August 1st--Alpaca Farm, Bio Ramon Nature Center, Jeeping in MachteshRamon

Today started out with a yummy breakfast at our hotel. Nothing beats fresh omelets and shakshouka!
We started out day at the Alpaca Farm right outside of Mitzpeh Ramon. Despite the intense desert heat, we all had a blast learning about the alpaca, the difference between the alpaca and the llama and feeding the animals on the farm. The alpacas and llamas could smell the food on us and just followed us around the farm. Needless to say, my animal loving boys (and husband) absolutely loved it.
Next we continued to the Mitzpeh Ramon Visitor's Center, which was closed for "shipootzim". So, next we continued on to the Bio Ramon Nature Center where we learned about the desert animals and their unique habitats. It was very interesting, especially to learn that a porcupine can even kill a leopard! We watched a chameleon eat a worm with its crazy long tongue and found a skink burrowed in the sand. Our guide was excellent, the movie about the crater was very informative and the boys really learned a lot.
After the first two stops we were hot and exhausted so we went back to out hotel for an afternoon rest, then out for pizza for dinner and onto our night activity.
What fun we had Jeeping through the crater! We left our hotel at about 5:30 and descended down deep into the crater. We learned that all of the colors in the rocks are actually the minerals. The copper is greenish, the iron is red and the volcanic rock is black. Our guide, Gal, made a mountain out of sand to show the boys how the scientists theorize the crater was formed millions of years ago.
We drove down the ancient Nabatean Spice Route and saw one of the stopping points and the site of one of the underground springs, which we could clearly find because of the rich greenery that could be seen in just that spot. Then we climbed the highest mountain in the crater called Har Givanim to watch the gorgeous sunset over Mitzpeh Ramon. When we got out of the jeep at the top of the mountain we were in for quite a shock. The wind was so strong and so powerful that it was difficult to stand. Our guide explained that the wind picks up like that every night at sunset until about an hour after nightfall. So cool!
After another great day the kids collapsed moments after their showers!