Cooling off

August 17, 2008 - 8:53 AM by

fawwar.jpgOne of the summer catch phrases in our house when the kids are bored, or when it’s too hot to do anything else, is ‘let’s go to the ma’ayan’.

Of course, for anyone living in the vicinity of Ma’aleh Adumim, northeast of Jerusalem,  the ma’ayan – or spring – can only refer to Ein Fawwar, or Ein Maboa, as it’s called in Hebrew. A quick 15-minute drive, it’s the closest you can come in Israel to Huck Finn going down to the brook for a swim.

Named for the Arabic word that means “comes out of the ground,” Ein Fawwar originates in rainfall on the Judean hills, and is one of the three springs that feeds Wadi Kelt, which stretches from north of Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley and drains into the Jordan River above the Dead Sea.

According to nature hike writer Aviva Bar Am,  every 20 minutes, like clockwork, water spurts out of the spring at Ein Fawwar and collects into a pool. “According to local legend, two demons live below the spring and are engaged in a never-ending battle. When the good demon gets the upper hand water pours out of the spring; if the bad demon takes over, the flow miraculously slows down.”

Whatever the origins, the over-the-head pool is freezingly refreshing, and there’s a lush trail with water up to your knees for a couple kilometers, providing respite from the scorching summer afternoons in the desert.

While not an official nature reserve, it is manned and nominally cleaned by Parks Authority personnel. When we were there yesterday, the mix of bathers and hikers included a bunch of post-army friends, barbecuing and smoking their nargilla, a couple Arab families, three or four young couples romantically nestled in one of the brush-covered hidden oases along the stream, and  other Ma’aleh Adumim-area families like us.

Once, before the Second Intifada, some enterprising souls from the nearby settlement of Alon opened up a great pita and lebaneh café right next to the pool. The structure has stood vacant for the last few years, as people first stopped coming to the site due to the threat of terror, and then the restaurateurs were unable to get a license to reopen the establishment.

The ranger on duty informed us that the spring is about to upgraded to an official nature reserve, and the Authority is going to invest considerable amounts of money to clean up the area, install some official picnic and barbecue areas, and impose official opening and closing times, with entrance payment.

While it might take away from the unfettered atmosphere and DIY ethic governing the area, the move will certainly make Ein Fawwar a more aesthetically attractive place that will hopefully highlight its natural charms. And maybe, that pita restaurant will finally reopen.

Tags: , , , • Category: Environment, General, History and Culture, Travel 

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