2017-11-15 31 35

Location

South of the settlement of Nili, Israel north of Deir Qaddis.

Participants

Plans

Take a bus to Shilat Junction. Hitchhike to Nili. Walk to the hashpoint through the town.

Expedition

The bus trip to Shilat Junction was just fine and I actually got to an even better spot at the entrance of Modi'in 'Ilit (Kiryat Sefer for the locals). I picked up a hitch with a woman who preferred me getting off at a sane location and not at the southern edge of Nili like I would have liked and hitchhiking etiquette in Israel says that the driver is always right so I didn't complain.

I got off at a proper bus station near the north and only entrance of Nili. I decided that it would be a good idea to follow the fence of the Nili which would likely be safe and possibly easier. That was definitely wrong. I had to climb up a highway embankment and then every step was a decision where to walk next as the ground was very rocky. I stopped to pray the afternoon prayer when I got to the top and then continued to slowly walk. Soon afterward I heard the muezzin of Shebteen to the north for the Muslim sunset prayer. It was a friendly reminder that I wasn't Dorothy and I wasn't in Kansas.

After a frustrating amount of ambling, I decided that I would look at a Google Maps satellite image. There was actually a trail from the highway almost to the point. That would make my life a lot easier. By then it was dark and I decided to continue to the trail ambling over all of the rocks and brush. The trail ended up being relatively fast and it lead to a right turn back towards a trail that led to Nili. When I made it to a final road that led to Nili from the southeast (I started at the northern entrance), I realized that I was less than one-hundred meters from the hash point.

I had to climb a small wall of rocks to advance towards the hashpoint and then climbed over several other rocks. I started to notice a few trees that were not olives. They didn't seem to have fruit on them but they were likely out of season. I kept walking. The rocks were pretty sharp. I heard the muezzin for the Muslim night prayer this time from Deir Qaddis to the south. This might have been stupid. I slowed down to find the hashpoint and then sat down to take screenshots. I wouldn't be able to successfully take a selfie tonight.

I walked down the trail from the hash towards the highway and followed it to the northern edge of Nili where there was a bus station. From there I was able to get a hitch relatively quickly to Shilat Junction and then from there to Jerusalem. I was tired and soon went to sleep.