haifa.17

Haifa Fornightly(Editor--Huzefa Mehta) 17th edition 1/7/93 Life progresses here in Haifa. Have been fairly regular at the beach volleyball every wednesdays. Last Wednesday we stayed around late, cooked some food(barbecue) and sang till late on the beach. We went diving this weekend in the Red Sea. Drove south and camped on the beach. When we got up it felt like being in an oven..without the air. Day time temperatures in Eliat around 44 deg. Our first dive was simple about 6 meters. We saw a lot though. The next dive we descended rapidly about 15 meters and saw baracudas, sea-horses and lots of exotic fishes..Also wondered how easy it would be to just wade across under the water about 1.5 km and then we would reach Aquaba in Jordan. Next day we left for Timna park..a copper mining area used by the Egyptians.. The desert there has interesting formations(mushrooms,arches) and is very colourful. Went to the King Solomon Pillars and climbed to the temple above.. Returned back the same day after a long drive. I forgot one significant event which took place about 5-6 weeks back. We went to Jericho and then drove to the Allenby bridge to enquire whether we could cross in Jordan or how easy it would be. Finding no one there got off the car. We were suddenly approached by two people with rifles without uniform. No side ever shoots without confirming that they people they are shooting is of the other side be it the Palestinians or the Israelis. We don't look like either. They turned out to be Israel border policemen, who hadn't bothered putting on their military dress. The bridge was closed..and they said we could try our luck crossing it during the weekdays.. More later, Huzefa ps happened to read "From Beirut to Jerusalem"--Thomas l. Friedman sometime back...excellent book on the history of this area.