Jerusalem to Mount Orna on Israel National Trail: Day 31

A day with terraces of old olive trees, pine forest and memorials.

I dawdled a bit this morning. Before checking out I bought some bakery goods for lunch and checked where to catch the number 19 bus, to take me back to the trail (which was not from where it dropped me off). On the bus it seems I did not swipe my bus pass card in the right place and a "ticket" inspector swiped it for me (embarrassing, hope he did not think I was trying to avoid paying). After walking a short distance, this way and that down a slope a cafe beckoned and I had another coffee. Later it was an ice cream from a trailer. After walking for so many weeks in remote areas, I was taking advantage of the available refreshment opportunities. There were several changes of track, requiring a bit of concentration, which I lacked, so lost in some pleasant thoughts I missed a junction and added a few kilometres to my day. 

Several coaches were parked by Ein Bakura, an area of terraces held in place on the hillside by stone walls. The terraces were planted with trees and populated by large numbers of Ultra Orthodox children, the boys with their curly sidelocks and little skullcaps. There was a small reservoir constructed with stone walls below what might have been an underground water cistern (children were blocking my view). Some of the older boys stripped down to their underpants (boxer style I noted) and took it in turns to jump into the reservoir from the wall several feet above the water level, by a sign that said "no swimming". As I climbed the trail I noticed that unlike most Israelis who said hello, shalom or some greeting I failed to recognise, the Ultra Orthodox men seemed to avoid my catching my eye, not all but most.

Ein Bakura

Leaving them behind the trail took me through the Tzuba Kibbutz and its helpful signs describing the history of some of the buildings. The trail waymarks were erratic and I found myself in a vineyard off the correct route. After seeing me walk one way and then walk back to try another, some helpful staff stopped their little golf buggy (a popular means of getting around in these kibbutz) and explained how to rejoin the trail. This led me into the Judean Mountain Park, where I followed a 4x4 track along a steep sided valley covered with pine trees (Aleppo Pines according to a sign). A large group of more mature people from Tel Aviv were walking the Israel National Trail in sections in the opposite direction to me. I ended up saying a lot of "hellos" and "shaloms" to the stretched out group of friendly hikers as they walked by.

The forest was paid for by donations from people from across the world to the Jewish National Fund. There were numerous plaques naming the donors (with room for more if you are so inclined) at one picnic area in particular. After a memorial to Anne Frank (paid for by donors from the Netherlands) and one for other Holocaust victims, it was a steep climb out of the valley. The yellow sun was dropping low in the sky turning the pine needles a warmer shade of green. Tired, with my right ankle giving me some pain, and with sunset fast approaching, I failed to reach my intended destination near Messilat Zion, but found a pleasant site with picnic tables just before Mount Orna to camp.

Judean Mountains National Park

As above in the setting sun

"Rest" days in Jerusalem: Days 29 and 30

As the Israel National Trail passes so close to Jerusalem it would be foolish not to stop and spend some time visiting the sights here and in nearby Bethlehem.

On my first day I went on a "dual narrative" tour, led my a two guides, one Jewish and one Palestinian, giving two different perspectives as we visited an Armenian church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall and Temple Mount among other places. While there seemed no dispute that Arab Israelis are discriminated against and racism is common (apparently an area explored by a popular TV sitcom called "Arab Labor"), neither guide seemed to see a resolution any time soon, although both agreed outside interference by people was not particularly helpful (no matter how many books they had read).

Today was election day, the third in a year due to the difficulty of forming a coalition government. The two main party leaders, Netanyahu and Gantz appear to have similar policies so it is more a matter of personalities. Maybe the election explained the large police presence, tear gas at the ready, although apathy seemed the most general response.

In the evening I went down to Gethsemane and then up the Mount of Olives to get a night time view of Jerusalem. 

Western Wall

Dome of the rock

Street in old Jerusalem

Mocking the election, the man is dressed in ballot papers, the letters referring to different parties, you pick one and put it into an envelope when voting, if you put money in his box, he made some suitably nonsensical political utterance.

On my second day I went on a tour of Bethlehem, visiting the Church of the Nativity where according to tradition Christ was born. A silver star marks the spot where the Virgin Mary gave birth and the stone manger where baby was laid is nearby. It was in a cave which did not fit my image of the scene when I starred as Jesus in the Junior school Nativity play. I envisaged a wooden stable and manger all above ground as seen in all the nativity scenes (apparently a much later Italian visualisation). The guide told us it was much quieter than usual, there was little queuing. Worries about the spread of Coronavirus seems to have dissuaded people from travelling. We also drove by the "Walled off" hotel and viewed some of Banksy's artwork. I was told you have to be a guest to go inside the hotel and the rooms are not cheap.

The star indicates the spot where Mary gave birth to Jesus (not re-enacted in my school nativity play.

Graffiti left by crusaders in the Church of the Nativity

More recent graffiti by Banksy

In the evening I had a meal in an Ethiopian restaurant,  I had "well cooked" meat served on some interesting "bread", nearer a bubbly pancake; a fellow traveller from the hostel had the vegan option, served on the same bread, which looked much more attractive. Afterwards I walked down to the King David Hotel used by the British when it held the Mandate of Palestine. For this reason it was the scene of a bombing by Irgun, a Zionist paramilitary organisation, in which they killed 91 people mainly Arabs, British and Jews in 1946. I bought a gin martini in the 1930s bar where the smartly dressed bartender looked the part with his cocktail shaker. I thought it an appropriate end to my stay in Jerusalem remembering some of the many who have died. 

Bar Giora to Jerusalem on Israel National Trail: Day 28

A wet start to my walk up a green corridor to the suburbs of Jerusalem, then a bus journey to my home for the next three nights.

Heavy rain pounding on my tent woke me. I turned over for another twenty minutes until the only sound was traffic on some nearby road and quickly decamped. Rain restarted as I continued my trek east towards Jerusalem. The amount of forest so close to such a major city suprised me. I was less happy with the heavy mud and large pools of water brought by the overnight rain. 

The green corridor leading to the outskirts of Jerusalem

After an hour or two of walking I reached the picnic area of Ein Kobi where there was a specific camping area I had hoped to reach last night, the fall of darkness prevented me. There was a cave or cistern you could go down steps to, however the rain meant that the lower steps were under water. It looked part of an old system for managing water for irrigation.
Most of the day was easy walking on 4x4 tracks, but after Ein Kobi it was down a stream bed. The rain had made the rocks treacherous, smooth and slippery. I carefully climbed down, my wet trousers fighting me as they gripped my legs restricting movement. As I crossed beneath a railway, the river beyond was in full flow, with water following off the side of the road cutting. A lengthy walk along tracks brought to me to the Jerusalem park, where the old terraces had been renovated with their olive trees and a system for the distribution of water. Not much later I climbed into the outer suburbs of Jerusalem. I found the bus stop from where I planned to catch the number 19 bus to Jaffa street. It arrived before I was ready. I jumped on and the driver headed off asking for my card while I reeled backwards then forwards as we shot off. Apparently you need a special bus card, I had none. Fortunately he sold me one, brought to me by another passenger as we drove through various parts of the metropolis. 

Jerusalem always had clear, blue skies in the pictures I had seen of its sights over the years, so seeing it first hand with dull, overcast skies threatening more rain rather contrasted with my preconceived image. I arrived at the Abraham Hostel where I plan to stay for the next three nights. After a phone call to my wife to let her know I had safely arrived, a much needed shower and laundry followed, with much peering at instructions and inserting coins into slots. My dirty clothes are now nice and clean and warm.

I took a walk in the nearby market area. There are lots of attractive stalls with dried fruit, nuts, halva etc.. I have stopped at Freddy Lemon where the bartender insists on an Arak before each beer, you down this anise based spirit in one. I watch the people go past in the market, tourists, Hasidic Jews with black hats or curly sidelocks, older ladies in padded jackets (it is cold, although the forecast for tomorrow is good), workmen with woollen hats, people with skull caps, girls with long curly hair, young men with the fancy hair styles. Then it's back "home" to the Abraham Hostel to use the free pizza voucher I was given and listen to some live music.

Live music at the Abraham hostel

Beit Guvrin to Bar Giora on Israel National Trail: Day 27

A day, mainly through woods and over scrub land, with an enjoyable visit to Tel Socoh (mainly owing to the food stall).

I woke sometime last night with a caterpillar or some other grub on my face, which I rapidly threw out of the tent, and a large spider on my sleeping bag. Insects in the tent have become a problem now the zip on my inner tent is broken.
My morning began with a walk over some hills on rough ground with large bushes disturbing several unsuspecting cows. In the forest that followed there was an observation platform but the weather was dull and overcast so not too good a view. I was intrigued by the name of the next section of woods which, for reasons not explained by the signs, was called the British or Britanya park. Numerous holes in the ground, covered with metal bars or surrounded by fences dotted today's trip, I took them to be sinkholes, a feature of the limestone rock. Crossing a broad,  flat bottomed valley there were a few fields and a large orchard glorious in pink and white blossom, petals blowing across my path in the wind. A few cars had stopped to admire it and take selfies with the blossom as a backdrop. 

Large orchard in blossom

A large group of cars had gathered at the bottom of a hill called Tel Socoh, causing a great deal of chaos in the small area as cars trying to come in were preventing cars trying to leave. There were a couple of stalls, one selling juice, freshly squeezed from either oranges or pomegranates, and the other selling a sort of tortilla or chipati covered with different things. I asked for one like the previous customer which involved covering the tortilla with sour cream, chopped onions and tomatoes and various condiments. It was then heated on the metal covering of a sort of enclosed brazier. Very enjoyable to eat with an orange juice. Tel Socoh is a hill with some ancient ruins on top (ancient ruins seem pretty common around here). Lots of people were climbing it - young, old, children and dogs (mostly on leads). Some had laid out a blanket for a picnic, others were photographing the flowers, which included lupins, the first I have seen in Israel.

Wild lupins

There followed many kilometres over scrubland and through woods along what a sign described as a green corridor. Excellent for wildlife, although I gained the impression from the terracing, building remains, olive trees and old orchards that this was an area once farmed by Arabs who had been moved out. Possibly some of those who tried to prevent convoys of food (and no doubt more lethal supplies) reaching the Jews trapped in Jerusalem during the 1948 war.

As darkness approached I pitched my tent in some woods near the village of Bar Giora, trying to damage as few of the pale pink cyclamens as possible.

Wild cyclamens

Philip farm to Beit Guvrin on Israel National Trail: Day 26

A day of walking through mainly agricultural land, Tel Lakish, an ancient palace fortress was the most significant location I visited.

Green fields, the Israel National Trail follows the farm track in the middle.

The morning took me through bright, green fields of some grain crop and lucerne. As it was the weekend groups of people were out walking. Some Israelis seem to walk the Israel National Trail a weekend or a few days at a time with a group of friends, slowly covering the length of the country. I also met a Dutch couple "through hiking" from the north and looking forward to the desert section. There were also convoys of 4x4s on the tracks, paragliders in the air, and motor bikes and quad bikes out for a weekend ride. Vineyards were added to the agricultural scenery, some with netting to keep the birds off. Apparently they grow grapes for the table in this area. A sign I passed stated I was now entering a firing range which was a little offputing, but the waymark painted on the sign clearly showed I was on the right path. Given that my map also showed the military area was to my right I continued on my way.

Warning of a firing range, but note the Israel National Trail waymark

I turned off the trail at Tel Lakhish, and viewed the remains of a gate house and the palace foundations. An historically significant outpost of the Kingdom of Judah, it fell to the Assyrians in around 700 BC who claimed to carry off 200,000 people (presumably as slaves) and again to the Babylonians a hundred years or so later. 

Entrance to Tel Lakhish

I continued to the village of Beit Guvrin, arriving too late to visit the Roman ruins. The shop at the Petrol station was open so I enjoyed a sandwich and welcome coffee among a crowd of bikers in full leathers, adorned with various brand names and some expensive looking motor bikes.

After Beit Guvrin I followed the edge of a wooded area. Large cacti and the remains of stone walls among trees means, I have read, that before the 1948 war an Arab village would have stood here. As I climbed into an area of dense bushes, I passed a Bedouin tent. Two young children playing nearby, wearing jumpers with teddy bear motifs, said "hello" as I passed. Their sheep were already penned for the night behind some wire netting. A few pickups were parked beside them.

Nearby I saw my first wild iris, pale blue and smaller than those in a florist's shop. These and all the red anemones looked particularly attractive in the low evening sun.

A wild iris

I settled on a small, but more or less flat area, among the bushes to pitch my tent for the night. Churned up by cows' hooves the ground was a little uneven but I could find comfortable positions to lie in. As I write this in my tent, some creatures are calling to each other with something more like repeated wailing than a howling or barking. A sign said this area has striped hyenas, maybe it was those, although it did not sound like they were laughing (later I decided its was Jackals). I was more concerned about why cars were driving along a nearby dirt track in the dark. Earlier I saw a police car, blue lights flashing, stop a car on these tracks. I try and keep a low profile.

Sansana to Philip farm on Israel National Trail: Day 25

A good distance covered today on easy tracks through woods and across grassland by meandering, if dry, streams.

Leaving the hospitable village of Sansana I headed downhill through woods eventually reaching Lahav Kibbutz. I had thought of visiting the shop here but the yellow security gates had no pedestrian access, not wanting to get trapped inside, and as it was not essential to buy any groceries, I continued on my way. From the outside, many of the kibbutz and villages look unwelcoming, surrounded by high fences and closed gates.

The next section was up and down over grassy hills. Palm cave was on the path, so called as it is a cave, and it has a palm tree in front of it. Another pine woods followed. Sheep grazed in grassy areas covered with red anemones, while white egrets(?) wandered among them, sometimes standing on top of a sheep. At a picnic area there were remains of what looked like ancient cisterns for storing water.

Sheep grazing in a clearing among the red anemones

Walking beside a dry stream bed on the right populated with trees, and green crops on the left.

For a several kilometres the path followed a stream bed as it meandered about. Although there was little water the small valley was full of lush, green grass, herbage and a variety of trees. People were cutting the grass and loading it onto their pickups, presumably as fodder for their animals. Surrounding the valley fields had been planted with grass, or it might have been a grain crop. 

The route crossed the main Route 6 motorway by a Petrol station where I enjoyed a welcome coffee and pain-au-chocolat. Such treats make up for the hardship of long walks, and of course you need the calories. I then had to wade through mud as the trail took me along a drainage tunnel below the road, the only safe way of crossing such a busy highway, it made a real mess of my lovely Italian walking boots. 

Later, there was a trailer selling food and drinks by the Pura nature reserve. The menu was in Hebrew but I pointed to a sandwich someone had bought and indicated I would have one of those. It turned out to a chicken schnitzel sandwich served in a good sized, soft, white bread roll with white cabbage and olives served with a Turkish coffee. Slightly healthier than the snack I had earlier at the Petrol station. A couple sat down at the same table as me, he joked that I was walking his trail as his name was Israel. Like others I met they told me of a trip they had made to England. They visited London but found the local inhabitants uncommunicative, only managing to have a conversation with a Filipino lady.

Many wild flowers were blooming in the nature reserve, and indeed all day I had been admiring the red anemones, although there were also blue flowers, pools of white flowers and plenty of yellow ones too. A school group had arrived on a coach and teachers were telling their pupils about different flowers which the students were dutifully photographing with their phones.

Remains of old Turkish railway bridge

I continued across the grassland to some ancient remains (they seem to dot the countryside) and the more recent remains of a collapsed railway bridge from the Ottoman era. A more modern railway ran nearby with regular trains (including sleek double decker passenger trains).

Time was passing so I made a diversion off the trail to reach Philip farm before sunset, where my host of the previous evening had sent a text warning of my arrival. The guidebook refers to a campsite here although there did not seem to be any particular area to pitch one's tent between the donkey enclosure, donkey traps, All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and other farm buildings. Very kindly the lady at the small house let me use the shower and fed me coffee and some very good cookies (made with spelt I thought she said). I pitched my tent in the dark behind the ATVs.

Amasa to Sansana on the Israel National Trail: Day 24

After walking across the desert only two days ago, the misty pine forest I hiked through today was something of a contrast.

After a wet and windy night in this kibbutz high in the mountains, I left Amasa in a cloud. Wet mist limited my visibility as I peered for the waymarks on a recently diverted section of track. For the first time on my trip thick clods of mud stuck to my boots and spread up my trousers. I was soon in a pine forest, its floor carpeted with green, a deer bounded away from me, with the mist it was a surreal contrast with the desert of a few days ago.

Pine forest near Amasa

The guidebook promised an observation deck at the Forester's House, this turned out to be more of a fortress, surrounded by a double fence and a locked entrance. Some construction work seemed to be in progress and the waymarks disappeared through a new section of fencing. Regaining the trail I passed the ruins of some buildings, low arched roofs  being most noticeable. They were near where the guidebook reported that a Byzantine church mosaic had been discovered. 

Ruins of some kind

I moved on to grassy hills across which shepherds and shepherdess' led their flocks of sheep. Woolly, a little muddy like me, with red tags in their floppy ears. Another pine wood followed with picnic sites near the town of Meitar, then the scenery changed again as I walked parallel to the security wall, close to the road, then through another woods up to Sansana. I had been seeing many beautiful red flowers among the grass today. As I walked up the final section a man and his wife said hello. He said the flowers were called kalanit, apparently a type of anemone, and only flowered for about two weeks of the year. 

Red anenomes or kalanit

Sansana has a superlative hikers hut, built to remember a young resident who died accidentally when travelling in the far east. I am sitting on the terrace with extensive views of nearby pine woods, Meitar and other towns, their white buildings now tinged pink by the sunset, and the less attractive concrete security wall. The lady in charge has left me some cookies and I have been invited to an evening meal by a local resident and a fellow walker, so things are looking good!

Later: really enjoyable meal at a family gathering: barbecued meat, roasted vegetables, potatoes, salad, and even beer. Such kind, hospitable and friendly people, which jars with the nearby security wall to keep out their Arab neighbours, of course some of those neighbours probably want the destruction of Israel and to drive the Jews into the sea....