Day 28 (part) (5th October, 2020) - Latrun to Mitzpe Chen

 I did this day's walk during the 2nd COVID-19 lockdown. According to the regulations, exercise by yourself is permitted, so being (relatively) near to Rehovot, I rode my bike (~18 km) to approximately the mid-point of the day's hiking, walked back to the start, and at the end of the hike walked back to my bike (i.e. I walked each part twice),  then rode back home. Despite the lockdown, there were quite a lot of people around.

I parked my bike near Mishmar Ayalon and walked towards Latrun (through some fields, mostly not on the trail)

Near Latrun I passed this forest for unborn (i.e., aborted) children. Not sure what I think about this.

I arrived back at the Laturn junction where I finished last time, with a nice view of hte monastery. 

The start of the path goes past the Latrun tank museum (closed at the moment because of the lockdown)

There was also a route map close to the museum

I headed towards the #1 road (Tel Aviv-Jersualem), past a water reservoir 

After following the highway for a while, the path went under the road

The path ran near the railway to Jerusalem, with some nice train bridges

There was a nice lookout in memory of Moshe Saya, including water, a large swinging chair, and a place to cook. 

After passing my bike, there were warning signs telling you to be careful of holes (admittedly there are a lot of holes in this area)

The path went close (eventually right next to) the Patei Modiin industrial area

Up on the hill, there are lots of archeological remains (Hirbat Rehes), such as this burial site (empty)

While I ate lunch, this dragonfly kept me company (hard to catch in a photo)

More remains at Hirbat Rehes

I finished my walking at a site with a great view all the way to Rehovot and Tel Aviv (Mitzpe Chen)

I turned around and headed back mostly the way I came, got some strange looks on the way from a cow

and made it back to my bike, which was thankfully still there!

Day 27/28 (24th February 2020) - Nahal Kisalon to Latrun

 It took me a long time to add this to the blog (7.5 months),  hence the lack of details :) Unfortunately due to COVID-19 / summer, I didn't manage to find more opportunities to walk.

After 2 buses, I got off in Ein Rafa 

and heading towards Nahal Kisalon were I rejoined the trail. Hiking in winter presented a much greener and more colourful experience, with an enormous number of wildflowers and trees in bloom

Shortly after joining the path, I went past a nice spring (Ein Limon)

The path followed Nahal Kisalon with pleasant views

The path went past the Bnai Brith cave (there were bars preventing going inside the cave)

The path continued through JNF / KKL forests

The trail reached Beit Meir, where there was a map

as well as a set of supplies which someone had made as a barmitzvah project (nice!) 

The path continued along the "Burma" road (the alternative route to Jerusalem built during the independence war in 1948)

Along the Burma trail there were models of trucks used in this time

I finished the walk at Latrun. Near the end, there is a monastry which makes wine (and there is a small shop there), which can be seen here in the distance.