Now Playing: Three dog night - Joy to the world
Last week, our class took a trip to the Golan Heights. It was awesome. The thing that I forgot about the Golan was how absolutely gorgeous it is up there. Everything is lush and green and mountainous and the weather hasn't gotten too hot yet so it was lovely and temperate. Just amazing. I had a really good time with my friends too!!! They are amazing, my classmates, and I'm lucky that I'm reminded of that every day.
We left Jerusalem at about 7am and ended up at Tel Dan for most of the morning and early afternoon. It's a very famous archeological site where the House of David inscription was found and many ruins have been uncovered there. It was beautiful getting to walk around, see the ruins, and be out in nature. Then we went to Tel Faucher, which is sort of like an army outpost that was important in the 1960's. Syria used to hold it, and then Israel was able to gain it. The actual land was so interesting because there were all these bunkers and tanks everywhere and we were all climbing all over them and everything. It was very cool, and pretty interesting. Right near there were a lot of mine fields, from leftover mines that the Syrians had planted. The fields are well marked though and no one wandered off. ALthough, there were lots of cows grazing by and every once in a while a cow will step on it and become BBQ. I, however, didn't witness that...
From there we went to go see this movie about the Golan (which I think i've defiantely seen before when I was here in 2001) and heard this woman speak who is a settler at one of the kibbutzim in the Golan. Her manner was a little abrasive, to me, and we were all pretty tired, so it was nice when we got to leave and head to the fieldschool where we were to stay that night. We had dinner in the dining hall, and then a bunch of us went into town to check out the happenings. Well, it wasn't happening...at all! So we went to a little convenience store and bought some snacks and bummed around a little bit. Rose, one of our staff members, warned all of us about the wild pigs that sometimes come out night...but again, I wasn't lucky enough to see one. I saw a dog that looked a little pig-like...but no actually pigs.
When we went back, my friend's Joel and Rachael adn Kevin and I went to the edge of the fieldschool where the bright moonlight was illuminating the rocks leading down to a wadii (deep valley with water running through the bottom) and it was abosultely gorgeous to look out at the country through the moonlight. Unbelievable.
I was rooming with my friends Erin Ellis, Amy Rossel, and Jason Kaufman. Even though it was only for one night, we had fun!!!! Lots to talk about and joke about.
The next morning our group split up into two: those that wanted a smaller hike, and those that wanted a more challenging strenous hike. I chose the latter, hoping for a good adventure.
What a good choice I made. We hiked into this valley that had a stream running though it that eventually lead to a waterfall. The way down was awesome. It was really rocky and rough terrain and it was so much fun to climb all over. Once we got down to the waterfall, a few people went in. The water was freezing though, so although I would have loved to have dipped in, I knew i would have been miserable being super cold and very wet. The hike back up the mountain wasn't so much fun, but whenever you go down...you must come up!
Then we had a picnic lunch and headed off to the Golan Winery where we had a fabulous tour of the grounds (and a not so fabulous movie beforehand). At the end of the tour we got to taste test three wines and got some information on great ways to open wine bottles, how to check if a wine is good, etc. Too much fun.
Then, we all gathered out on the lawn as the sun was setting (and I have to admit I took a bit of a nap) and waited for everyone to be done purchasing their items (I got a nice Pinot Noir for my parents). After that we headed back to Jerusalem!!!! It was such a great tiyul, and so good to get out and see the country.
Now I'm just procrastinating writing my D'var Torah (like a sermon). It's not until March 14th, but I'm hoping to have a rough draft out in the next few days so that I can begin the big long editing process. I have a ton of research done, and I know exactly what I want to say..I just have to do it. It's sort of harder than just writing a paper, because it's something I have to deliver. I have, in fact, never delievered a D'var Torah, so I'm a bit nervous. But it'll happen. Anyway, not much else is new. Having a lovely shabbat as usual!!!
Hope you all have a good rest of your weekend/good week!!!
Posted by Elizabeth
at 5:24 PM