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Kibbuts Ein-Gedi
The “kibbutz” is a unique Israeli
institution – a fully democratic collective community, in which property
and means of production are owned communally by all the members. Kibbutz Ein Gedi was founded in 1956,
and now has a population of ~700.
It is located on the shoulder of the escarpment overlooking the Dead
Sea, adjacent to the Nahal Arugot nature preserve, and about
1 km
S. of the Nahal David nature preserve, both of which are scenic oases in
the Judean Desert. Ein Gedi is mentioned in the Bible at
several points, one of them being where David hid from the angry and
jealous King Saul. Their first
guest house was established in the 1960’s. The current guest rooms are garden
units, each with a small patio facing a large lawn. The guest houses, as well as the
members’ houses, are situated within a botanical garden, featuring 30
varieties of palm trees, desert plants, species mentioned in ancient
texts, and local species. Besides
the guest house, another major business of Kibbutz Ein Gedi is
agriculture, and in particular date production. The various relevant facilities, e.g.
guest rooms, conference rooms, dining hall, swimming pool, etc., are
spread out in a campus-like arrangement – its about a 7 minute walk from
the guest rooms to the largest of the conference halls. Ein Gedi is about 1 hr 45 min
drive S.E. from the Ben Gurion
International Airport.
Kibbutz
Ein-Gedi Emergency Contact Information:
Tel.:
+972-8-659 4222
Fax:
+972-8-652 0152
Climate and Clothing
Even at the end of winter (e.g.
27 Feb), the daytime temperatures are warm.The area has a desert climate,
with an annual rainfall of only 60 mm,
and thus the chances for sunny weather during most of the conference are
excellent. Dress will be informal for all conference sessions and
events (ties will be banned!).
Participants who will visit other
parts of Israel are
advised that weather and climatic conditions vary widely, rain and cold
weather should be anticipated, and participants should prepare
accordingly.
Visas
Participants from most
countries do not need an entry visa to Israel, but we suggest that you
contact your travel agent on this matter before making your flight ticket
reservation.
Arrival in Israel
Almost all international
flights to Israel
arrive at Ben
Gurion International Airport. Often called according to its Hebrew
acronym “Natbag” by local residents, it is located adjacent to the town
of Lod (Lydda), about 1/3 of
the distance from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
on Highway 1. Recently a new passenger terminal (Terminal 3) was
constructed, and is connected by rail to Tel Aviv (approximately 2 trains per
hour mid-week), with connections to Haifa,
Be-er Sheva, and suburban towns in the Tel Aviv area. The airport is also
served by busses via the national bus cooperative Egged, taxis, and shared taxis
(sherutim).
(Hebrew note: The
Hebrew word for “service” is “sherut” (plural – “sherutim”) and it covers
a broad spectrum of meanings, and thus poses some ambiguities). For
example, a shared taxi service is called a sherut, and WC facilities are
also commonly called “sherutim”.)
Travel to Ein Gedi
If
you will be traveling directly to Ein Gedi upon your arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, then the easiest way is to have our travel
agent arrange your transfer. Arrange for your transfers on the Accommodation Form. We plan to have a volunteer from the Local
Organizing Committee in the airport arrival reception hall (after
Customs) to greet participants arriving during the peak arrival hours, and
guide them to their transfer conveyance.
If
you will be participating in the pre-conference Jerusalem tour,
the easiest and least expensive way to travel from the airport to your
hotel in Jerusalem
is via shared taxi service (“Sherut”). No prior arrangements are
necessary. As you leave the baggage and customs area in the airport, you
will enter a large arrivals hall. Continue straight ahead for the street
exit, and when you reach the street, turn left. The Jerusalem Sheut stand
will be immediately in front of you. There will probably be a Sherut
mini-bus in a queue within a few meters of the door. The fare is NIS
43. The sherut departs when the driver has a full load, and he will take you
to your hotel in Jerusalem.
(Further on along the street is the regular taxi stand. You can also
travel by regular taxi – the fare is considerably higher, but departure
is immediate). If you are arriving on Saturday, please note that
because of the Jewish Sabbath, (1) there might be a surcharge to the
sherut and taxi fares, and (2) hotel check-out times are usually about a
half-hour after sunset, and therefore your hotel room may not be
available until early evening – take this into account in your planning
and packing – plan to leave your luggage at the hotel luggage room and
spend the day touring Jerusalem on your own. (Suggestion – visit the Israel
Museum
– ask the hotel concierge for tickets and taxi information.) The
pre-conference tour will deliver you and your luggage to Ein Gedi, which
is about an hour drive from Jerusalem,
in time for supper. Arrange for the pre-conference tour via the accommodations form (http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~hardcoat/download.htm).
If
you are traveling on your own by car, Ein Gedi is accessed from Highway
90, which runs from the length of the country from Metulla on the
northern border to the southern tip at Eilat, through the Jordan Rift
Valley. Travel time, without traffic, is about 1 hr 45 min from Ben Gurion Airport. However traffic jams are frequently
encountered entering Jerusalem during the morning rush hour. Ein Gedi is served by 7 daily Egged buses
from Jerusalem. The current (30/12/05) Sunday schedule is shown below, but you
should check their website (using En Gedi spelling) or service
center (tel 03-694 8888)
for updates. The fare is NIS
32.
|
Hour
|
Line
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Type
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08:45
|
486
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express
|
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09:40
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421
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express
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11:00
|
486
|
express
|
|
12:00
|
486
|
express
|
|
13:00
|
486
|
express
|
|
16:15
|
487
|
express
|
|
20:30
|
487
|
express
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What to bring?
The
“dress code” at the conference, including all sessions and the banquet,
is informal, so you can leave your suits, ties, and evening gowns
at home. Bring comfortable walking shoes and appropriate clothing for the
hike in the nature reserve and the visit to Masada. The hike will be relatively easy over a
well marked trail, but there might be rough footing or even mud in some
places. We will ascend to Massada via cable car, but there are some steps
and considerable walking on the site, so again comfortable foot gear is
recommended. Bring a bathing suit for the spa party. It is also
recommended to bring shower slippers (“flip-flops”) and a robe or
“training suit” for lounging around after dipping in the mineral bath or
walking outside to the mud bath. The scenery around Ein Gedi is
spectacular – bring your cameras.
Some Information about Israel
Population
Israel has a population of approximately 6.6
Million inhabitants, of which 77 percent are Jews, 19
percent are Arabs (mostly Muslim) and the remaining 4 percent comprise
Druze, Circassians and others. The country is a parliamentary democracy –
elections for the 17th Knesset are scheduled for 28 March
2006.
Language
The main language in
Israel is Hebrew. Hebrew is a Semetic language, related to Arabic, and Amharic, and not related to any
Indo-European language. The Old Testament Bible was written in Hebrew,
and modern Hebrew speakers can readily read biblical texts (far more
easier than modern English readers can read Shakespeare!). Some Hebrew
words and names have been adapted into various European languages,
largely because of the dissemination of the Bible (e.g. Sabbath and Jubilee
in English). Road signs are usually posted in Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin
characters. The transliteration into Latin characters is not
standardized, so various spellings of the same place name may appear,
even along side of each other! All Israeli children study English is
school, and there is usually no difficulty getting directions on the
street, or conducting business, in English.
Currency
The local currency is the
New Israeli Shekel (5.43 NIS = 1 Euro as of 29/12/05). Credit cards are
used extensively and major cards (VISA, MasterCard) are honored widely.
Electricity
Electricity in Israel is
220 V, 50 Hz. Most power sockets in hotels will accept both the standard
Israeli and European plugs.
Sabbath, Shopping, and Security
The Jewish Sabbath begins
at sunset on Friday and extends until sunset on Saturday, during which
most businesses and public transportation (trains, busses, and El Al
Airlines) do not operate. However, many travel and tourist services, e.g.
many restaurants, gas stations on main highways, tourist sites, taxis,
Ben Gurion International Airport, etc. do operate. In areas with a
significant Christian or Muslim population, the closing day tends to be
according to the religion of the owner, e.g. Sunday or Friday,
respectively. Most industries and businesses operate on a 5 day work
week, Sunday through Thursday. Most retail outlets also operate on Friday
until 14:00. During the week, retail outlets in town centers tend to open
according to the type of business (6 or 7 for groceries, 8 or 9 for other
consumer goods) have an afternoon break from 14:00 until 16:00, and have
one afternoon per week in which they are closed, which varies from town
to town. In contrast, most stores in large shopping malls operate
continuously from 10:00 to 21:00, with cinemas beginning their last show
at 22:00 or 24:00. Because of the continuing terrorist threat, many
businesses and public facilities inspect all incoming visitors and their
handbags – please accept this graciously, as it protects you and all of
us.
Cuisine
Restaurants in hotels
usually comply with the Jewish dietary code (kashruth), which (among many
rules) prohibits pork products and shell fish, and serving meat and dairy
products at the same meal. Other restaurants may or may not be kosher –
those which are usually display a certificate from the local rabbinic
authority. Israel’s cuisine is a reflection of the widely varying
culinary traditions brought with them by Israel’s large immigrant
population, as well as its veteran population. Restaurants reflect this
diversity. Middle-Eastern restaurants typically begin a meal with salads
and dips, typically featuring chick-pea paste (humos), seasame
seed paste (tehina), and multiple variations of salads and dips
based on eggplant. These are served with flat pita bread, and
pickles and olives. The diner usually tears the pita into
quarters, and dips them in the humos, tehina, and eggplant
pastes. Main courses of meat or fish are often grilled, some served on a
skewer. Hotel restaurants tend to serve main courses which follow
European culinary traditions, but with Mid-eastern salads and dips as
starters.
Urban Israelis tend to
skip breakfast (or simply have a hot drink), and eat a “10 O’clock Meal”
consisting of a sandwich. Kibbutz agricultural workers, on the other
hand, often begin their work before dawn with a hot drink, have a
substantial breakfast consisting of vegetable salad, supplemented with
eggs, fish, or cheese, at around 08:00, and finish their work day shortly
after mid-day. Most Israelis eat their major meal at noon or early
afternoon, often at their place of work, and have a light supper in the
evening. Large factories typically provide an in-house dining hall to
feed their workers, while small high-tech start-ups often provide their
workers with vouchers to be used at local restaurants, which offer a
“business lunch” – generally a full course “menu” at reasonable prices,
and often available from 12:00 to 18:00.
Hotels in Israel are
famous for providing a sumptuous breakfast buffet, featuring cut-up raw
vegetables, eggs, salted fish, cheeses of various kinds, but in
particular white cheeses, leben and other cultured milk products,
breads, jams, and fruit. Generally, substantial meals are offered both at
noon and in the evening. Hotels catering to tourists tend to serve all
meals buffet style, so bring your will-power if you hope to preserve your
diet!
“Street
food” in Israel includes falafel, deep fried balls of ground and seasoned
chick peas, placed in the hollow pocket of pita
bread with various salads
and sauces, and shwarma, meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie, and
also served in pita. Some places with a Bedouin or Druze
population bake large flat pita on the spot on a rounded hot plate, and
serve it hot with leben, olive oil, and zarta (a relative of oregano). With today’s
“globalization”, every variety of “fast food” is commonly available in
towns, shopping centers, and highway rest-stops.
Value
Added Tax
Israel
has a value added tax (VAT) of 16.5%. Foreign guests are exempted from
VAT on their hotel accommodations. Also, a refund can be obtained in the
airport for goods purchased at approved tourist shops and exported with
you, so save your receipts.
Tipping
While some restaurants include
service (usually 12%) in the bill, this practice is very rare today.
Generally the custom is to add a tip of 10-15% (in many cases tips are
the sole income of the waiters). While it is not necessary to tip taxi
drivers, most customers round-up the fare. It is customary to tip the
bell-hop if he see you to your room, and the chambermaid, as in the U.S.
or Europe.
Official Travel Agent
Diesenhaus-Unitours has been
appointed the official travel agent for the International Conference on
SuperHard Coatings. They will extend their services for special hotel arrangements,
tours and car rentals, as well as pre- and post-conference requests, and
can be contacted before, during and after the conference for tourist
requests.
Diesenhaus-Unitours Incoming Tourism Ltd.
Tel.: +972-3-565 1313
Direct:
+972-3-565 1344
Fax: +972-3-561 0152
E-mail: meetings@diesenhaus.com
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