Saturday 9th December The Sabbath
Awake before the sparrows & time to ponder before breakfast. Magnificent dawn over Jordan mountains east of Aqaba – play more Enya ( the previous evening I had cried listening to ‘Hope has a Place’ rack 2 Side 2 on The Memory of Trees, her best album to date ? The song evoked memories of Cothill prep school where aged 7 I had first read the account of Christ’s crucifixion with a torch under the bedclothes and cried with pity for him). Brief spurts of the Living Years, Mike & the Mechanics and of course Horovitz playing Moz.
Descend for food & coffee I hope … slight wait because doors don’t open till 7.30a.m. not 7a.m. as advertised. Fair nosh, smoked swordfish & soused herring, oat & raisin muesli & yoghurt, roll & butter. Coffee in thermos is weak, but perked up with powder from jars. Jewish party join & feast away.
Still too cold to write, but discover am able to use restaurant’s hot water to make my own coffee. You see I had brought a jar of Sainsbury’s freeze dried Gold with me luggage – thankfully.
Before the day heats up I walk east where new development is apace – pass the new Dan, through the Herod complex being started by the Canadians to a beautiful grass surrounded lagoon. Few people around.
Vanity time – careful with those sensitive areas of my pale skin. Observe life round the pool till 2p.m. or so, doing front & briefly back … it is the Sabbath after all. When I think I am sufficiently toasted decide to wander uptown.
Little did I realise this was to be an 8 km trek. Little temptation as Sabbath shops generally not open till 6.30p.m. or later. Head for the hospital with the intention of perhaps seeking out the psychy wards – 3 women at reception say no not here … none have even heard of schizophrenia or mania. Well, well … I know from having seen a documentary that there is a mental hospital in Jerusalem but maybe Eilat is strife free !
Amazing variety of birds, flowers and shrubs ease my path north-eastwards following contour of foothill. Sensible mix of high-rise and low, again not enough good green space for the kids. Eventually arrive at corner of Eilat dominated by vast unsightly block where 6+ buses from Nazareth are parked. What goes on there heaven only knows.
Head up towards the hills on crunchy brown volcanic rock and scree to mini oilometers and sign saying this is start of Eilat ↔ Ashkelon pipeline. Consider awhile & wonder what effect this could have on Egypt/Israel relations because surely a route to the Mediterranean avoiding the Suez Canal for that precious oil is going to cause political ructions ?
Across scrubland & thorn to an undeveloped valley where stands atop a mound a wooden ark like construction with seating and one of those water fountains which can only dribble & squirt pathetically. Close by is a beautifully made wood slatted wobbly bridge over a small dene/valley. Decide this should become the site of Eilat’s first ? Christian church & dedicate the ground, musing that it should be called St. Charlotte’s church after my fille mignonne ! One can dream can’t one.
Hairpin gently down to civilisation & discover my chosen consecration is at the end of Jerusalem Street. How apt. Yellow Submarine plays in my head.
Sun moving down now – wander downtown, via bus station to enquire about perhaps going to Jordan/Petra but buses only go to border.
Brief look into deli near hotel but there is a different girl on duty … tant pis. Nice hot bath to degrease & oh I nearly forgot, by the airport terminal there had been a commotion of sparrows in a palm tree just as one nun (from St .Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai ?) walked to check in . I felt the flutter, reminding me of 1980 at Heathrow when seeing my friend Gail Bishop off to Africa to roam. Then a group of was it 5 nuns had seemed to flutter like doves around me as she walked towards the departure gate.
Play more Enya in my room and the birds and trees outside my window seem to play in time. Take 2 expresso coffees in the lobby (Israeli brand – Teka – good) whilst diary scribbling. At 7.30p.m., put 2 pairs of socks onto my mending blisters & walk townwards again. Baguette (ham & cheese mit mustard & mayo from 2 surly Swedes) – spot of shopping this time, secure Shepherd Moons (Enya), We Can’t Dance (at last !), Revolver (later) – buy presents for the girls in the Shalom Center. Bright lights beckon to another centre which disappoints.
To bed 10.30/11p.m.