Exploring the North

It was another beautiful day in northern Israel. Everyone met at the school and immediately boarded the bus for a trip to the Banias. The Banias is one of the rivers that runs through this area and there is a great hike along it, complete with archaeological ruins, waterfalls and a suspended path. Before we began the hike, however, our Israeli hosts surprised us with a picnic breakfast. Amnon, the teacher, made hot tea and the kids had brought all types of food that they had prepared themselves!  The hike took about two hours through some incredible scenery. At the end of the hike, our jeeps were waiting for us to take us on a jeep tour through the Golan Heights. Lots of excitement, screaming and singing ensued!  Our first stop was at a shallow part of the Banias river where the kids took off their shoes and socks and waded around. The jeeps then climbed until we reached Tel Fahr, which was the site of a great battle during the Six Day War. While at Tel Fahr, we were treated to yet another picnic, this time a meal of couscous, vegetables and chicken prepared by the owner of the jeep company and his wife. A truly excellent meal, enjoyed by all!  We completed our jeep tour at Mount Bental which overlooks Syria. Here, Dafna explained about the Yom Kippur war and also the current situation in Syria. We then boarded our bus for home.

The following pictures include our picnic breakfast, the Banias hike, jeeps, picnic lunch, Golan Heights and views from Mount Bental.