Northern Israel/Syrian Border

Today we drove as far north as you can go in Israel and stopped at a popular overlook. A couple of tour buses were there at the same time we were there. We listened to a Jewish guide talk to his group about what we were seeing. The nearest village, about 2 miles away, was supposed to be occupied by the United Nations. UN was in big black letters on background of white on buildings and trucks. He called them the United Nonsense (which is a pretty general opinion shared by some of us). If you have been keeping up on the news you might have read last week that ISIS in Syria was getting closer to the Israeli border so the UN workers fled into Israel. Wonder why they came this way?

On the way north (The Israel border with Lebanon and Syria is just about 25 miles north of where we are staying.) we stopped at the Hula Valley Nature Preserve in honor of my good friend Jo who is being buried today. She was my (Charlene's) best birding buddy for the last 40 years. We have been known to delay the tour bus because the two of us were looking at some Syrian woodpecker or something. The Hula Preserve is known for the thousands of pelicans, cranes, and other water birds who live there or stop there on migration. They have bicycles, golf carts, or tractor pulled bird blinds that people can rent to navigate the reserve. See picture below of us four on a bicycle built for six. You sit in a circle but all pedal.

The other main place we stopped at today was Banias (Caesarea Philippi in the Bible) at the foot of Mt Hermon where there was a temple to Caesar in the time of Jesus. Next to that was a cave where sacrifices were made to the pagan god Pan (Panias, Banias). The cave entrance was called the Gates of Hades. We read the scripture where Jesus took his disciples and asked Who do men say I am? Who do you think I am? and Peter came out with the right answer. We talked about why Jesus might have asked that question with all the pagan worship right in front of them.

Today and yesterday when we returned from our driving tour, Edith and David have taken the car and gone a couple of miles away to the city of Tiberias where David found a workout room in Caesar's Hotel for $6.50 a day. While he was in the workout room Edith was visiting shops and talking to locals. (Charles and Charlene were resting and having a cold drink on their patio.) The Bushes also found a little business where they got their clothes washed, dried and folded for $12. At the kibbutz hotel (Nof Ginosar) where we are staying we found out they would do about 2 bras for that price.

Right now it is 4:30 pm Friday and they are setting up for Erev Shabbat (Sabbath eve) when the lady of the house or group will light the Shabbat candles and say the blessings. Some of the groups staying here are Jewish and most are Christians. Some of the Jewish guides will show their Christian groups how it is traditionally done.