We drove from Eilat to Mektesh Ramon (i.e. the middle of the Negev desert in Israel) today, and had some very interesting stops along the way. The first leg of our journey was on a road that ran parallel to the Egyptian border. This picture shows the border fence and a guard tower.
Let's just say there was a strong wind today, as if Joanna's hair didn't speak for itself. Here's our close-up picture with Egypt in the background! I wonder if the rioters are just over that hill there...
Pagan Leopard Temple
Along the road was this recent (within the past 20 years) archaeological discovery... a pagan temple from the time before Abraham (8000 years ago)!
These are leopards made with a stone outline – it is thought they worshiped these as idols.
The Carpentry
Our next stop along the desert road was a hill of rocks called “Carpentry”. This picture was taken on the way, and part of the fun of the ascent was that we had literal 100 mph winds to fight against. At one point Steve literally leaned all of his body weight into the wind and it kept him up. Strongest wind we've ever felt.
These rocks could pass for bricks or even a big discarded pile of 2x4 scraps. The geological explanation for “Carpentry” stone is that magma came up from the middle of the earth, the heat from the magma baked the sandstone from underneath, and changed the composition to look like grains of wood.
Rock formations that are in a similar shape but actually colored like wood (how the hill gets its name “Carpentry”).
Mektesh Ramon
Our final destination was Mektesh Ramon, a town in the middle of the Negev desert. This view is from the top of a cliff looking down into a crater-looking formation (although caused naturally, not by an asteroid). Normally you can see for many more miles, but the sand storm caused a hazy looking backdrop.
We had an early arrival to our hotel today...and just like each previous hotel, the friendly staff greeted us with cold beverages! This hotel even threw in some baklava for good measure. We used the afternoon to enjoy the refreshing heated indoor pool, and wet & dry saunas.
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