On Thursday the team arrived in the late afternoon to Eilat. Israel's southernmost city, Eilat is a popular resort town on the Red Sea. Everyone was really excited for some time at the beach - though the heat in Eilat (especially at this time of year) is particularly brutal.
Upon arriving at Eilat, Gil and I both went immediately to Marina Divers. Back before he left Israel for college at Maryland, Gil had been a dive master instructor there - so this was definitely the place to set up camp. I got my PADI open water certification back in 2004 in Koh Tao, Thailand, but I was a bit rusty so I needed to get re-certified before I could go out for dives. While I did the hour long course, Gil went out on his own for a solo dive. With my clearance, I was ready to go for the next few days. In the mean time the rest of the group either crashed back at the hotel and/or looked for shopping at the big mall down by the waterfront. Everyone reconnected a little later in the evening for dinner and nargila on the beach. All in all, it was a great first night in Eilat!
The following morning we all met at daybreak (6am) in the lobby to depart for an early morning hike up Mt. Zephachot. Adjacent to the coast, this mountain offered breathtaking views of the surrounding desert, as well as the Red Sea all the way from Saudia Arabia and Jordan, back to Israel. Given the heat (pushing 110 degrees that morning) the hike was not a picnic. We were all very sweaty and tired by the time we reached the peak. That being said, the view was well worth the effort.
"The team takes a much needed break after climbing Mt. Zephachot"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Following the hike, we returned to the hotel for breakfast and a rest. Gil and I hopped a cab back to the dive shop and had a dive. Not more than a few hundred feet off the coast is the shipwreck of an old Israeli missile boat, which was intentionally foundered many years ago. We descended and swam through the boat before heading back to the surface via a coral reef. It was awesome! After our dive, we put away our gear and returned to the hotel where the group departed for a tour along the Egypt-Israel border fence.
"Steven looks out at the Egyptian guard tower near the Taba crossing"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Photo by Kristin Thompson
After the border tour everyone was excited to proceed to our next stop, the Kassui Sand Dunes. Straight out of a movie (think Tatooine or Dune), these otherworldly sand dunes were a lot of fun to play around on. We hiked up the side and found the perfect spot to dive off into the sand - and almost everyone took a turn leaping and jumping off the edge. The only downside to this little escapade was that the sand was hot as hell and stuck to everything. No matter, it was still a lot of fun!
"Brad showing some moves at the Kassui Sand Dunes"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Photo by Kristin Thompson
