By Adar
One of the things that continues to stun me about Israel is its geographical diversity. Whereas a couple of months ago we were trekking through the Negev desert, this weekend the international school organized a hiking trip to the Golan Heights and Galilee. Both are valleys and hills, covered in forests and brooks. Yesterday's hike brought me back home to Northern California, with its woodsy feel and endless rolling hills. The trail started at an ancient mill, which was not in use anymore but we talked about how the economy of the 14th and 15th century operated under the Ottomans. We stopped in a stream and futzed around for a little bit, then continued up and up to the end of the trail. We camped somewhere near the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) though I'm not quite sure where, and just had the evening to enjoy the sunset, and cook dinner together. A few of us sang songs for Kabbalat Shabbat (friday evening services) at a picnic table that was perched on top of a stream, and we roasted marshmallows after dinner. The marshmallows here are awful, but I'll get to that later. We spread our sleeping bags out and joined more than a few mosquitoes and spiders for a night under the stars, laying on the grass.
This morning's hike was one of my absolute favorites. It was about two hours and took us through part of the Golan Heights to a fortress at one of the high points. We used our upper body for balance and stability almost as much as our legs for strength. We were hoisting ourselves up and over rocks, crossing a stream back and forth, and climbing over trees to continue on the trail.
One thing I really love about trails in Israel is how much Israelis care about preserving them. Trails are clearly marked and easy to follow, but haven't been too messed with by anyone. One of the core values of the country is to preserve nature, and to make the country flourish agriculturally. In fact, one of the key reasons Israel is as developed as it is today was David Ben Gurion's (first prime minister) policy of attempting to make the desert bloom. Israelis invented drip irrigation, planted hundreds of thousands of trees, and really put a lot of effort into diversifying what it grows, as well as preserving the incredible nature it has. Right outside of my school (literally four minutes from my dorm) is part of the Israeli National Park, which cuts through over half of Haifa and goes even further out.
There are "seven species" native to these lands, as determined from the bible: dates, olives, figs, pomegranates, grapes, wheat, and barley. All of these have become integral in modern foods and Jewish symbols. Olive oil is in every kitchen, and there are several olive presses around the country. The olive branch is a traditional symbol of peace, adopted by many other cultures as well. Grapes, wine, grape leaf dishes. Wheat, challah, pita. Dates and date honey. Fresh pomegranate juice and judaica symbols with it to represent the mitzvot. I see all of these foods in tons of things here, and passed by pomegranate and fig trees on our hike yesterday.
Our hike led us straight up (really really straight) to a place called Nimrod's Fortress, named after the giant Nimrod who chopped his head off because a mosquito flew into his ear and drove him crazy. You know, normal things. It was built in the twelfth century, and used as a lookout because of its extremely strategic location. Today, standing on top of Nimrod, you can see Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. From my vantage point I even saw my friend's Alawite village that is now in Israel but used to belong to Syria. We were looking at Mount Hermon, 50% of which is Syrian, 43% Lebanese, and 7% Israeli. At the same time as it was getting unbearably hot in the Negev desert, it snowed on Hermon, which is the only place Israelis can go ski. The ski season lasts about two weeks in Israel.
We finished up our trip in a park surrounding the Banyas river. It was muggy and humid, but absolutely beautiful and refreshing. It's also one of the only places in the area where you can find Greek architecture ruins (Roman, Ottoman, and Crusader ruins are all over the place).
I think people often have an image of the middle east in their minds as deserts and camels. Though there are parts of Israel that certainly have deserts and camels, it is definitely one of the most geographically diverse places I've been. It's a beautiful country on the Mediterranean sea, with mountains and forests, lakes and rivers, deserts and valleys. It's got stunning scenery, which is very well preserved by national institutions, and I'm very glad to get a taste of all of it while I'm here.