On Vox: Eilat.

Came back from 3 days in Eilat. Been to Kings City, Timna, snorkeled in the Red Sea, and stopped by the Dead Sea on the way back. Being on vacation has its fun sides - you meet new people, you see new places (you eat like there's no tomorrow :) but at the end of the day - there's no place like home. The temperatures are reasonable, the humidity is right, and even the water tastes normal again.
At the guesthouse in kibbutz Elipaz there were 3 taps in the kitchen - hot water, cold water, and potable water. In other words, the other two kinds of water are not meant for drinking. Is it that way all around Eilat? I don't know about other people, but I occasionally let water run through my mouth when I take a shower. Blah.
Another observation about life in the desert: in order to create the appearance of an oasis, the kibbutz people have to water their trees and bushes almost constantly. At all hours of day and night there's something dripping, sprinkling, or simply pouring into the sand. I don't see how that can be considered an adaptive settlement.
On the up side: I met a professional photographer who was also vacationing at the guesthouse. He had a Canon camera with a huge 100-400mm lens attached to it. I couldn't figure out what he was aiming at, but he looked very consumed with it. He suggested that I get an 18-55mm Canon lens for my camera to cover the problematic wide angle range of my collection.
One evening I returned to the geusthouse an hour earlier than the missus. I forgot to take the key to our room, and got stuck with Shachar watching a closed door. The reception was already closed, so I had to catch one of the passing by workers and ask for help. He asked me what room I was in, and I noticed his Hebrew was terrible. "Seventeen" I said in Hebrew, and saw it didn't register with him. "Saba3ata3ash?" I tried in Arabic. "Mar7aba!" the man gleamed with joy, and promptly continued in broken English - "I will get the boss, and he will open it for you". In ten minutes the room was open, and I could take the kid to bed.

Originally posted on wildernesscat.vox.com

So what's a little tent between friends?

The Southern Beach, Eilat.