Exploring the North!
After a long day of traveling and getting to know most everyone, the group got a good night sleep for our first full day of exploring Israel today. We woke up for an early breakfast at 6:45am at Kibbutz Chukok They provided a variety of vegetables, eggs, cereal, an juices for us to eat. After we finished getting our energy for the day, we filled up our water bottles and headed off to the Golan Heights for the Jilaboon hike. The hike was a lot of fun and there were a lot of pretty sights for us to see. Some of the group broke off to hike through a flowing stream which was a great experience as well, even for those who fell a few times. After the morning hike under the boiling sun, we were all a bunch of sweaty, hungry messes. So we made our way to a local mall for some lunch. Everyone got their first taste of shwarma and falafel in Israel - and there will hopefully be many more to come.
After lunch we headed to the Bental lookout. Here we were told about the history of the tension between Israel and Syria, and why the borders exist where they are today. In addition, we learned why it is very important for Israel to keep its guard on these borders. This was a very eye-opening place for me because this was the first time I ever saw a bunker and how close the borders really are to Israeli civilizations. Atop the Bental lookout there is a coffee shop where some people got some souvenirs, and local vendors were selling produce like cherries and blackberries.
After the lookout we drove to the Kenneret cemetery where we visited Rachel the poet’s and Naomi Shemer’s grave. Our tour guide Ariel and the Israelis on our trip led the group in well known songs like Yerushalayim shel Zahav (Jerusalem of \Gold).
Overall, today was very busy as we packed a lot into such a short time. The hike, the lookouts, and the cemetery were all very interesting and I’m glad I got the opportunity to see and learn about them. Now we’re looking forward to another great dinner at the Kibbutz and for what tomorrow has in store for us.
Shalom,
Adam G.
