Intensity

Day #5

Entering a new place at night can be disorienting. Waking up to the peaceful majesty of the Kinneret - the Sea of Galilee is breathtaking. Kibbutz Maagan is located on the south of the Kinneret and derives a majority of its income by operating a guest house. As it celebrates its 60th year, our group enjoyed the comfortable sleeping arrangements and spacious community room with wireless access so we could check in with family and friends back home. For the first timers to Israel, breakfast is an adventure. Several remarks were made from our hotel in Tel-Aviv, “Breakfast can’t get better than that.” Even in the north of Israel far away from the bustle of the city, this guest house on the Galilee didn’t fail to impress even the most discriminating tastes!

Our bus driver, Muhamad, is from Afula a city best known for it’s falafel and for its directional significance at the crossroads of two major Israeli highways. Born to an Arabic family from the city of Neen, he is the most enthusiastic, friendly and helpful guide for our journey. His family has been in Israel for generations. He told me his grandfather fought with the British army along side the Jewish pioneers in their quest for an Israeli state. Of all the things we’re coming to know about Muhamad, little did we know of his incredible driving skills. As Muhamad drove up the winding road into Tsfat, the airy city on the top of Mt. Canaan, our collective breath was being held as he drove within an inch of near disaster time and again!

Tsfat - One cannot fully grasp the intensity and vibrancy of this mountainous city in the two hours we were allotted for the day. Like the mystical tradition that finds its home in the narrow streets and hidden courtyards, Tsfat’s historical significance is crucial to the fabric and texture of Israeli society. Here, we learned about the origins of the city. Aside from the impressive synagogues and the creative artistry on display by the local vendors, Tsfat today was best reflected by the local building contractor whom we watched doing some construction dressed in a hard hat with his Payes (twisted lockets of hair on the corner of his head), his Tzitzit (ritual fringes word as an undergarment), and cell phone!

After some shopping and a quick snack we wound our way back down the mountain and moved towards the Hula Valley. The Hula used to be a massive swampland. The early pioneers of the State thought that by draining the swamps they would be able to develop more land for agriculture. At first glance, the feat was simply marvelous. But the long term (unintentional )consequences surfaced in recent years as they discovered what a great natural imbalance was caused by draining the swamp land. In an effort to begin repairing the damage draining the marshland caused, the Israelis developed a nature reserve. Our group enjoyed a wonderful bicycle tour of the reserve that brought us to a viewpoint where several thousand cranes settled in for the winter months. The highlight of the bike riding wasn’t the trip alone. Some ingenious fellow created a 6-person bicycle that where the seats were designed to face each other! (You have to see the pictures to believe it!). Everyone thought bike riding in the North of Israel was a great activity that we would not have thought of doing if we planned the trip as individual families.

From the Hula Valley we stopped at the Naot factory and warehouse for some essential shoe shopping (who can beat 30% discounts!), then for a quick bite in Kiryat Shemona and made our way in to the Golan Heights where we visited Har Bental (a strategic military location that protects Israel from Syrian invasion). After a visit to the abandoned barracks. we finally made our way back near the Galilee to Hamat Geder. Hamat Geder are natural sulfur springs that have become a popular destination for Israelis to take in the healing and relaxing waters and a massage. If the day was intense, this relaxing hour in the tremendous pools was a welcomed conclusion to our touring day.

Our day concluded with a spectacular Latin-American feast at a restaurant on Kibbutz Ein Gev. Since Dani, our guide, is Argentinean, he was in absolute heaven as huge platters of meat were brought to the table. A couple of bottles of wine later, and everyone was satisfied and quite simply exhausted. Tonight was the night any remaining jet lag was overcome. An intense day filled with history, mystical trippings, a lot of driving, biking, swimming, and eating.