Mitzpe Ramon, Negev desert

From the 22nd til 24th of february I was in the desert. I went by bus to Mitzpe Ramon from Jerusalem. It’s a 3 hour (and a little something) drive and you change in Be’er Sheva, a rather big town in the desert. On our way many soldiers were getting off and on the bus; there were many military bases.

I stayed in Me’ever, a creatieve place with a hostel. On this site were small galeries and shops and restaurants situated, it was an community out of the town. Hippie minded people. I was thinking of volunteering at Me’ever and I applied before I came, since there were also workshops, but the place was not so vibrant (yet). No workshops, dance. The volunteers were very young, hippie- minded, the people in this ‘village’ were friendly but also distant or on their own. I decided not to work there.

I liked the Berch bar, nice art and good music. Also the jazz pub is cool, they have good jam sessions there. Everything was in Hebrew and a menu list had to be translated or was rarely there. I met a nice lady from Switzerland and she was going to some camps in the desert. Maren was coming later and we did a great trekking in the crater.

sunset, Mitzpe Ramon

Cafe/ bar ‘Berch’ with art in Mitzpe Ramon

Negev Desert

Don’t expect too much of the town Mitzpe Ramon. It’s a typical Jewish settlement with a strong sense of community. And no historical sites to see. I once ended up in a party in the street, where people were dancing and singing songs following a car, like a parade.

Don’t go to Mitzpe for it’s history, but do go here for the nature, the views and the crater! Hundreds of kilometres… There are several tracks where you can hike or walk. If you have a car you can even stay in the crater, in a camp. Or walk a part of the national track. The views and silence, the endless colors of sand and stone, it’s amazing. I walked about 10-12 km there, it’s well marked, quite a steep climb but I loved it. It can get hot in there, so bring water, food, and sunscreen. Make sure you also see the sunset!

Walk in the crater, Mitzpe Ramon, Negev desert

Bocks, Mitze Ramon