Ein Gedi is an area I suppose can be described as a "world of its own", and has Ein Gedi Kibbutz, well known for beautiful botanical gardens, beautiful sparkling blue swimming pool, and top market hotel accommodation, and is built high up on a ridge and has beautiful views in all directions.

At the Sea, a well looked after public beach and public amenities, restaurant, gas station and picnic spots, and all main tourist buses stop there, and people sit in the shade and eat their picnic meals. Then on the opposite side a few hundred meters into the valley, is David's Stream with waterfall, and close by is the ancient Synagogue with original mosaics, and many ibex that perch on the rocks, and Ein Gedi Youth Hostel and Ein Gedi Field School.

ALL of these places have many stories, but here I try to give a couple of "must" tips...
1). A must, is take a walk to the waterfall and take a plunge under the falling water and shout loud that you "love it" while the ibex watch you !
2). A must, is a visit to the Field School behind the Youth Hostel which has a museum and a beautiful large lawn from where you can "drink-in-the-scenery" while the ibex watch you early in the morning when they walk on the lawns as though they own the place.
3). Another must is a swim/float in the Dead Sea at the Ein Gedi public beach.

I spent 2 nights at the Youth Hostel in Ein Gedi, and had 2 breakfasts in the bright airy dining room that looks on to the Dead Sea, also built in a beautiful setting, and very popular with tourists from overseas, and having seen and visited many stunning places including the waterfalls and the kibbutz gardens, and the Ancient Synagogue, and other interesting places and viewsites.

I then decided to go and "have-a-look" at the Field School above the hostel, a beautiful place in the mountain, lovely views and shady trees on a large green lawn and benches to sit on. When I learned that they also have hostel type room accommodation, I immediately booked-in for 2 nights.

A couple of highlights were meeting a group of students from Haifa University, 4 fellas and a girl who invited me to have coffee with them, and they told me many interesting stories about themselves. One chap, Dani had previously worked in a main tourist hotel and was given a "travel book" by a visitor who was checking out. Dani posted that book to me as a gift, and I consult that excellent gift often.

Later a group of Christians from South Africa, who were touring Israel [ in a 55 seater bus and a 14 seater minibus ] put on their colorful"Lesotho outfits" and did some "African folk-dancing" on the magnificent lawns of the field-school grounds, while the ibex family stood at cliff-edge watching them dancing and singing.

I was there with a young chap, Warren, from S.Africa who was working as a volunteer at the Youth Hostel, who earlier persuaded me to take a slow walk to the waterfall, and play in the water, while the other ibex family watched us. After watching the dancers, Warren and I were invited to join the group at the EIN GEDI beach and to share their lunches, so we had about 6 lunches with different small groups.

And the pleasant "happenings" just continue, coz later that evening another invitation to go with a couple (sister and brother ) to see the "Masada at night - light and sound" show, a very long drive through Arad to the "back of Masada" to see this excellent "show", from this large outdoor "theater". The show is on only once-a-week, and is with lights and sounds and smoke, and with the headphones in English giving the full description. Then the long drive back. And that's how the stories grow, AND THAT IS HOW THE DAYS FLY BY.
At every place I chat with the workers and office staff and local tourists, and tourists from all over the world, and every chat is a story, and all these wonderful stories would take hundreds of hours to relate.