Monday was a long day, but a great one. We headed out about eight, and found that even if the driver hadn't come the night before, we could have just come through the gate through the person door, rather than the car entrance, ha. Anyway...
Our first landmark was at Ein Mata (Mata Spring), with a cute ruin:
And we saw our first fellow hikers of the day there, too! Then it was along a riverbed and eventually up a hill to another ruin. There was supposed to be a mosaic floor here that was protected by sand, that you uncover, admire, and re-cover, but they seem now to be actively excavating, so it was roped off, and we didn't find any sand-covered, broom-accompanied floor. Le sigh. But the ruins still were interesting.
On the other side of the parking lot was the hill that legend has is the burial place of Goliath's head! (It's quite a walk from Elah Valley, but it's a nice hill, anyway.)
We walked through a beautiful nature reserve where some folks were having picnics, and where the trail wound its way up and down hills with all kinds of pretty plants. Then we passed over a road and hiked along (and on) ancient remains of the Caesar's road. The road that the Caesars used from Ashkelon to Jerusalem (specifically Caesar Hadrian, who built it). Most of it was just our trail, but then you'd come out on clear remains, like the Roman Steps.
Later we passed off the ancient way, and continued on amongst more flowers and such - and some old Olive Trees. :) And around a bend, found definite signs of civilization. ;) We've had some running jokes about aliens here and there, so these fit in nicely.
After a loooong break outside Netiv HaLamech Heh (resting, eating, making phone calls, checking emails, etc.) we got back on the trail and climbed to the Lupine Hill that I'd been hearing about. It really was pretty, and there were all kinds of people up there enjoying the beautiful weather and plants and good day. Of course pictures can't do it justice; and of course I couldn't resist taking them anyway. ;)
Then it was back down the hill, under the highway, and through some groves, to go back up another hill, and then down into a small valley to climb another hill, and then off the trail a little bit to visit some of the most recently found remains, of Sha'araim - "Two Gates." Apparently this village had been a kind of archeological myth or legend: that there was a town with two gates. Walled towns usually just had one, but apparently this one had enough humanpower to secure both entryways. This was a big win for the team who found it. Yay them. :) And now they're working on the excavation (and we got to see it in some of the early stages. Yay us. ;))
Then we came back down and refound the trail - despite the ferocious lizard on a rock (apparently they stand high on their forelegs like this to frighten us off??).
And then down into a valley and up the other side, by a Bedouin camp, and along a ridge overlooking Elah Valley, and some crops and livestock, and then down down down to the highway, under the underpass, and over to our last climb of the day.
We took a little break, and then up we went over the last big hill as the sun headed down its own hill in the sky. And then along the top of the hill and a bit down to the sheep and abstract butterfly at the picnic tables where our Trail Angel would come pick us up to travel down the hill and over to her town, Giva'at Yesha'ayahu.
She and their four kids were so fun! They made us a Shakshuka dinner - their tradition every time they host hikers; the youngest, three years old, fell sound asleep at the dinner table; and the oldest entertained us with stories as she practiced her English so proudly and persistently. It was a fun night, and the next morning after everyone was settled on their buses or at their schools, our angel drove us back up the hill to the trail and we continued on our way refreshed and ready for Day 9.
Our first landmark was at Ein Mata (Mata Spring), with a cute ruin:
And we saw our first fellow hikers of the day there, too! Then it was along a riverbed and eventually up a hill to another ruin. There was supposed to be a mosaic floor here that was protected by sand, that you uncover, admire, and re-cover, but they seem now to be actively excavating, so it was roped off, and we didn't find any sand-covered, broom-accompanied floor. Le sigh. But the ruins still were interesting.
On the other side of the parking lot was the hill that legend has is the burial place of Goliath's head! (It's quite a walk from Elah Valley, but it's a nice hill, anyway.)
We walked through a beautiful nature reserve where some folks were having picnics, and where the trail wound its way up and down hills with all kinds of pretty plants. Then we passed over a road and hiked along (and on) ancient remains of the Caesar's road. The road that the Caesars used from Ashkelon to Jerusalem (specifically Caesar Hadrian, who built it). Most of it was just our trail, but then you'd come out on clear remains, like the Roman Steps.
Later we passed off the ancient way, and continued on amongst more flowers and such - and some old Olive Trees. :) And around a bend, found definite signs of civilization. ;) We've had some running jokes about aliens here and there, so these fit in nicely.
After a loooong break outside Netiv HaLamech Heh (resting, eating, making phone calls, checking emails, etc.) we got back on the trail and climbed to the Lupine Hill that I'd been hearing about. It really was pretty, and there were all kinds of people up there enjoying the beautiful weather and plants and good day. Of course pictures can't do it justice; and of course I couldn't resist taking them anyway. ;)
Then it was back down the hill, under the highway, and through some groves, to go back up another hill, and then down into a small valley to climb another hill, and then off the trail a little bit to visit some of the most recently found remains, of Sha'araim - "Two Gates." Apparently this village had been a kind of archeological myth or legend: that there was a town with two gates. Walled towns usually just had one, but apparently this one had enough humanpower to secure both entryways. This was a big win for the team who found it. Yay them. :) And now they're working on the excavation (and we got to see it in some of the early stages. Yay us. ;))
Then we came back down and refound the trail - despite the ferocious lizard on a rock (apparently they stand high on their forelegs like this to frighten us off??).
And then down into a valley and up the other side, by a Bedouin camp, and along a ridge overlooking Elah Valley, and some crops and livestock, and then down down down to the highway, under the underpass, and over to our last climb of the day.
We took a little break, and then up we went over the last big hill as the sun headed down its own hill in the sky. And then along the top of the hill and a bit down to the sheep and abstract butterfly at the picnic tables where our Trail Angel would come pick us up to travel down the hill and over to her town, Giva'at Yesha'ayahu.
She and their four kids were so fun! They made us a Shakshuka dinner - their tradition every time they host hikers; the youngest, three years old, fell sound asleep at the dinner table; and the oldest entertained us with stories as she practiced her English so proudly and persistently. It was a fun night, and the next morning after everyone was settled on their buses or at their schools, our angel drove us back up the hill to the trail and we continued on our way refreshed and ready for Day 9.
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