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Natural history tours with David Schoneveld |
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Itineraries:
Park Timna: The world’s oldest copper mines: In this tour, we enter into Park Timna, a park that opens up before us the 7000-year old mines, along with some extraordinary rock formations and a host of colors in the various types of rock that make up this unique attractions. We will visit the “Arches”, the “Mushroom” and “Solomon’s Pillars”, and will have an opportunity to have some refreshments, or drink some Bedouin tea. At an additional charge, you can see a full-scale replica of the Tabernacle that the People of Israel tool with them during their 40 years in the wilderness. The Arava Valley: 7000 years of human settlement: We will set out from Lotan, go to a Roman fort from the 4th century CE, continue on to a gazelle trap that took advantage of a “character trait” of that animal and that was active more than 6000 years ago, and look at a large farm that was active 1300 years ago with an ingenious irrigation system that supplied a 500 acre farm. At the end of the day, we will go to the town of Eilat to look at the earliest houses that have survived and how it has grown overt the years. Uvda Valley: The world’s oldest temple and first signs of semi-nomadic settlement: From Lotan we go up into the mountains, stop for a lookout at “Caravan Cliffs”, and continue on to Uvda Valley. There we will take a look at the “Leopards’ Temple”, look at the way humans settled in small huts more than 8000 years ago (The pre-ceramic Neolithic age), look at a threshing floor and discuss its significance in the evolution of agriculture. From there we will go up to the Bedouin tent at Shacharut for a refreshment before returning to Lotan. The Red Canyon and Four-country Lookout: During this hike we will go down through a wadi (dry riverbed), look at the flora that inhabit and survive in this landscape. After walking through this wadi with towering cliffs on both sides, we suddenly arrive at an extraordinary canyon that has been carved out of the soft Nubian sandstone. After climbing down a few rungs of a ladder embedded into the rock, we continue down the wadi and go up a dry waterfall, arriving at a lone Acacia tree. If we are lucky we may encounter ibex (wild mountain goats). Park Timna: Mountains, Canyons and Mines. In this eight-hour hike for those who love to hike, we will leave the vehicle at the entrance to the park, cross Mount Timna, where we will have a breathtaking view of the entire surrounding desert. We will pass by Solomon’s Pillars and hike through one of the most beautiful canyons in the park. We will end up at the world’s most ancient mines, where the vehicle will be waiting for us. (8 hours) Corals and fish in the Gulf of Eilat: We will be visiting the Underwater Observatory to look at the types of underwater fauna that inhabit the world’s northern-most coral reef. We will discuss the types of corals that thrive here, and their interactions with the fish that inhabit them. We will also discuss the challenges that face this marine environment from human activity along and in the Gulf of Eilat. From there we will continue on to Coral Beach Nature reserve for some snorkeling. Snorkel and mask can be rented at the entrance. Please bring a swimsuit and sunscreen. Shechoret Canyon: We will travel by car to this beautiful canyon, where we can see first-hand the geological formations that make up this landscape. We will have a look at a fault line and what the effect has been of “plate tectonics” in the Eilat mountains. At the end of the trip, we will look at a 19th century Bedouin leopard trap, before returning to the car. Kibbutz Lotan and its immediate surroundings: In this tour, which is done with a vehicle, we look at the types of deserts that surround Kibbutz Lotan, we climb onto a sand dune, see where our water comes from and take a look at the border between Israel and Jordan. If the conditions are right, we can see what happens when a flash flood hits the area, and what its aftermath is. We will also have an opportunity to see wildlife tracks in the dunes, and have an indication of what animals roam around. Contact info Lotan TourismDaphna Abell |
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