The 50 Year View

Saturday's trip to the Golan Heights was the moment I had been waiting for since we arrived in Israel. The day began with an early wake-up in Tiberius to go hike down a cliff overlooking the Sea of Galilee. From the far-reaching valleys and rolling hills, to the glistening of the sun on Lake Tiberius, the hike was a perfect way to start a day full of rich history and culture. After our morning hike, we journeyed to Tel Dan to visit the nature reserve and the site of the former Canaanite and Danite city and walls.

Following lunch in a very unique brewery between the '49 and '67 lines, we then trekked up past multiple IDF bases to Merom Golan, to visit a former Syrian bunker. Located along the former 'third bunker line' of the Syrian equivalent of the Maginot line, the bunker was right on the de facto border with Syria. Manned by UN forces, with some tunnels open to the public, the bunker offers a unique perspective and look into the conditions of the Syrian defenses pre-1967.

The telescopic binoculars  allowed us to look up-close into Syrian territory, where we were able to observe destroyed buildings and the quotidien activities of the people across the border. The panoramic view, which allowed for a glimpse of Lebanon as well as Syria, was so peaceful that one forgot momentarily they were 30km from ISIS and al-Nusra.

Overall, the days' journey was spectacular, not only for traveling through multiple borders and regions, but for traveling through time; by seeing the fortress and caves by the Sea of Galilee which predates is by three millennia, visiting the city and temple of the Danites, and fast fowarding to the modern border with Syria.