Thursday, December 20, 2018

Israel: 12/16/2018 Beit She'an & Hamat-Gader

12/16/2018


This morning at the breakfast buffet,  a slight man of moderate height was heaping tomato-cucumber-pepper salad onto his plate — essentially taking the whole largish bowl, and then topping it off with tahini dressing.  He saw me looking wistful and said “they’ll bring more”.  His table was loaded with food — Rose thought for 4 people, but in fact he ate through it all.

We were using Google Maps on my cell phone to navigate — Wayz was only in Hebrew as far as I could figure out — but I hadn’t brought the charging cord, which I should have.

We head north toward the Sea of Galilee, to Beit She’an, ruins of a Roman city named Scythopolis — v impressive amphitheater and main way lined with columns.  A young woman clad in what from a distance looked like a wedding gown was modeling, we thought a local bride, but the gown was essentially split down the front (she had sequined underpants on) so I guess it wasn’t a bride.


From there, we went to Ein Ged, a kibbutz with a restaurant that sells fried fish—we each ordered one — you get a whole fish, head and all, slashed down the side and fried (the amount of fish is less than it looks, once you deal with the bones).  Rose was much more thorough and methodical than me.  

From there, we went to Hamat-Gader, which has hot springs (there were Roman baths there), but by then it was about 3:00 PM, and it’s getting dark by 4:30.  There are crocodiles, and a bird show, and picnic facilities (the website prohibits “gazelles” and barbecuing, but Rose opined they must have meant gazoils).  The water felt good, but had a very strong sulphuric smell that I didn’t like, and besides, my passport and wallet etc were in a bag on a chair by the water, so I got out and read while Rose steamed.

Many Arab families — the women wore bathing dresses that covered them, and covered their heads.

Hamat-Gader is almost in Jordan/Syria — there was a sign along the road saying leaving the road put you in mortal danger (because of mines)— the road is very winding, so I was glad when we were on a more main road.  We navigated back using my cell-phone, whose juice was running out, but it got us back to familiar ground in Tel Aviv.  We drove on to Jaffa, eventually parked, and got a large cheese-and-tomato filled triangular pastry for supper, and made our way back.

Did I say all the rooms have art work?  Here’s what’s on the walls of ours.


Quite something, isn’t it?

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