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photo page 24 |
As mentioned before, we were looking for a second hand car, and an old
jeep would be just perfect for the desert. Several friends advise us to
go to Shauli, an honest (!) car dealer and garagist. He has his own
Land Rover for sale, because he needs the money to extend the
garage. He bought this 12 year old one half a year ago and made
it fit for the desert.
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Transferring money by phone does not work over here, and cheques are
not trusted, because more often than not they are not covered. So cash
it is, and with the usual denomination of 100 shekel, less than 20
Euro, even a cheap second hand car requires a heap of money. We count
ourselves fortunate with our guard cat!
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The first trip is to the car wash: the car has been in the desert and is covered with dust.
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As Raoul the car washer points the pressurized air towards the
interior, clouds of dust obscure the sun. The change is stunning.
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With a big smile, we drive to Ben Harosh to celebrate. Sonja has no
problem whatsoever to tame this beast, as the 4 liter V8i engine has
automatic transmission.
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Shauli
has heightened the car by an additional 10 centimeters to easily get
around off-road. Moreover, he equipped it with hefty tires and steel
protection underneath the vulnerable engine parts and axles. With high
and low gearing, diff-lock and a double air conditioning this is just
perfect for the Negev.
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Our first trip off-road: we follow Ron's Red Sea Sports jeep from a
distance, and he has selected a spectacular route that ends in
Beer-Ora. Soon the
Land Rover gets stuck in a deep trench, but after engaging the
diff-lock and low gear it climbs out seemingly effortlessly.
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We revisit the Amram pillars, just like we did in June with
Marianne. This time, the heat is off, and we are all alone. The
silence is unimaginable: the only thing you hear is the blood in your
ears. Just great such places still exist.
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The
next week Ruth, Yuval, Ben and Esther (Ruth's parents)
join us for a longer trip through Wadi Eteq. The foldable chairs in the
back of the car seat 7 people! Along the way we find these big pods in
the bushes. The fruit is very sweet, but the seeds taste like mustard.
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Sweet orange with mustard .
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Showing off the capabilities of the Land Rover: a rocky part of the wadi. Look at the articulation of rear axle....
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Sonja
drives up the steepest slope, while Yuval leads the car on foot. Some
parts are so steep that you cannot see the ground in front of the car.
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Off-road!!! Lucky that we do not have to do this with the mini-van: it would have got stuck at the very first pebble.
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Celebrating the successful crossing with a delicious picknick brought
by Ruth and Yuval. Blanket on the ground, water boiling on a gas stove,
olives, cheese and kabanos, hmmmm.
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Rina and Dudu (who introduced us to Shauli) join us the next desert
trip. We start very close to Eilat in Wadi Shlomo. After a steep ascend
through a white chalk mountain pass, we suddenly look upon the black
granite of Har
Shlomo.
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We continue the trip through the red canyon, have picknick underneath
the egg tee, and climb Har Bereq. Suddenly the road ends at a vertical
descend, overlooking Timna park, the Arava and the
Adom mountains of Jordan.
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What a spot for car trouble: civilization is at least 10 miles away
through the desert. Underneath the car is a big puddle of oil, caused
by a loose joint. Henk and Dudu climb into the spacious engine
department, and reappear black and greasy, but happy to announce the
problem is fixed. With oil levels way below minimum, we make it safely
back to the road, and to Shauli's garage. Shauli fixes the joint
tightly, and adds 8 liter (!) of motor oil, compliments of his garage.
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5 December: the traditional Dutch feast of Sinterklaas: Henk bakes a
huge "speculaas", and we distribute little bags of traditional sweets
to some of our Dutch friends in Eilat.
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This
is Sonja's new ' gym'-teacher: Hadas. She works with rithmic
music, which no doubt will be greatly enjoyed by Vicky and Mario: click
HERE for a sample (may take some seconds to start).
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A
box with birthday presents arrives from Holland. Henk's ma had found a
cat-shaped wooden clock, and shipped it together with 'dropjes'
mini-sausages and sweets for Amitsa. Perfect timing, as Sauerkraut with
smoked sausage is Sonja's birthday meal and we had just run out
sausages.
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We make the trip through Wadi Shlomo once more, but this time just the
two of us, with only a few drinks and snacks. The temperature is
dropping, but still very enjoyable. We are treated to a spectacular
sunset over Egypt.
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After sundown, the Ibex reappear. They are completely accustomed to
people, and don't even step aside when we pass them just 2 meters from
the car.
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Sonja and Anat pay another visit to Kibbutz Grofit, where Anat is to
pick up another birdy. She rears them in at home, and as the birds are
still very young and need hourly feeding, she takes them to her work in
a little box.
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Season's greeting for (X-mas) 2006: with cat and jeep.
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