Shervin Tosif also breezed in – he is riding his push bike across Asia/Europe and flew into Haifa for a break before riding through Austria.
Hooman Zahrai visited his delightful daughter Shade and we were invited to dinner, and had a most wonderful time.
It was also our wedding anniversary in late November and some friends joined us for a luncheon here in Haifa.
Robin Stott of Perth and her daughter Diane were on pilgrimage 
and we had a delightful day at the Sea of Galilee.
Apart from these dear friends, the real gem of the past few months has been a return to the Negev desert in southern Israel. We scouted out the region in January 2008 and decided that a return visit—this time with 5 additional couples—was well worth it. This map will help identify some of the locations we visited (click on the map to enlarge it).
Being Aussies, all activities revolve around morning and afternoon tea, and we took a small gas burner with us to make delicious Arabic coffee and heat soup for lunch.
No camping with this group, we travel in style! We even took a rice cooker and a microwave oven to cook and heat up delicious food for dinner.
Three friends—Mark, Brian, and Khosrow—took many of these wonderful photos that will give you a glimpse of the remarkable terrain and ancient civilizations that inhabited the region.First stop was Paula and David Ben-Gurion's home at Kibbutz Sede Boker. Ben-Gurion and his wife moved into their desert home in 1953.
During his twenty-year residence there, the house was enlarged to meet the needs of his work and the reception of the couple's numerous guests. The home dates back to the 1960s and remains exactly as Ben-Gurion left it when he passed away in 1973. Its structure and furniture exude modesty, physical simplicity, and frugality.
The garden landscape has been expanded and is carefully maintained; pathways have been paved for visitors' comfort; maxims from Ben-Gurion's philosophy, and blown-up photographs from the early years of Sede Boker decorate the walkways.An exhibition entitled "The Negev is the cradle of our nation, dangerously vulnerable and dazzlingly prospective" includes short videos of Ben Gurion's life. One can trace Ben-Gurion's early years in the Russian town of Plonsk; his aliya [immigration] as a pioneer to the Land of Israel in 1906; his rise to Zionist leadership in 1935; and his role as head of the political and military struggle for the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948.
Close by to this desert home are the graves of David and Paula Ben-Gurion which overlook a magnificent valley;
they rest in a landscaped garden in the desert, inhabited by many ibex.
The Nahal Zin is 120 km long and 1550 sq. km. It is the largest wadi (canyon or deep gulley) that begins in the Negev. The Nahal Zin was created by reverse erosion as the great height difference between the Negev Highlands and the Jordan Rift caused the under layers to erode during the rainy season, resulting in the collapse of the harder strata of rock above. The landscape is mostly limestone, consisting of some brown-black layers of flint.
Magnificent rock formations abound, as do the ibex.
The park has a bubbling brook, a waterfall, and pools. Many animals, including birds, reptiles and ibex, are attracted to the fertile banks with their lush vegetation. The park has limited its visiting hours to minimize the adverse impact of human guests on the resident animals.It is so amazing to hear the sound of running water in an otherwise quiet desert, 
and to see a waterfall is even more spectacular, even if it is a trickle after a long dry summer.
Not quite Abbey Road (for those Beatles fans who remember the famous album cover) but the name of the game was "follow me"
A group photo
The riverbed has a grove of Euphrates poplars, trees often seen in oases and known for their amazingly diverse-shaped leaves.
The trail through the park is designed so as not to damage the landscape. It runs past caves which were inhabited by monks during the Byzantine period. The complete trail leads from the lower entrance along the river-bed to the upper entrance. On one stretch of the trail, hikers must climb up iron rungs hammered into the rock.
This time a hardy group climbed to the top of the deep gorge at the Ein Avdat National Park – including two vertical ladders fixed to the stone walls of the canyon.
Avdat is a Nabatean city that has bridged the centuries. It sits on the ancient Spice Route between Petra and Gaza. The city was named after the admired monarch Avdat [‘Abdah in Arabic].
It is an enormous city that housed an army of some 2,000 soldiers; caravans of several hundred camels bringing their riches were easily seen from a distance.
These wine vessels date from that period.
Its good to join the locals
and participate in local sporting activities
Avdat is a world heritage site and is larger and more interesting that the smaller city of Mamsheet which we also visited.
It had a natural fortification at the back and a clear view of any approaching army from the front.
No match for the Romans though, who had no great difficulty in occupying the city. With their traditional livelihood gone, the inhabitants of Mamsheet found another way to make a living—raising horses. The residents bred the renowned Arabian horse, which brought great wealth to their city.
The crater at Mizpe Ramon (Makhtesh) is an unusual formation. 
The vigorous process of erosion, which swept away the upper strata of the Ramon anticline, penetrated deep into the ground, creating a "window" onto the layers of rock. Makhtesh Ramon also contains evidence of long-ago volcanic activity.
After the obligatory afternoon tea,
we watched the sun go down over the crater and saw a group of Jews celebrate the start of Shabbat with song and readings. Such a spectacular spot in which to reflect on our tiny place in this vast universe.
Brian got up at sunrise to take this photo, while the rest of us slumbered on!
and to see a waterfall is even more spectacular, even if it is a trickle after a long dry summer.
Not quite Abbey Road (for those Beatles fans who remember the famous album cover) but the name of the game was "follow me"
A group photo
The riverbed has a grove of Euphrates poplars, trees often seen in oases and known for their amazingly diverse-shaped leaves.
The trail through the park is designed so as not to damage the landscape. It runs past caves which were inhabited by monks during the Byzantine period. The complete trail leads from the lower entrance along the river-bed to the upper entrance. On one stretch of the trail, hikers must climb up iron rungs hammered into the rock.
This time a hardy group climbed to the top of the deep gorge at the Ein Avdat National Park – including two vertical ladders fixed to the stone walls of the canyon.
Avdat is a Nabatean city that has bridged the centuries. It sits on the ancient Spice Route between Petra and Gaza. The city was named after the admired monarch Avdat [‘Abdah in Arabic].
It is an enormous city that housed an army of some 2,000 soldiers; caravans of several hundred camels bringing their riches were easily seen from a distance.
These wine vessels date from that period. Its good to join the locals and participate in local sporting activities
Avdat is a world heritage site and is larger and more interesting that the smaller city of Mamsheet which we also visited. It had a natural fortification at the back and a clear view of any approaching army from the front. No match for the Romans though, who had no great difficulty in occupying the city. With their traditional livelihood gone, the inhabitants of Mamsheet found another way to make a living—raising horses. The residents bred the renowned Arabian horse, which brought great wealth to their city. The crater at Mizpe Ramon (Makhtesh) is an unusual formation. 
The vigorous process of erosion, which swept away the upper strata of the Ramon anticline, penetrated deep into the ground, creating a "window" onto the layers of rock. Makhtesh Ramon also contains evidence of long-ago volcanic activity. After the obligatory afternoon tea,
we watched the sun go down over the crater and saw a group of Jews celebrate the start of Shabbat with song and readings. Such a spectacular spot in which to reflect on our tiny place in this vast universe.
Brian got up at sunrise to take this photo, while the rest of us slumbered on!
Rain in this desert environment is a very precious and welcome gift. Fortunately, after several dry winters (it does not usually rain between May and October) we had some welcome rain in November and December; these storm clouds attest to the sudden change that can occur from the bright blue skies normally seen over Haifa to this stormy and angry canopy overhead.
Still, we are in the worst drought the country has ever experienced. Even with a little rain the country quickly "greens up" and we hope to travel in the coming weeks to see some northern parts of Israel in winter.
Still, we are in the worst drought the country has ever experienced. Even with a little rain the country quickly "greens up" and we hope to travel in the coming weeks to see some northern parts of Israel in winter. Our warmest greetings for the festive season
and all the very best for 2009.
