The Golan: Issues of Security and Ideology

Today was a beautiful day for us on Bus 545! We left the Kibbutz bright and early to hike in the Zavitan. The sun was blazing, but we were all hat-ed and sunscreen-ed to protect us from its rays. The hike began down a long dusty road, and continued over a mud pit (through which MOST of us made it out unscathed). We had a much-needed reprieve from the heat in a natural pool that feeds into the Jordan River and we took our very first group photo (Pictures coming soon, parents! We promise!). As we walked, our Israeli guide, Neta, pointed out the various herbs and vegetation that grow in the Golan Heights and explained the geological intricacies.

After lunch (Is there such a thing as eating too much hummus when in Israel? My short answer: absolutely not.), we drove to the top of Har Bental, a mountain that looks over the border (or "cease fire line," as we learned is more accurate) between Israel and Syria. There were two UN officers monitoring the area and they explained, along with Neta, about the history of the area and the current social/political climate in neighboring Syria.

Finally, we rafted down the (very lazy) Jordan River. We met new friends, splashed around, and had an all together wonderful end to a wonderful day here in Israel.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post -- we are excited to start our journey south!

Photo credit: @melaniengryffin (header), @coxface