Wadi Akhartoon

I don't always want to post about politics, but want a chance to share about the beauty of everyday life in Palestine as well. Oe of those beauties is the nature. When I get a chance to hike, which isn't as often as I would like, I am reminded of the beautiful countryside in Palestine and reminded of what life could be like here if people could live relaxed and free lives without conflict.

About a month ago, I went on a hike to Wadi Akhartoon. It is a valley, located just outside of Bethlehem, near the Herodian. It is the second time I've hiked. It is a very easy place to get too, and it helps remind me of nature and the fascinating ruins that are always present in this country, even if I don't know what they are.


First of all, here is a shot of the Herodian. (I know it was one of Herod's fortresses, but I regret to say, I've never been there, so I'm not exactly sure what the Herodian is.


The gang: Janelle, Luke, Abby (volunteers with the Lutheran Young Adults in Global Mission program), Timo (a Finnish doctoral student), and Me.


A glimpse of the ruins and caves we will see along the way.


These caves littered the valley and are found throughout the Judean desert. They were created by monks looking to remove themselves from society in order to pray in the very first few centuries.


We spent a good deal of time coming up with stories for what this was.


This is what Janelle so fondly referred to as a "Village of Caves."


Another ruined structure with the Herodian in the background.


Thanks to Timo's keen eyes, we saw many creatures: Rock Badgers, Stick bugs, birds, and this lizard, which you can barely see because it blends into the rock.


Towards the end of our walk, we turned a corner where we could look down the valley and just barely see the start of the Judean desert at the end of the valley.


Enjoying our little lunch


Janelle and Luke.


Timo and Abby.


Unfortunately, even a lovely morning hike is not free from reminders of the conflict. We could see settlements on every hilltop surrounding the valley. Here is a picture of one of the illegal settlements. Remember we were hiking deep inside the West Bank.


As we hiked further, we turned a corner and could see the other side of the settlement, which is well developed with new homes, typified by their red roofs. This is how settlements work. They start of with trailer homes (as seen in the first picture on one side of the settlement) and gradually develop, building more permanent and extravagant homes. The first picture shows this settlement expanding. Soon their will be red roofed homes replacing those trailer homes.

As you can see, life here is lovely, but the conflict always seems to crop up, never letting you be free of its effects or thoughts.