Oct 8 – Drive to Eilat

We are heading to the very southern tip of Israel today, Eilat on the Red Sea.  However, there are a few things to see before we get there...including a lot of dry, desert scenery.

We are travelling through some military bases and there were a lot of signs warning passersby to beware.  Manny said that sometimes the road is total closed when the military is having maneuvers.  The area is used primarily for tanks. 

We did see the only wild penguin in Israel.  It’s a dead tree trunk that looks just like a penguin when viewed from the correct angle.

We had a mid-morning rest stop…at a kibbutz known for their ice cream, Yatvata.  Apparently, this is one of the most popular ice creams in Israel.  The entire operation, including the dairy, is owned by a kibbutz…in the middle of the Negev desert.  Hard to know how they can raise cows there but they do.  Manny said that they milk the cows 5 times a day, and they get enough milk for their extensive ice cream operation. 

So of course, we had to try the ice cream…even though it was only 10:30 in the morning.  But when you are an adult you can have dessert in the morning if you want.  The pistachio is supposed to be one of their most famous flavors, so Mary tried chocolate, cherry, and pistachio.  Paul had chocolate, vanilla and Oreo.  They were all exceedingly good. 

The dining room was huge.  Not many people here today but we assume that they get really big groups from time to time. 

The one other stop in the day was at Timna Park, a national park in the middle of the Negev Desert.  Interesting statuary near the entrance...very Egyptian looking.

It is the home of ancient copper mines reputed to be King Solomon’s Mines.  The drive through the park was very picturesque.

The green in this stone is copper.

We visited the geological formation called “The Mushroom”, obvious name since it is shaped like a very large mushroom.

Nearby were the remains of a copper smelting operation.

A further drive took us to Solomon’s pillars, dramatic geological formations. 

From there we headed down into Eilat, the last stop on our trip here in Israel.  Our hotel is just across the street from a beach plus it has lots of swimming pools.  This is the Jewish holiday Sukkot so there are a lot of families here with lots of children.

We said goodbye to Manny here and settled in for a leisurely stay.