Golan Heights trip
Today was ok, pretty cool, I guess. It’s our last Tiyul, so sad! L We woke up at 6:00 and left at about 7:10. We drove for a while and then got to our first educational stop. I recognized the place! I had gone there before! It was a memorial for soldiers in the 6 day war when we got the Golan Heights. And it was by an old Syrian bunker that overlooked an Israeli Kibbutz. We learned more about the six day war and how we got the Golan Heights. I must say we owe a lot of it to the amazing spy Israel had, his name was Eli Cohen. He spent years climbing the Syrian political ladder. He became friends with everyone in the Syrian government. He had pictures of them that he sent to Israel, and got tours of lots of top secret Syrian bunkers. He told the Israelis what the Syrians were planning. Plus, once the Defense Minister of Syria was complaining how the soldiers were so hot in their bunkers, so Eli Cohen told him to plant Eucalyptus trees over all the bunkers. It would provide shade and cover from Israel. So then all Israel had to do was bomb the Eucalyptus groves in the Golan Heights. They don’t grow here naturally. And we got to see the huge Eucalyptus trees that are still here today. However on his last mission Eli Cohen was caught and hanged. He was the best spy Israel ever had. This guy was legit. He was next in line to be Defense Minister of Syria and third in line to be President of Syria. How amazing would that have been?! Plus the Syrian government was so crushed to find out he was Israeli, they told the media in Syria he had committed treason. So that was how we got the Golan Heights. We had an amazing spy and easy targets. Britain said it would take three months and over 600,000 casualties to get the Golan Heights because it was so well protected, however Israel did it in two days with fewer than 400 casualties. There you go. So were we at the Syrian bunker and we got to look around, we saw the memorial for the Israelis and then got back on the buses and went to our lunch spot. After lunch we drove some more towards the Syrian border. On the way our bus driver told us about how in the six day war he was in a tank unit here and he pointed out the place where his tank got stuck. It’s amazing how there are war heroes everywhere in Israel and they are just normal, everyday people. So then we got to our other learning spot. We learned about two real heroes in the war who fought there. And we saw the Syrian border. We were pretty high up and we could see into Syria. We saw a few towns. Then we heard a bomb/missile thing go off and saw where it had hit in the mountain. It was ironic because we were learning about how Syria is our quietest border and there was a missile. But it had gone off in Syria in the side of a mountain miles away, probably just a training exercise. But nonetheless I was scared. We kept learning and saw this town that is three years old in Syria and probably there to support the trenches and stuff Syria probably has there. Yay, more scariness!! (BTW: we were up really high and it was super windy up there! Plus it was so clear that day we could see the Hermon and its snow covered mountaintop.) And then we heard a helicopter over us, that really scared me! (I later learned it was a UN helicopter, phew!) After that we got to see an Israeli tank from the six day war. But we were a bit late so I didn’t bother going on the tank. I did that at Latrun. Plus, tons of people were losing their hats unless they constantly were holding them. And they couldn’t even get them back because there was barbed wire everywhere closing off places because there are still mines there. Syria put mines there and they are still there today! So anyways, after that we had lunch at a random spot and then we went to watch a movie about the six day war. It was about the tank unit and the three full days of fighting. It was pretty intense and really made you feel the quick pace and frightening situation. 97% of the footage, sounds, and radio transmissions were real! And we heard a few famous quotes we learned about. Plus one thing that the commander regrets: he told a tank to break the column of Syrian tanks, and they said we have no ammo left! But he said “the Syrians don’t know that!” The commander survived but that tank didn’t. He says he feels like he sent them to their death, and he probably did. But they succeeded in the mission to break through the Syrians. After the movie we went to a hike in the Golan. Some of us were told it was a nature walk, but it was a hike! The first part we hiked down into a valley, and it was gorgeous! There was a waterfall and rocks and pink flowers everywhere! It was magnificent! Perhaps the most beautiful spot we have been to. There was a pond, waterfall, and rainbow at the bottom. We were allowed to go swimming but I didn’t. There was nowhere to change. However the people who did go swimming had an awesome time. Plus they got some amazing pictures. The place was too beautiful not to! Then we hiked back up. OH, I forgot to mention that this is our LAST HIKE! I’m happy and sad. Mostly sad. L So, the way up was really hard, and it was hot, and I was panting, and we didn’t take breaks! I was so happy to reach the top and we had the most amazing views! But then we got back on the buses and left the Golan. It is a really great place that Israel has. So then we went to dinner, it was so yummy! I had steak and it was the first steak I have had in 4 months. Very yummy! I was completely full after dinner. So then we went to our youth hostel, not bad but not super nice! So I showered and went to sleep, ready for the last day of our tiyul. NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!
Day 2: Today we woke up at 6:30, I had slept very well during the night but boy was I tired! We had breakfast (it was ok) and then left for our first stop of the day, the Naot factory! Shoe shopping. We got there and had 1 hour to shop, they call it a factory but we don’t even get a tour! Just shop for shoes. I didn’t even want a pair, sure they are comfy and mold to your feet, but in the end of the day all you have is a pair of ugly, clunky, overpriced sandals! They are like 250-600 shekels and I don’t need another pair of shoes! So I just looked around. Then we left the Naot factory and came to a random place where we had class for a while. Then our group split up, half went to an army base and half went river rafting and then we switch. I went river rafting first, it was alright. Not that great, I had already been river rafting on the Jordan River with my family. Plus there were six people in our boat!! So we got in and immediately got wet! There was water everywhere!! We started near rapids, they were fun! But we couldn’t steer through them well. So everyone was mad at the people with the paddles. Plus the paddles were really short and couldn’t reach to both sides easily. So basically we were spinning and hitting the sides constantly. Not fun, I broke a nail! (No, like really badly, half of it off! It was bleeding and I had given myself a really nice manicure two days ago . L ) so then it was quite on the river but the really bossy people in my boat didn’t even let me paddle! That made me mad! In our boat we had Hannah, Hanna, Jeremy, Jake, Samara (madricha) and me! On the river we passed a bunch of people and got passed a bunch of times by other people. Plus we were close to these Arab boys who were yelling at us and splashing us! Not fun! And we met two people who knew a bunch of Milken kids! When Jake fell off our boat, they picked him up and brought him to us. They were very nice! And then we finished. We were second but the first boat had two people because their boat tipped over and the other two people just joined another boat. So then we got on a bus to go back to where we started, it was very open and dirty! There were no seat belts and it was very bumpy! But it was fun! We were all wet and just bouncing around! Yay! I enjoyed it. After that we had lunch and then got on the bus to go to the army post. It is in the Northern tip of Israel. Very high clearance and cool. We were only allowed to take pictures of a few APC’s. (Tank, but no cannon, just machine guns) plus, we saw a Hezbollah car driving close to the border. Pretty scary! And the tour guide dude tricked us by saying “get down!”. It was scary! Then we saw some more stuff, but in the words of May, “it’s all hush hush”. Plus we learned how the army post is very prestigious and how it’s all Druzim. Yay Druze! We also saw the border with Lebanon. Its these 2 metal wires that are a “fence”. Their reasoning is that it’s hard to build a fence people can’t get through so they built one that they can detect when people go through, over, or cut it. They know where and what happened so it’s pretty cool! We were about 20 feet from the border. REALLY CLOSE! After the cool army place we went back to the kayak place and then the teachers decided we wouldn’t have our discussion there. So we drove for a few minutes until we found a “nice” spot. It had an amazing view! But we had to sit on dirt and rocks with tons of bugs! Oh well. I was sad because it was our last uncomfortable spot! We had the best discussion! It was about what we were looking for in TIF and what we gained. It was so sad! A few people in the end started crying because they didn’t want to leave, and neither do I! We also took our class picture which was really sad! Then we got on the buses and wrote letters to ourselves. Danny will send them to us within six months to a year. I wrote a really good letter to myself! Man! I don’t want to leave Israel! I have really gained an awe and respect for Judaism and Israel. It is truly astounding that both of them exist. So now we are on our last bus ride of TIF. Man! Why do good things have to end?
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