Don’t Panic

According to the supercomputer from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the answer to the ultimate question of life is 42. Today happens to be my birthday and it also happens to be my 42nd birthday. I often plan “adventure days” for the girls over school breaks where I take one of them and do some new things in a new place. This is a good way to have one-on-one time with them, but also to do it in a way that is exciting for me. I decided to plan an “adventure day” for myself today. After we dropped Millie off at daycamp, I went back to the apartment and gathered my things: a few snacks, four containers of water (two of them frozen), and the camera. I walked down to the trailhead on Lotus Street (below) and was on my way.

The descent was pretty quick and the first thing I noticed was the quiet—nothing but birds and an occasional flying insect. As I walked along the rocky terrain, it occurred to me that I was hiking alone and that I had better be careful because a twisted ankle or broken leg means you can’t walk out of here. In other words “Don’t panic”. The trail was clearly marked (below center and right) and the view changed as I made my way down.

After walking for about an hour, I noticed that the rock had become smoother and lighter. There were even a few caves in the hillside and I hiked up to the one shown below.

As I neared the end of the trail, I heard water trickling and saw what looked like an otter. Apparently this area was used by Carmelite monks (hermits?) a long time ago and they dug narrow irrigation channels to make use of the the water from the two springs nearby.

At the very end of the trail, there is a nice view of the water and you can see the minarets of the mosque on the ridge. It took about 80 minutes from start to finish, which is not bad for a 42 year old!

From there I caught the bus over to Bat Galim at the city’s northernmost edge. I admired the cable cars moving people from the beach up to the monastery above.

I checked out the cable car station at the beach, but decided to save it for another day. The cars are much smaller up close than when they are zooming past and there was absolutely nobody else in the station at the time. I wasn’t brave enough to ride alone. Instead I walked over to Elijah’s Cave but mostly poked around the actual cave entrance. There are signs out front that say “This is a holy place” and “Dress modestly” (thanks Google Translate!). I wasn’t sure if my cargo shorts and t-shirt met the standard for modesty and I was too afraid to ask the lady in the colorful headwrap seated by the entrance. Here are a few photos though.

From there I walked the Bat Galim promenade, stopped to eat the snacks I had packed on a shady bench, and was approached by this little bird.

I walked to the end of the promenade, snapping photos as I went, then boarded another bus.

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The German Colony is a neighborhood of Haifa that was originally settled in the mid-19th Century by Lutherans (Templers) from Germany. It is situated at the base of the Bahá’í gardens and the streetscapes are a little different. The balconies reminded me a little of New Orleans. I even passed a combination laundry and cafe establishment (coming soon to your neck of the woods!).

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We had plans to meet some friends from Champaign-Urbana who are originally from Israel this evening in a town about an hour away, but when we piled into the car it wouldn’t start. This is the second time we have had to call the rental company in the past four days, but they eventually sent someone out to (I think) replace the battery. Our dinner plans didn’t work out out, but we were able to enjoy some birthday cake.

This was maybe the best birthday cake I have ever tasted. We are already trying to find an excuse to buy another cake from them over the coming months. Turns out that “Don’t panic” is pretty good advice and turning 42 is not so bad.