How Low Can You Go?!

The Dead Sea is dying.
In about 60 years the sea level dropped in 21m. This caused the "swallowers" to appear. The "swallowers" (holes beneath the surface) evolved because the water, which used to fill these holes, doesn't support the ground any more. So it might be that you'll drive around in your car when a "swallower" will appear and eat you alive. I don't understand why they put signs which say to drive slow in case you'll meet a "swallower", I would drive fast to do jump above it – just like in the movie "Speed".
Dead Sea Sunrise

There are a few solutions for the problem - some more creative than others. The easiest is to open the damn between the Kinneret and the Dead Sea. But this would cause the Kinneret to dry and we'll dry as well.
Dead Sea Sunrise

So why not filling the sea with the water of some other sea? This will unbalance the Dead Sea ecology (too much lime acid and stuff).
I think the best way to solve the problem is to build more desalination factories and stop the drainage (for drinking water) from the Kinneret and open the damn to the Dead Sea.For now there is a plan of the government to do so (one was recently open at around September 2007). I hope it wouldn't take so long…
Dead Sea Sunrise

Anyway, in order to raise the awareness of the Dead Sea situation there was a plan to surround it with bicycle (both the Israeli and the Jordanian sides). The trip was supposed to be 270km over 2.5 days. Unfortunately someone in Jordan canceled it at the last minute, so we did just 90km over the Israeli side.
I don't know if it helped the awareness, but it was fun.
Dead Sea Sunrise

Bar-Refaeli's Hot Photos in Zanzibar – Africa part IV

After sleeping with lions (good movie name…) and busting our asses to the summit of the Kilimanjaro, we had to clear our heads and let our sore bodies to cool down and heal.
What could be better than cocos, pineapples, spicy food, beautiful sea, white sands… What could be better? (How about Sports illustrated photo shoots?!)


We've reached Stone Town – the main city of the island. It was the last day of the Ramadan, so when darkness started to appear, the fest began! Colorful food stands. Lots of fish from all kinds, and even eight times more octopus's legs!
We continued our trip in the island by going through spices farms and then finally we reached a place which looked like a piece of heaven. White sand, turquoise sea…
Unfortunately we've found out that except from a blind kid (from the white sand) who kept trying to sell us rotten fruits at extra expensive rates every five minutes, the tropical fruits dream would have to be left in our dreams…
We decided to go to do some snorkeling. I don't need to say that we got back in colors which wouldn't shame any Manchester United fan…

Sundown at Kendwa Beach


Fisherman on his way home


Zanzibar Sundown

And now, you're probably all waiting to see Bar-Refaeli's hot photos…
Of course I don't have any of these, this is just to help my Google rank… :)
(For those who are not from around here – Bar-Refaeli is one hot model who you might have seen by Leonardo DiCaprio's side.)
You were so nice and read my blog up to this point, so I'll short you the need to open google - Bar Refaeli
And now - 5 things you didn't know about Zanzibar:

1. In the 27th of August 1896 the people of Zanzibar made a rebellion against the British rulers. Zanzibar surrendered after 45 minutes. This is the shortest war in the history of mankind.
2. ‎Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town in Zanzibar (5 September 1946).
3. The island was a base for the slaves trade in the Ottoman age.
4. The major industry in the island (except for tourism) is spices. (After all, it was a major trading post in the Ottomans age). And no wonder they call it Zanzibar - the spices island.
5. When you land in Zanzibar they write you "ATM" on the forehead, just so locals will now where they can try to withdraw money…
   
   

To The Summit Of The Kilimanjaro - Africa Part III

Morning. 6am. I couldn't sleep. It was too freezing in the so called "alpine sleeping bag". It's been 3 days since we started climbing on the Kilimanjaro.
Starting at 2000m with our Rasta guide going through tropical forest, passing through moor land, we reached 3900m getting closer to the alpine desert.

Since we began the trek it was foggy and a bit raining. We started to over use the phrase "Yom Asal Yom Basal - today it's Basal" (One day honey, one day onion - today it's onion).
I took the risk and got out of my tent to the freezing cold. Frost all around (later on Liad will find the time to be funny with the frost on my tent...).
Liad being funny (it's written "Sefi the cool")

(OK... it's written "Sefi the gay"... :) )

For the first time I've seen the target - Kibo. The "always snowy" part of the mountain - the peak.
Kibo from 3900m

My tent with Kibo


Nature called, so I went to the "shit hole", wearing all my cloths and my gloves. I've put my gloves in the pockets. After doing my stuff, I heard something soft falling on the ground. When I saw what it was, it was too late... One of my gloves was in the "shit hole"... I started swearing, so I guess that the guy who was out in line for the shit whole started thinking that our cook gave us bad food...
I had to cover my hand, so for the rest of the journey I've had to use 2 of my socks as a glove...
Hobo


All over our journey, even at high altitude there were some kind of humongous ravens which looked like they are waiting for one of us to quit, so they could eat from his flash... Spooky!
Humongous Raven - By Liad Hacmon


This 4th day was the start of the hardest part of the trip. We've started in early morning to go up and down in the rain and in snow from to reach 4600m.
To those of you who didn't travel in heights - you have to go foot by tow in order to set your breath (not enough oxygen).So we got to the Baraffu (Snow) camp around at early evening. We went to sleep wearing all of our cloths because this is one of the coldest places in the trip.
We woke up in the middle of the night to start our way to the summit. Apparently Liad had a hole in his tent - his sleeping bag was wet and he didn't sleep at all... It was very cold (-10c to -15c) and very very steep. Liad's breath sounded more like a dying motor.
With the help of our Rasta Man and Santa little helper we reached at 7am to the Summit - 5895m.
From Stella Point

While I was taking shots with a sign to my girlfriend, Liad finally reached the Stella point - seeking for another breath...
Reaching The Peak

Me, Rasta Man, Santa Little Helper and Liad at Stella Point


At this part, you start to think about how you're going to get down, and apparently it's not that easy.
We've finished our day at about 5pm at 3000m above sea level.

And that you finally think that we are such fearless men, let me thank the few guys who helped us to get there:
Our Pack


This is almost the last part of the trip where we spoke Swahili, so here is a short traveler English - Swahili dictionary:
Kuma Mama ke - Someone's mother is a bitch (it makes the locals laugh, so maybe it's "My mother...")
Mambo Vipi - How are you? (slang)
You need to answer:
Mambo poa - Hi! cool.
Or
Poa Poa kichizy comon dizy in the frizy - Cool like banana in the refrigirator

And a short song:
Jambo, jambo buana
habari gani, Mizuri sana
Wageni, mwakari bishua
Tanzania yetu, hakuna matata

Translation:
Hello, hello man.
How are you? Very good!
Clients/Tourists - You are welcome.
Our Tanzania, no problem!

If you understand what exactly this song means - send me an email... :-/

5 things you didn't know about the Kilimanjaro:

1. In 1886 Queen Victoria, the British ruler of what is known today as Kenya, gave the Kilimanjaro to her cousin which was the German ruler of what is known today as Tanzania.
2. Kilimanjaro means "Shining Mountain". The summit of the mountain is called "Uhuru Peak" - "Peak of Freedom".
3. The Kilimanjaro is 5895m high and is the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free standing mountain in the world.
4. The Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano with a glacier at his peak. The glacier started melting due to global warming.
5. Because of the low pressure, you toot a lot more in high altitude.

At The Summit