Israeli Defense Force

This past Sunday the group had the opportunity to visit Bahad 1 - the officer training school for the entire Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) - essentially the West Point for Israel. Our Israeli teammate, Gil Sharon, took the initiative and contacted the base the prior week to arrange a tour - and despite the short notice - the people he talked with at the base were extremely excited to host us for a tour of the facility and arrange meetings with cadets, as well as a one-on-one meeting with the base commander Col. Yehuda Fuchs.

"Q&A session with three officer candidates at Bahad 1"

Photo by Kristin Thompson

The base is located very near to the Ramon Crater - so after driving up from Eilat - we arrived at the base around 5pm in the evening. After clearing the gate, Gil went to find our hosts, both officers and trainers at the base. For about an hour they guided us on a tour of the facility - walking the grounds and pointing out the key landmarks. From there we went to a brief video presentation on the history of the IDF and the Bahad 1 base. This was followed by a Q&A session with three current cadets. Very interesting - especially in that the soldiers all had fairly different backgrounds prior to beginning military service.

"The team listens in as Col. Fuchs discusses the IDF"

Photo by Kristin Thompson

Our final meeting was with Col. Fuchs (aka "The Fox"), the commander of the base. This was quite an experience - and though the conversation was relegated to what I imagine is a fairly standard script - Col. Fuchs seemed incredibly candid and open about the military and its mission. After talking for a while, he asked for questions and wasn't hesitant to answer any of our queries. Hearing his opinions - especially in regards to the IDF's changing role in dealing with asymmetrical warfare against terrorists - was very enlightening. Very cool!

City Of Petra

On Saturday - while the rest of the group hiked in the Red Canyon - Chris and I opted to take a day trip to Jordan to see the ancient city of Petra. Established sometime around the 6th century BCE as the capital city of the Nabataeans, Petra is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. Hidden in a canyon near the modern day city of Wadi Musa, it is now listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Petra was made famous (at least in the USA) in 1989 by the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (one of my personal favorites) and since then has been a place I have always wanted to see first hand.

Our day started early in the morning. After breakfast, we were met by a rep from the tourist company nearby our hotel. They quickly escorted us to the Yitzhak Rabin Border Terminal, which is the point of entry to Jordan - and to the city directly opposite to Eilat on the Jordan side of the border, Aqaba. After about 30-40 minutes of processing (i.e. visas and stamps were issued) we crossed the border from Israel to Jordan. Once we crossed we were met by our tour guide, driver, and a tourist policeman, who would all accompany us for the day.

"The entry point to Jordan with the poster of King Abdulla looking on"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

From the border entry point, our tour bus - which included us and about 18 other tourists (mostly Europeans) - proceeded on the road north to Petra. The drive was about two hours, but the scenery along the way was amazing. We skirted the Wadi Rum area - also known as the Valley of the Moon - which was featured prominently in the classic film Lawrence of Arabia. We also drove through some beautiful back country (there was a detour off the main highway) where we saw many Bedouin settlements.

"Walking through the Siq on my way to Petra"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

Upon arrival in Petra, we walked from the parking lot into the archeological site. The path through the entry path, the Siq, took us about 30 minutes. The path winds back and forth through a narrow series of canyons before finally emerging into the most recognizable landmark in Petra, Al Khazneh aka The Treasury. To finally see this amazing architectural site in person was so incredibly cool! What was even cooler though was to realize that this was only the tip of the iceberg in Petra.

"Chris and I stand in front of Petra's fabled Treasury"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

Over the next two hours we were mostly free to wander the site and explore on our own. I very quickly was overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of this settlement. The city stretches over an area over 26 square kilometers - meaning it would be impossible to see it all in such a short amount of time. At its peak, Petra must have been a magnificent capital. It was also one of the most unique - in that almost all the homes, shops, and temples were carved directly into the cliff sides. Unbelievable!

"Me looking out over the expansive Petra site"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

Before heading back to the border, our tour group stopped for a bite to eat in the adjacent, modern city of Wadi Musa. Having spent the past ten weeks in Israel it was interesting to compare the similarities and differences in culture - especially given that from a geographic perspective - this town wasn't that far from Israel. All in all, I think their is more in common than either side would admit, but there is definitely many stark differences, too.

"A view of Wadi Musa on the bus back to Aqaba"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

The ride back to the border was uneventful. Once we were back near Eilat, the tour guide took us on a ride through the center of Aqaba. Though there is definitely a lot of construction - Aqaba is still a lot quieter than its next door neighbor, Eilat. The number of resort hotels is still significantly lower, and the supporting businesses just aren't there yet. Give it a few years (and enough investment) though and I'm sure Aqaba will catch up.

"Crossing back into Israel from Jordan"
Photo by Christopher Rajashekar

The time to cross the border back into Israel went by fairly quickly - though the Israel custom control definitely asked a lot more questions than their Jordanian counterparts had earlier in the morning. Back at the hotel Chris and I joined the group for dinner. It was a great side trip and we both agree was well worth the time, cost, and effort!

Fun In The Sun, pt2

On Saturday, the team awoke early again for another hike, this time to the Red Canyon. For Chris and I, this day was an opportunity to travel to Jordan and see Petra - which is about a three hour journey from Eilat. Quite a few members of the group will be traveling on to Jordan after then trip concludes later this week, but since I don't have that option I took advantage of the chance. I'll cover this trip in a later post. Anyway, back to the main group.

"The team explores the Red Canyon"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

The Red Canyon is a gorgeous narrow passageway carved into the desert mountains not far from Eilat. Unlike the hike the previous day, this trek  (at least according to the group) was much more relaxed, and also significantly cooler, since a lot of it is in the shade. After a little over an hour, the team had made it through and were back on the road to the hotel in Eilat. Following breakfast, the team had some time for the pool and then headed to a beach area for snorkeling by the coral reef - very near to where I'd scuba dived the day before.

"Gil climbs up from the canyon floor"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

In the evening, many in the group got ready for some late night partying in Eilat. The party started early in the hotel and then migrated out into the city - eventually to the Three Monkeys Pub - a real staple of the Eilat scene. Gil and I both called it a night early (before everyone left the hotel) since we wanted to get up early for some more scuba before leaving Eilat the next afternoon. It's a good thing we did - since people didn't make it back to the hotel until almost four in the morning. What a night they had!

"Anne leads the group in the Wakka Wakka dance"
Photo by Brad Husser

Bright and early on Sunday morning, I returned for two final dives at Marina Divers. Both dives were wreck dives - the first to a small pleasure yacht and the second to the missile boat I'd already seen on Friday. At one point in the dive we saw an octopus (we'd seen him previously) which was pretty cool! I returned to the hotel after diving where the rest of the group was ready to go. Once we'd all gotten our stuff together and checked out of the hotel, we departed for Eilat's underwater observatory and aquarium. They had some really interesting sea life, including sea turtles and sharks, as well as tons of cool fish.

"Anne and Sean look on in awe at some very cool jelly fish"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Eilat was a great place to see at the end of the trip. It was hot, but very chill, and some of the sights we experienced were definitely one of a kind. With the trip now quickly wrapping up - we have only a few days left. We're now heading back to the north with stops at the Ramon Crater, Masada, and the Dead Sea, before one final night in Tel Aviv.

Fun In The Sun, pt1

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 undersea beauty awaiting just off the coast of Eilat in the Red Sea"
Photo by Aqua-Sport

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

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

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

Post sand dunes, I once again went for another dive, before rejoining the group for our final acts of the evening - water sports at the Red Sea Sports Club. First the group took out the world's slowest motorboats (maybe 5 horsepower). We then got to ride the banana boat (being tugged behind a significantly faster boat). Lastly, some in the group opted to take out kayaks, while the rest of us got drinks at a bar on the beach. It being Shabbat, the group took it easy that night at the hotel. Another successful day in the books!

The Arava Institute

After finishing our class in Rehovot at Hebrew University on strategic water management, the team packed up and headed into the deep south of Israel and the Negev Desert.

Our destination for the night (and next day) was Kibbutz Ketura - home of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Arriving in the early evening, the team quickly dropped our stuff off at our rooms before heading to a BBQ at the Kibbutz pool. There were all the essentials (i.e. hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as an enormous pool). The Kibbutz was also playing host to a bunch of British birthrighters, who we (actually Asher in particular) challenged to a game of football. We lost a close match - but it was still good times.

"Our living quarters for our one night at Kibbutz Ketura"
Photo by Jessica (at Israelity)

After getting back to our rooms everyone brought drinks to the roof of the lodge to watch the stars and talk. In the desert, the sky at night is really something to behold. Early the next morning, we were up and out of our rooms by 7am. After a breakfast and a quick tour of the kibbutz, we proceeded to the conference room at the institute, where we heard from from the first of a few speakers regarding Arava's mission and activities.

Each of our meetings lasted about an hour. Our first meeting of the day was with Dr. Tareq Abu-Hamed, who is the head of Arava's Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation. Following this meeting, we heard from Roy Kagan of the Arava Power Company. Our third visit was with Noam Ilan at the Regional Energy Commission. Each of these three visits highlighted a different aspect of the Arava mission and some of the pioneering research they are conducting on site at the kibbutz.

"Exploring the Aora Solar Energy Installation"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

In the afternoon we had a visit to the Aora Solar Energy Installation at Kibbutz Samar. The Aora installation is interesting in that it is an experiment in providing a modular point source solar power system - though at this point the power outputs are still negligible. Before returning to lunch at Kibbutz Ketura, we stopped for a small ice cream snack at the Yotvata. The ice cream was good - but for me the real highlight was their chocolate milk. So good!

Upon return to Arava we had a final afternoon meeting with Miriam Sharton the Associate Director of the institute. Altogether, our brief visit was a great experience. With this portion of the trip complete we left the kibbutz to head down to Eilat. As we entered into Israel's southernmost city, we said goodbye to our fearless leader, Asher, who boarded a plane to head back to the US via Tel Aviv. Goodbye Asher!

World Cup Final

Last Sunday the world stopped for a moment to watch the beautiful game. As an American abroad, getting into soccer/football this summer has actually been pretty cool! Every match - not just the USA matches - has been required viewing, either at the local pubs in Haifa or back at our house in Ramat Eshkol.

Since we were no longer in Haifa for the weekend of the final, the team decided to take cabs into Tel Aviv to watch the match. What better place to see the 2010 World Cup Final than in the country's most party-centric city! After a great dinner - the team migrated to the Paradise Bar - the local Dutch expat bar to watch the game. The mood at the bar (and in the streets surrounding it) was electric. Everywhere you looked, people were gathered around TVs or were standing on whatever they could (cars, benches, etc.) to see the various big screen projectors that had been set up. Some folks in our group found a hole in the wall bar next door to watch the match, while another group (me included) went down the block to a schwarma place to see the game. In the end - the Dutch lost in OT - which was a big disappointment for everyone (me especially) since we'd all been pulling for the boys in orange. That being said, the Spanish played a heck of a game and that final goal was very clutch. Congrats to them.

Hebrew University, pt2

Our next visit on Tuesday was to the Shafdan Rishon Wastewater Treatment Plant. The world's largest wastewater treatment plant, the Shafdan plant treats almost 500 million cubic feet of water annually - serving a population in the Dan Region (which includes Tel Aviv) of over 2 million people. Operated by Mekorot, this plant's reused water is transferred in large quantities to the agricultural regions in the Negev. 

"Exploring the model of the Shafdan Watewater Plant"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

As we came to find out during the tour - Israel reuses almost 75% of their water. The next closest country is Spain at 12%. The USA only reuses a little under 1% of our water. What makes these figures the most appalling is that most wastewater is 99.9% water, and only 0.1% waste. We obviously have a lot to learn from Israel in terms of water management.

"Inside an exhibit on the Shafdan facility" 
Photo by Kristin Thompson

On Wednesday, the team had a final class with Dr. Gilad Axelrad, another professor in residence at the School of Agriculture. Over about two hours, Dr. Axelrad discussed the various innovative structures for creating partnerships between government and private industry in order to address public infrastructure projects. Following this class, the team was accompanied by Dr. Axelrad to Palmachim Desalination Plant - the second largest desalination plant in Israel - and one of the largest desalination plants in the world. Our on-site host at Palmachim was Avram Tenne the head regulator for water plants in Israel.

"The team dons hardhats at the Palmachim Desalination Plant"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

The visit to the desalination plant was for me the most interesting of the water company visits we had while at Hebrew University. As we had at the previous facilities, we were given a full tour of the plant, seeing the entire operation from start to finish. At the end of the tour, we got to taste the end product (i.e. purified salt water) which had been in the ocean only 20 minutes previously. Interestingly, the taste wasn't quite what I expected - apparently having to do with the fact that many minerals that are normally in drinking water hadn't been added back yet. Still it was very cool!

Hebrew University, pt1

After departing Haifa last Sunday, the team headed south to the city of Rehovot for a four day course in strategic water management at the Robert H. Smith School of Agriculture at Hebrew University. Combining classroom instruction from faculty, with site visits to various area water projects in central Israel, the short program was designed as an intense boot camp in all aspects of the water business landscape - both in Israel and globally.

"Dr. Yoram Porat lectures on the structural models of global development"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Our first visit of the day was with Dr. Yoram Porat, a distinguished faculty member in the field of international strategic planning and project management. Over the course of two multi-hour sessions, Dr. Porat provided a dynamic overview of the models and frameworks that provide the foundation for most global development initiatives - and particularly those in the realm of water management. At times, Dr. Porat lingered on conceptual ideas more than I would have liked, but in total his instruction was useful in providing meaningful dialogue within the team and raising issues we otherwise wouldn't have considered.

"On the roof Ra'anana's offices overlooking their facility"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

On Monday morning we awoke early for a day of company visits. The first visit of the day was to the Ra'anana Wastewater Treatment Plant. Our host, Avital Dror-Ehra - the on-site manager, provided the team with a comprehensive presentation on water issues in Israel, as well as a functional overview of the wastewater treatment system. Afterward, we received an hour long tour of the facility in order to see the system in operation. The Ra'anna plant is not overly large, though the small size was helpful putting the full process into context.

"The team looks at the bio-refiners at Ra'anana plant"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

That afternoon the team visited the Yarqon River Authority for a presentation by general manager (and University of Maryland graduate) Dr. David Pargament. The Yarqon is the major river and watershed in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Over the past few decades, as population and industry have increased, both water quality and water volumes have declined precipitously. The Yarqon River Authority is a semi-private, independent body, that was set up to combat the challenges to the Yarqon. It is amazing the success they've had in such a short amount of time - especially due to the multi-layered government bureaucracies.

"Dr. Pargament presents on the history of the Yarqon River"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

On Tuesday the team visited the Ayalon Institute - which though actually non-water related - was still of interest for its cultural (and entrepreneurial) history. Located on Kibbutzim Hill in Rehovot, the Ayalon Institute was the primary (clandestine) ammunition factory for the Haganah (Jewish militia) in the time before and during the 1948 Independence War. 

"The exit to the underground bullet factory of the Ayalon Institute"
Photo by Kristin Thompson

Between 1946-1948, over 2+ million bullets were manufactured here. These were nine-millimeter bullets, for the Sten sub-machine gun, which was the primary personal weapon during the war. In many respects, this factory was a precursor to the defense industry and contractors that would arrive after the war. What was most interesting about this factory was that it was hidden almost 30 feet below the floor of the laundry. Very cool!