Galilee & Golan (Day 3/4)

Following our encounter with the bats of Nimrod's castle (yikes!), we decided to slow things down and see something a bit more benign: like a little waterfall. Banias Falls is the largest in Israel. It's no Niagara Falls, but it was worth the trip. We arrived there by way of a a 1/2 hour hike through a nature preserve followed by an elevated trail over the rushing river floor. The water looked cold and enticing, but it was far too strong for swimming. Nice photo-op, though.

the fam smiles at Banias Falls as Lydia breaks out...

for a solo career.

Kibbutz

Meanwhile, that evening we were introduced to life on a Kibbutz. These are communal agricultural communities that basically "built" the country of Israel since 1948. Today, they are still around dotting the countryside. We stayed on Kibbutz Gonan in the heart of the Golan Heights, and it gave us not only an inexpensive place to stay for the night, but a great breakfast, a big pool, a petting zoo, and a very relaxed atmosphere with all the other folks who live & work there. It was far preferable to the commercialized hotels and tourist trap restaurants of Tiberius.

View from our room

Will feeds goats & Lydia runs from them.

Yeah--KIBBUTZ!

Mettula

On Sunday morning we headed North to the town of Mettula, which is almost completely surrounded by Lebanon. It's a quaint little artsy town, with probably the best place to eat steaks in Israel. It also was a chance for us to see "the Good Fence", which separates Israel from their Northern neighbors of Lebanon & Syria.

Mettula: Everything beyond the town that is not green is Lebanon.

In the Golan Heights--do watch your step.

Finally, to wrap up our first adventure in the North of Ha Eretz Israel, we visited Manara Cliffs. This place was cool. Not only did it have a gondola that takes you all the way up the mountains separating Israel & Lebanon, but they had a 2-mile mountain slide that we did with the kids. Very fun--highly recommended, even if the boys finished in record time & the girls rolled down like they were auditioning for the sequel to Driving Miss Daisy.

All in all it was a great trip--we'll have to get back up here again sometime soon.

Skiing on Mt Hermon in January, anyone?

Shalom y'all!

Golan Heights: beware of bats

Our next day in Galilee started with another blazing hot, but beautiful stop at the Mount of Beatitudes. It is only a 30 minute walk uphill from Tabgha and has spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee and surrounding hills and countryside.

From there we traveled to the northern most region of Israel - the Golan Heights. With borders touching Jordan, Lebanon and Syria this mountainous area is breathtaking. It's topography is somewhat similar to parts of Northern California, but only somewhat similar.

First stop: Nimrod Fortress.

"Nimrod Fortress National Park is located in a magical mountain scenery on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, atop a ridge at an altitude of 815 meters above sea level...Nimrod Fortress is one of the largest and most impressive fortresses which have survived in the Mid-East since the Middle Ages." Direct quote out of the park brochure. Nowhere does it mention the wildlife that currently inhabits the ruins.

The kids loved exploring the area, and the air was much, much cooler. Enjoyable, in fact. We were having a blast.

Earlier that morning, we met a nice couple at breakfast who suggested we take a flashlight of some kind in order to explore the dungeon and secret passages of the fortress. This was advice worth heeding, although alas, we did not. So, when we came upon this staircase that was truly pitch black (the picture with flash does NOT do this justice), Stewart's curiosity kicked in and he insisted that we try it anyway. For those of you who know me, you know that I have an intense fear and hatred of snakes. Naturally, my first thought was, "but what if there are snakes?!" Stewart's cheerful reply, "there's no snakes here." Knowing that he didn't really know whether there could be snakes below or not, I ignored my inner fear (wisdom) and proceeded to follow him and lead our 2 children down the stairwell.

"Oh look, it opens up and there's a little light at the bottom," he says. Indeed there was a little light. Enough to see slither tracks on the ground. "Can you name one thing other than what I'm thinking of that could have made those tracks?" I ask. Stewart, seeming unconcerned, shrugged and set off to explore the tunnels. Meanwhile, as I'm internally hyperventilating but staying as cool as possible for the kids' sake, I notice a persistent chirping sound. A bird's nest in the dungeon? Nope. Bats. Lots and lots of bats. I lost it. The kids lost it. Our screaming sent the bats flying and darting everywhere. We bolted for the pitch black stairs that I am now thoroughly convinced were covered in snakes and headed for higher ground.

Stewart managed to snap this photo of the ceiling during our speedy exit.

Of course, Stewart found all of this quite humorous. Me, not so much.

Finally, stepping out into sunlight again.

"Bats! Bats! Bats!!!!"

Here I am, still a little frazzled, and clearly not in the mood for a photo op. But aren't the ruins nice?

On the summit of the fortress. The view was AMAZING!

Not only did we have a close encounter with bats, but there were also plenty of lizards and these furry little creatures living among the rocks. These guys are called Hyrax, and they are like rock-dwelling groundhogs. Much cuter than bats and snakes, I'll tell ya that much.

Shalom y'all,

Elizabeth

Galilee & Golan (day 2)

Day 2 was all about the Sea of Galilee, or as Israelis call it, the Keneret. We drove all the way around the lake, stopping wherever there was something to see. We started the trip with the “Jesus Boat” at Kibbutz Ginnosar. This is a first-century Galilean fishing boat discovered by local fisherman in the mud of the Galilee during the drought of 1986. There is no evidence that this was the same boat used by Jesus or his disciples, but it is the same kind and from the same period. This is worth seeing, but maybe not more than once. [However, the story of how it was salvaged from the mud was easily worth the price of admission]

A model of the 1st century boat

Lydia considers a career in fishing, then decides "no, I'd get dirty."

Tabhga/St Peter’s Church- Of all the places on the Galilee, this was the most tranquil and picturesque. It was not commercialized with an ornate cathedral. Just a small chapel by the water where Jesus appeared to the disciples for the third time after his resurrection and ate fish with them. It is also the traditional sight of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. The view was serene, despite the heat. I could just imagine Peter diving in the cool water once he recognized Christ on the shore... or perhaps a small group of friends roasting fish over a small fire while their teacher eats with them and answers their questions. This stop won our vote for best of the day.

Loaves & Fishes...YEAH!

Capernaum- This was basically an archaeological sight today, but it is where Jesus lived during his Galilee Ministry (Matthew 4:12-13). It was really neat to see & explore, but EJ & the kids stayed in the car because they were just too hot to get out & look at more rocks. (EJ would like for me to include that she does have a decent appreciation for archaeology; however, she's seen it before, both kids were crying, and it was darn hot.)

Meanwhile...back at the car:

Ein Gev- From there, we moved down the Eastern shore of the lake to a Kibbutz called Ein Gev. There are ferries that go between Tiberius & Ein Gev every hour, bringing tourists & locals for, among other things, the food. We dined at what was easily the best fish restaurant at which I’ve ever eaten in my life. There are lots of things to do here on the Eastern shore of the Keneret including beaches, a waterpark, and the Ein Gev, but don't miss out on the scrumptious St. Peter's fish if you're ever in the area.

This was my fish.

...& this was the aftermath. He did not die in vain:)

Hamat Geder- This was a resort situated so close to the Jordanian border that our cellphones started leaving us messages in Arabic. This place was like a giant spa/zoo/resort with a Crocodile Farm, Hot Springs, Roman Ruins, the works. Good for a full day trip, but we were worn out & running out of daylight. Maybe next time.

A few random shots:

Standing in the water

Capernaum cat

Will

And just as a teaser: we are saving the best for last. Trust us. Tomorrow's post is worth waiting for.....wait for it....wait for it.....

Galilee & Golan (day 1)

For the second Israel travel adventure, we decided to drive North and explore some parts of Israel that we had yet to see. We were also hoping to escape the heat by heading north to the mountains, but that turned out to be an exercise in futility. It was HOT! Nonetheless, with our trusty GPS, a few travel pamphlets, some advice from other Israel Olmsteders past & present, and of course, Yolanda-the-Honda, we were off for 4 days of fun. First stop: Megiddo.

Yolanda: our trusty steed. A/C rockin at a steady 85 degrees.

Megiddo

This is an important archaeological sight because it is where Solomon housed his famous stable of horses, and is mentioned in the book of Revelation as the sight of the final battle. For those of you less interested in history and/or eschatology, it's basically a lot of old rocks up on a hill. Translate: Stewart was fascinated, EJ was hot & bothered, & the kids were along for the ride. It was actually so hot there that at one point Will asked us, "Guys, can you just make me a pillow out of these rocks so I can lay down---I'm so fwetty! [sweaty]"

Lydia enters the city

Excavation

Finally, on our way back to air-conditioning

Wait, let's stop and take some more pictures first.

Will asks Mommy to make him a 'rock-pillow'. Time for a break...

Nazareth

Next stop was Nazareth & Cana, and they were not at all what I expected. For some reason, I pictured this place a dusty little 2 road intersection of mud-brick huts... The kind of place Jesus would have grown up learning carpentry and reading his Tora on the side. My, how I was mistaken. History did not forget about this town, because it is vibrant and bustling as ever, and seeing as every sign was written in Arabic & then Hebrew (& not English), I'm pretty sure that if Christ was born there today he'd be speaking Arabic, not Aramaic. Cana was a few miles to the North and had very much the same feel to it. I took this as a good sign to let go of all those sunday-school expectations and just see these places for what they were, not just historical sights, but places where very real people still live & work and try to get by.

Nazareth 2011. Center is the Church of the Annunciation

On the door of the Church

Nazerene Market

Tiberius- This lake-town hosts the “Tiberium”, a multi-million dollar water & light show built by the Israeli government built to boost tourism to the Keneret region (the Sea of Galilee). Shows are at 8:30, 9:30, and then again at 10:30 every night, except Shabbat of course. The city population, which has become noticeably more ‘religious’ in recent years (many more orthodox Jews), are upset that the 10:30 show of the Tiberium is aimed towards the Christian tourists, instead of the pro-Israeli, pro-Jewish show. This is another classic clash of different sectors if Israeli society: secular vs religious. The pragmatic secularists think Shabbat is bad for business, and many fundamental Jews think that in their country, everyone should honor the Sabbath, if they want to or not. Either way, the show was free, and as an American it makes me smile to see that Vegas-esque entertainment has crept all the way to the Middle East:-) Yikes!

The Lights on the Galilee...who knew?

NIght Hiking-Mt Sodom

So...what to do when your apartment looks like this:

That's right...you escape. Time for an Olmsted Adventure.

For this first excursion, we were invited by our new Israeli friends to join them for some night-hiking near Mt Sodom in the southern region of the Dead sea. Night hiking because there was a full moon, which lights up the desert to the point where you feel like you're Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. We all have children, and they assured us that this wasn't anything epic or strenuous, so we figured... why not?

First was getting there...a long drive punctuated by meeting several other families and a few pit stops as well.

Will - stretching his legs as king of the desert.

After arriving to the Dead Sea, we had to do a little off-roading on an unpaved dirt/ sand road through some rocky terrain. This was the first real test for our newly acquired used 94' Civic, 'Yolanda-the-Honda'. Despite a severe shaking, she pulled through. Take note that our GPS was entirely black for 20 minutes before arriving to our destination (at night)--not the most reassuring feeling I've ever had. Will said, "Guys, dis woad is weally bumpy." Lydia's contribution, "When are we going to BE THERE!?"

Our best attempt at capturing the GPS picture of the car on a black, blank background.

Once there, we were joined by 3 other families on some blankets in a wadi for a night-picnic-feast that included food for everyone--chicken, pasta, schnitzel (very popular here), cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, coffee/tea, and of course, hummus. There was even champagne. What fun. Will said (2 hours past his bedtime when we finally stopped to eat), "this is a really good party." Despite later saying she didn't play with anyone b/c none of the other children spoke English, Lydia played endlessly with the whole gaggle of them - chasing and climbing on rocky ridges and hills.

After eating & chatting with our new friends, the full moon came up over the Jordanian ridge-line & we set out for hiking. This was almost surreal, like walking through a movie set from Star Wars or Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade. It was beautiful and clear & quiet (minus all the children chattering away in Hebrew), unlike any other place we have ever been, or anything we have ever done. OK, so we didn't get home till 0245 AM...but that's OK. It was worth it.

Night Picnic in the Wadi

Combat Coffee & Tea

Off we go...

& one for the yearbook...