Yesterday evening after work, my family and I went swimming at our nearest beach. Our nearest beach is Nasholim beach. One of the most amazing beaches in the world, it has everything a sea-lover might wish for. Small and large sea coves to explore, baby fish that you can either chase between the rocks or allow to nibble on your dead skin, a huge collection of sea shells and waves that are often large enough for surfing. You can look for the hidden mermaid's chair to make a sitting wish, catch some fish or sift for ancient archeological treasure. Our favourite bay at Nasholim is just big enough for a tiring swim from to one side to the other and back again. If you'd rather do beach instead of sea - the sand is white and soft and made for lazing. I usually stay in the water as much as possible. Life in Israel can be tense, so it is nice to float aimlessly without any thoughts in the Mediterranean sea. The summer is slowly coming to an end which means that the water is finally coo...
An Unexpected Surprise near Beit Shemesh by Marina Shemesh
I have been living for more than ten years in Israel and thought that I know this little country pretty much inside out. A recent trip to the southern part of the country showed me however that there are quite a few places still left to explore. I shall write about my experiences in the south in some coming blog posts but today I want to tell you about a place I never knew even existed - the Soreq stalactite cave just outside Beit Shemesh in the Judean hills.
Stalactites and Stalagmites in the Soreq cave |
The Stalactite cave of Beit Shemesh
The sealed cave was found in 1968 when quarry workers dynamited a mountain. They discovered some pretty amazing stalactites and stalagmites and called in the nature people. After a few years (more like 10 years) of figuring out what to do, the cave was finally opened to the public.
The Soreq cave is a bit on the small side if you compare it to other similar caves in the world. It is however quite special in its own way because it contains 1. an amazingly large variety of stalactites and stalagmites and 2. they are REALLY old.
Some of the older stalactites and stalagmites in the Soreq cave. |
Apparently quite a bunch of geologists managed to publish not too few scientific papers about the various rock formations found in the cave. Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it? A small place, with lots of things going on and many people writing/talking about it. Doesn't this description also fits the country, Israel itself? :)
I kind of like the metaphor - in Israel, even the caves provide writing material!
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