חיפה חוף הים: A Drive Through the Desert

Sunday, March 30, 2014

By: Rebecca and Jason

For our recent trip to Petra, we decided to drive to Eilat instead of flying or taking a bus. The bus trip is looooong, and since there were three of us, it made more sense to drive than to fly. Another reason for driving was to take the scenic route through the Negev desert.

We had been to the Judaean desert several times, but not further south to the Negev. The Negev covers more than half of Israel's land area, but is home to only about 8% of the population. We drove through the Negev highlands and the Aravah valley on the way south.

The Negev Highlands

Spring flowers in the Negev

With Alex as our guide, we decided to turn off the main roads and take a more interesting route to see some of the impressive geological and historical sites. This meant we would drive down the infamous Akrabbim (Scorpions) Ascent. The road was originally built by the Romans as a shortcut for the spice route from Eilat to the coast. The road was so steep and treacherous that the traders abandoned their carts at the base of the mountain and used camels to carry the goods up to the top where there were new carts waiting for them. It might seem like a lot to go through, but this shortcut lessened the length of the trip by several days. Even for the Romans, time was money.

We also stopped to see one of the many Roman forts that dot the desert. We even drove by one that Alex excavated. They don't look like much until you wander through them with an archaeologist. It continues to amaze us how much someone can tell about a site from a few remaining walls and some pottery shards.

The famous Akrabbim Ascent - the black dots are
barrels marking the edge of the road's many switchbacks

On our way back from Eilat, we were fortunate to drive through the Aravah Valley at sunset. The nearly full moon rose over mountains glowing pink and orange in the light from the setting sun. A beautiful sight and a fitting end to a fantastic trip