Instead I am camped among masses of pale pink cyclamens below the mature pine trees. I am again hearing the wailing of some animals at dusk, based on the sounds in YouTube I now think I am hearing Jackals rather than Hyenas.
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