The Best Type of Road Trip...

... is the type that someone else pays for! This past week we the orientation for all Israel Fulbright Fellows. We met at the Fulbright office in Tel Aviv and listened to discussions on Middle Eastern affairs by the ambassador, a professor, and a security representative from the embassy. They were really good, but the best part was the road trip they planned afterward.


This was our bus (though this picture was of the 2nd day in Ramon).

Anabelle got some Cinderella candy in which she'd dip a foot lollypop in some sugary stuff which when put in the mouth would lead to a popping sensation... she loved it, and it kept her entertained before taking a nap on the bus.


The first place we stopped was a goat farm. ~15 years ago the Israeli government encouraged people to settle the Negev desert and do any sort of work they could. However, recently the government is saying that those people are no longer welcome there and don't get any support. Anyway, it interesting to learn of that issue and Anabelle had a great time playing with the goats... until one of them started eating her hair.

That night we stayed at a really nice hotel (the Ramon Inn)...

though I did sneak out to go to a telescope owned by one of the Universities here.


The next morning we went to see the Makhtesh Ramon, the world's largest erosion cirque (Makhtesh). The crater is 40 km long and 2-10 km wide, and is shaped like an elongated heart.

Inside the Makhtesh we saw a hill upon which volcanic rock had fractured the underlying sandstone so that now the stone breaks off into little bricks, which now cover the entire hill.

We also went to a spot in which they had piles of different colored sand that had been gathered from the surrounding area. They had the following colors: pink, dark pink, green, yellow, orangish...

Also, there is a little camping area in the middle of the Makhtesh that we went to... there was a little store there, so we got some ice cream. I think that was Anabelle's favorite part, as can be seen smeared all over her face.


We saw some environmental art on the cliffs of the Makhtesh Ramon. They took us there to discuss the controversy of environmental art (large pieces of art built out of the surrounding rock, etc.)... however, for most of us it wasn't controversial... it was fun!

The highlight of the trip was supposed to be our visit to Avdat, some beautiful ruins of a Nabatean city (built by the Nabateans... the same people that built Petra... the place in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). Anabelle loved the goat outside of the visitors center; however, a downpour hit minutes later so we couldn't go up to the ruins.


This is what the Avdat ruins should have looked like.


This is what we saw instead (which was beautiful itself, since there was more rain that day than I think is seen in the Negev most years).