We began our day picking up our soldiers at the Golani Junction. We held our breath with anticipation as we watched them walk off their bus. We were delighted to find eight soldiers joining our trip and welcomed them with admiration and friendship.
Then we headed to a short hike up Mt. Arbel to find a breathtaking view at the top of cliff dropping thousands of feet into the valley below. It was a perfect time for pictures.
At Mt. Arbel
Next was the ancient city of Tzfat, known for its pure air. We walked through the old Jewish quarters, into an ancient temple and had a delicious lunch of shwarma and falafel. We went to an art gallery where the artist, Sheva Chaya, told us how she came to where she is. I identified with her upbringing, an American who attended Princeton and found herself at home in Israel where she began her art. She did a demonstration of glassblowing and explained the meaning behind her colorful watercolor paintings. You can find her art at www.thejewishwoman.org.
Posing in the "Old City" part of Tzfat
A much needed water activity was next as we kayaked and rafted through the Jordan River. I loved the relaxing scenic route along with the unofficial splashing war.
Dinner at the hotel was followed by a look at Israeli cinema and an activity coordinated by the Israeli soldiers. They took us through a simulation training session, complete with stern looks and rigorous pushups, to give us an idea of what they have been through. To cap up the night we watched a video of one of the soldier's division showing the operations to capture terrorists.
So I'm exhausted, but happy J