Day 1

Zoe K.

We got the wakeup call at 6:45, and I ate a breakfast of mini-pancakes with syrup, orange juice, all sorts of soft cheeses, coffee, fresh rolls with butter and black currant jam, coffee, orange juice, milk, an assortment of yogurts, granola, scrambled and hardboiled eggs, and of course, some more coffee. Needless to say, it was delicious and I was going to need the fuel. We made up our way up winding hills and past the Sea of Galilee- a misleading title for Israel’s largest body of freshwater.  We passed cows grazing along the mountainous terrain, then some snowcapped mountains, surrounded by foggy valleys. We finally got to the Mountain of Ben Tal, a windy outpost, overlooking the Syrian border. Beni, our knowledgeable host, is the best. He explained the significance of the peak, its role in our history, its purpose today, everything down to its geological composition- limestone covered by igneous rock, fyi.