We Found Water in a Holy Place

Bus 360 had a great second day in Northern Israel! We woke up to a hearty breakfast at Kibbutz Shomrat, which included scrambled eggs, Israeli salad, cereal, yogurt and hashachar (chocolate spread- which was a definite crowd pleaser)! 

After breakfast, we packed our backpacks and headed to the Golan Heights for an authentic Israeli hike. The current heat wave made the sun feel even stronger than usual, which explained the smiles on our faces when we found a lake at the bottom of the mountain. A group of us  jumped in for a refreshing swim before we continued our hike. It was amazing to see the teamwork that was displayed and the positive attitudes that each group member had throughout the morning. It definitely feels as though we had known each other for more than just two days! :)

Once we reached the top of our 4-mile hike, we headed to Katzrin for lunch. Katzrin is the only town in the Golan Heights. Some ate falafel for the first time on the trip, while others took the Chinese food route. After we ate, we walked around the town and saw a few fellow Birthright groups, which was exciting. When it was time to leave, we took the bus to a mountain, Mt Bental, overlooking the Syrian border. Our trip guide, Or, filled us in on the historical significance of this border and the Israel-Syrian relationship. It was astonishing to see just how close we were to Syria. 

We then went water rafting through the Jordan River. Each kayak had 4-6 people in it and the activity included several water fights between kayaks! It was a fun way for the Americans and Israelis to continue to get to know each other and enjoy our time together. We wrapped up our day by heading back to the kibbutz for dinner. The delicious meal consisted of chicken, potatoes, vegetables and Israeli salad. After dinner, we wrapped up our action-packed day by talking as a group about our trip so far.  We have truly bonded over the past few days and I can only imagine how much closer we will become in the next week!