Trip Day 13 - Golan Heights and Druze lunch

Official (adjusted) itinerary:

Golan Heights • Gamla Nature Reserve • Home-Hosted Lunch in Druze Village • Visit Kibbutz El Rom •

We pause at the Valley of Tears Memorial, which overlooks the battleground. Then we’ll make our way to Kibbutz El Rom, which is located next to the battleground of the Valley of Tears, one of the de ning moments of the Yom Kippur War. At the Kibbutz El Rom we’ll learn about the struggle of the Israelis against the Syrian Army during the tank battle there in 1973. 

Next, we’ll visit a Druze village, where we’ll enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch with a Druze family and learn about their unique culture and traditions. The Druze are an Arab religious community that opted out of mainstream Arab nationalism, and whose members have served in the Israeli Defense Forces. In the past, the Druze have seemed radical for their belief in equality between men and women, the abolition of slavery, and separation of church and state.
Stop in local supermarket to buy groceries.
We’ll set off  for a light walk through the Gamla Nature Reserve. We’ll take in the history and archaeology in this beautiful area that was once an ancient fortress captured by the Romans, the name of which comes from the Hebrew word for camel—gamal—because the ancient fortress was on a mountain shaped remarkably like a camel’s hump. Story of Josephus, war against the Romans.

Arrive at Kibbutz Kefar Haruv. Check in Peace Vista cabins. Sunset party with food and Golan wine from supermarket.

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Wednesday September 13

Changing city and hotel again. Everything packed up. If you followed my blogs you will notice that the above itinerary is not right because we have already been in Nazareth. 

Our first stop is this overlook in the Golan Heights. We are looking into Syria. Yael explains. After continuous bombing of the Israel settlements below the Golan Heights from the Syrian territory above, Israel captured this territory and has held it ever since. Before the occupation by Israel this area had not been farmed or used by Syria except occasionally by nomadic bedouins. 

Later we stop again at a Kibbutz with a gift shop and toilets. We watch a movie about the war of 1967 when Syria launched a surprise attack on a holy day when no telephones or TVs or anything like that worked. It gives us a lot to think about. But I can't really comment on what we are seeing and hearing politically. The writing would be a dissertation and there are more days and opinions coming. 

Next stop is lunch in a Druze village. There is way too much food and everything is very delicious. 

Our host is a widow with three children. Her husband died in a work accident in Jerusalem 5 years ago. She loves to cook and decided to do that for groups like us and take-out and even gets orders from nearby restaurants. She talks to us about the life of the Druze. 

Not far is a supermarket and we stop to go shopping for dinner. Lunch was late and a lot so we are just having snacks for dinner. 

Of course we don't really know where we are going but Yael suggested everybody buys something to share. Bread, chips, hummus, salami, cheeses, grapes, drinks etc. 

Next stop: the old city of Gamla. But we have to walk through a nature reserve. It is very nice. 

Yael lets us chew on the stems of this bush. Licorice. Nice. 

Hard to believe but there was actually a (small) city on top of this camel back looking mountain. Everybody wonders who and why would somebody build houses here. It existed at Jesus' time because it was conquered and destroyed by the romans at the time of the Jewish revolt 67 A.D.

We see the same flowers as in Jordan were Iyad told us they can make you a rash. Yael said she had never heard of that and she never got a rash. 

There is a shelter which has explanations of the endangered vultures and a beautiful view. 

There would be a waterfall if we were not at the end of dry season. 

On the way back to the bus was the remnants of a village and also the cage of the birds which are being rehabilitated. 

And then we drive some more and arrive at the kibbutz where we are spending two nights. We get the keys to our cabins and are totally happy. This will do!!!

And then we had the party in front of our cabin because we had a prime spot. Everybody brought what they had bought in the supermarket. It was a lot of fun. 

The Sea of Galilee by night. The city across is Tiberius. 

It is very nice here. So peaceful. Some birds and bees. Otherwise very quiet.