North Isreal

Trip Start May 11, 2005
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142
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Trip End Ongoing


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Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Jon and Ophry drove us up to the Golan Heights for a sweet ravine hike. This was a perfect hike because it combined swimming with hiking. The surrounding landscape was sun baked, brown and dead. But inside this huge ravine ran a huge stream (or little river) that made the air cool and the vegetation lush. This a pretty popular place because most Israelis know exactly where it is. This was a great hike because it was full of swimming holes, big rocks to jump off, and natural air conditioning. The day went a little like this, Hike, Swim, nap, jump off of rocks, eat, and repeat. Some parts you have to swim with you backpack above your head. It was a great time as you can tell from the pictures. Jon and Ophry even surprised Dave with a birthday cake and a birthday song in Klingon.. (Make the Hebrew)
After this we drove up further into the Golan Heights to stay with a friend of Ophry's at Ein Zivan Kibbutz. This Kibbutz is especially cool because it was one of the first to settle the area after Israel took the Golan Heights from Syria in the 67 war Dave birthday song in Hebrew
Dave birthday song in Hebrew
 . On the way there we saw signs for land mines, abandoned tanks and old Mosques that were in shambles left behind from the war. We even got out of the car and explored the mosque which still had bullets in it from the 67 war. That night we went out to eat in an Arab village. The interesting thing about these this Arab village is than it was not Muslim. These Arabs have their own religion and they call themselves the Drus.... The religion itself is very hard to explain and very secretive. However the best part about this religion is that the men believe that the Messiah will return one day through one of their penises! So they have to where special pants so when the Messiah comes (no pun intended) He will be able to get out!!! This is not a joke! I wanted to take a picture of their pants but I figured they would know why!!!! To many Israelis these are known as the nice Arabs because they don't hate Israel and it seems everyone gets along.

Jon and Ophry had to leave to go on a family trip the next day so Dave and I hitch hiked into town. We ended getting picked up by an off duty solider that drove us to a town where we could catch a bus to the Sea of Galilee. The solider gave us a little tour of his town (which was by the Lebanon border) and showed us a house that was hit by a rocket from Hezbollah. From there we caught a bus to Sea.... which is really a lake.
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