A new blog on our 10 days in Eilat.
I would highly recommend Eilat to anyone- especially families with kids
It has it all.
Hot weather. Everything on the Red Sea with some very good coral and an abundance of very colorful fish.
The tourists are mostly Israelis.
Not expensive.
We are staying in a dorm style place called the Field school.
Loads of things to do- an amazing national park 20kms away.
Amy can tell more..............
Highlights in Eilat: 1. Climb to the top of Mt Zefahot with 6 am start - at the top see Jordan, Egypt and Israel (pic at right). Made possible by Keri the friendly staffer who looked after Jake and Elinor. 2. Coral Beach: from first step off beach 50+ types of fish underfoot....clownfish, angelfish, parrotfish and onshore v chilled restaurant on beach with groovy music and large beers. 3. Timna Park - largest national park in Israel where Egyptians mined copper 3,000 years ago. 4. The pool and kids' club at Coral Sea Hotel, just down the road....
ReplyDeletesounds fab
ReplyDeleteHi all
ReplyDeleteTomorrow we leave Eilat after 10 glorious days and head to Kibbutz Lotan, the real destination of our trip. We will be there for 3 weeks at least. I'm not sure what our internet connection will be like once we are there, so I thought I would send a post now. It is too long for the blog, but please do view the blog at http://www.woodausterworldtour.blogspot.com/
Our trip has been amazing so far. We have only been gone a few weeks, a similar time to a “normal” holiday. But this feels like a lot longer, and very much like being back on the road a la backpacker days of yore. Finding out what there is to do in the area, working out the best way to get from point A to point B since we have no car, and the big issue of what/how/where to eat lunch and dinner every day since there is no kitchen where we are staying. Making a major trip to do the laundry, or getting to a mall to pick up a round of hats, sunnies and sunscreen. A big difference these days is the advent of the internet.... nobody sits and writes in journals or on postcards any more!
Though it's probably a bit early to come to any big conclusions, Israel seems to be a very different country to the one I remember from 1985. First, the population has grown heaps and a lot of the influx has been from Russia and African countries (Yemen, Somalia). This has changed the nature of the population, and it's a much more diverse country than what I remember. Especially down here in the tourist zone, the signs are equally in Russian as they are in English. LOTS of Russian, and Russians – including quite a few who are not Jewish as evidenced by the cross around their necks. Evidently Eilat is expanding its rep as a great place to holiday.
Second, Israel seems very relaxed from a military/security point of view. In previous visits I remember seeing soldiers with guns everywhere, but not now. The South would be the most relaxed anyway but literally the border with Egypt is a bit of barbed wire. The minor border crossing we passed this morning had only 2 soldiers, and the taxi driver said they're mainly there to watch for smuggling of drugs. Whatever arms make it in to Gaza come via the tunnels from Egypt...borders are quiet. Who knows – this may change up north.
Third, although more relaxed – this seems to be a less friendly country and much less oriented to tourism, strangely. I can't really explain it, but people seem harder. And it is surprisingly difficult to get your hands on an English-language newspaper. Or maybe it's just the difference of me being a teenager vs an adult last time I was here. But I wouldn't be surprised either if this is really true, considering what the country has been through. And the first language everyone speaks to you in is Hebrew. I don't kid myself that I look like a non-tourist …. I think they just expect you to speak the language here. Also very different to what I remember.
ReplyDeleteDaily routine is that we get up and either Arron or myself have a run around 7 am – to the Egyptian border, which is maybe 2 km to the south. Breakfast in the communal dining hall – typical Israeli diet which is tomato, cucumber, a coleslaw with tomato and cucumber (you get the picture), a few different kinds of spreads eg hummus, tahini, a no-name spicy one, Nutella, yogurt.... then 2-3 types of bread to choose from.... then the protein which is either tuna (yes for breakfast) or eggs (omlet or hard boiled). There are corn flakes and Coco puffs but Elinor's the only one eating it at this point. At the end of breakfast, we use the buffet to make sandwiches for lunch! Works a treat. As a vegetarian, this whole kosher thing works very well for me!
Morning activity from 9 am... Highlights of the trip so far are in the pics I posted to Facebook... the amazing coral reef here – just spectacular – every single swim at the beach is a new experience. Two hikes – one to the top of Mt Zehafot at sunrise, the second today to Red Canyon. Scuba diving (Samantha's first) with the dolphins. The very cool underwater observatory that actually sits on the ocean floor – not an aquarium! One day to Timna Park, home of 3,000 year old Egyptian mines. And finally, having celebrated the holiday of Shavuot here. Shavuot is neglected in the Reform Jewish calendar – but it is actually the anniversary 40 days after Passover of when Moses received the 10 Commandments on the top of Mt Sinai. We're only about 150 km away from Mt Sinai here.... pretty cool. In any case, an opportunity to review the 10 commandments with the kids and emphasis my favourite – Honour your father and mother!
Then in the afternoon we invariably repair to the hotel nearest to us, which has 2 great pools and a kids' club. Very easy entry if you wait for someone to put their card through the side door. This also happens to sit right next to an internet cafe, where I am sitting now – beautiful coffees and my favourite new drink which is a “limonada” – a lemon/lime/mint affair with crushed ice. It is here that we bring out the workbooks for the girls and spend 1-2 hours on homework – journals, maths, grammar and spelling. Sometimes lessons about where we are and what we are seeing. At around 6 pm the pool closes so we leave the hotel and mosy across the road to Coral Beach, where you can take a late-day swim with all the fish and then dine on burgers, fish, pasta. And big Carlsberg beers.
ReplyDeleteThe kids are handling everything brilliantly. Samantha as we can expect is into everything and has already written 20? 30? pages in her journal. Lazy legs Elinor has finally decided to walk long distances without complaining – timing couldn't be more perfect!! Jake is just a happy baby and thriving with all the attention. Though he is now a baby on the move and wants to crawl – roll over – stand up – bounce everywhere. Hard to keep him clean, not that it matters that much really.
We have made some nice friends. Especially one family from a kibbutz about 3 hours north of here who came to stay at the field school last weekend. They have an 11 year old son and 7 year old daughter – and although the kids spoke virtually no English, everyone got along and played just great. If there is anything I wish we had done differently so far, it is that we would have had enough time beforehand to be tutored in basic Hebrew because we would be getting some great practice now. But that will come.
Otherwise, we are hopelessly out of the news and sort of sinking into a very local, disassociated kind of mind set. Esp since it's so hard to get a paper, but very easy to get into our books. We are reading “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” (v good) and “The Mark of Cain” - we each read one, and have now swiped. Though of course I have to wait for Arron ha ha.
Samantha's right into Percy Jackson. She is starting to miss her friends.... so please email her. Elinor's starting to read with much encouragement. Jake is learning animal noises and to touch his nose.
We're also having some very philosophical discussions, especially with Elinor who is now thinking deep thoughts. Today's winner whilst hiking: “You know Mom, no matter where you are you are always touching something. Even if you are naked in the sky, you're still touching air.”
That's all the news!
Xo
Amy
I agree.
ReplyDeleteArron
I'm tired just reading that...
ReplyDeleteWe miss youse.
SOUNDS REALLY AWESOME. WE MISS YOU HERE
ReplyDeleteJOHANNA, CHRIS AND DONNA
great posts! love the pics!
ReplyDelete