Camping by the Sea of Galilee

I can’t think of a more perfect way to start a weekend than having coffee on a Friday morning at Tal Bagel in the German Colony. I’ve had many a cup of coffee at Tal and nearly every time it was after a hilly run. And if you’re wondering if my friends and I actually sat at a cafe smelly and sweaty, the unfortunate answer is yes. I can picture Emily handing Briggs a napkin and telling him to wipe the sweat so it doesn’t drip. Great memories. The beauty of this particular Friday morning at Tal was that there was no run involved...not even the ever so rare six minute runs we always tried to cajole out of our fearless leader. The other thing that made this one awesome was that my new little buddy Daniel joined us. We are always looking for good people to join our running club and I think Daniel is a prime candidate. Membership is not difficult. You basically have to think coffee is like oxygen...only better. And you have to be able to whine about the hills. I don’t think Daniel will have any trouble with the first one. But he’s a really happy kid so I think we might have to work on the whining requirement. He’s young. I have faith we can “raise up the child in the way he should go” and all that.

We had a lovely Israeli breakfast which was another first for me...not the Israeli breakfast part, but the Tal Bagel breakfast part. Apparently an Israeli breakfast at Tal is meant for the hearty appetite...it was gigantic. I don’t do breakfast so well but after I finally found a place to park it was late enough it was practically lunch. Delightful food. Even better friends. Good times.

Geesh. Now that's a breakfast. And in case you're wondering, that's the look Tony normally gives me. It's because I'm so far ahead in our war of words.

In the afternoon, nine of us piled into two cars (packed to the gills...whatever the heck that means. As if a car were a fish). We drove up through the ever lovely Jordan Valley and ended up at Aroma for yet another coffee. While sitting at Aroma, my friend got a call from one of the Israelis I used to work with on visa issues. What are the odds? So I got a chance to say hello to him. I hadn’t had time to track him down so I was thrilled with the timing of his call. I can’t explain it exactly, but maybe because life is so incredibly intense in Israel. Or maybe it’s just a cultural thing. But for all the aggressive and “in your face” style of the people here, there is something very special about Israelis. I haven’t had any contact with this man in three years and sitting there at Aroma talking to him on the phone, I was struck by the warmth and depth of friendship and relationship that happens in Israel. In America, people are polite and quite good at surface conversations but it’s quite frequently just that: surface. Israelis don’t know how to do surface conversations or polite chit-chat. Which can be intense at times, but in being back in the Land and reconnecting with old friends, I realize just how much deeper some of these relationships go than what would be typical in the American culture. I miss that “realness” factor...I really do.

Ok...back to where I was before I went on that little side trip. We had our coffee and a last stop at civilization before making our way up to a lookout up on the Golan where you can see the entire Sea of Galilee. Which brought me full circle. Three years ago before leaving Israel, I went camping with my good friends for a weekend. The first night we spent in an Israeli campground. Bad times. Techno music....all....night....long. Seriously. 2 AM...cranked up. 5 AM...still blasting. I can sleep almost anywhere but trying to sleep on gravel with techno music blasting the same rhythm for hours actually got to me. We all made a decision to find another place to pitch our tents the next night and that’s how we ended up on the lookout. Apparently it’s been a favorite location ever since.

We actually got a bit of rain early on Saturday morning. Surprise, surprise. It never rains in the summer. I woke up when it started dripping from the roof of the tent but couldn’t be bothered with it so moved over far enough to avoid as much of the water as I could. I was a bit entertained by the drama in the tent next to us. Richard’s pillow was wet. He was not a happy camper. Literally. I know I should not have found amusement but the drama of the moment had me cracking up. Such is life when you’re camping. Which is probably why I spent most of my life disliking it. Somehow with the right people I have learned to really enjoy it. That’s not to say I don’t live for the shower at the end of three days stomping around the Galilee. If anyone ever tells you that showers are overrated, they are lying to you. Don’t buy it for a second.

The legend herself....my dear friend, Ina. Always up for an adventure this one. She did a marvelous job organizing the camping trip.

Saturday we hiked to a beautiful waterfall in the Golan. I’d never been there before. That’s what I love about this little country. There are treasures to discover. And my dear friend Ina has managed to discover most of them. This particular hike did not require swimming or rappelling but because we wanted to take the road less traveled we did end up wading through the water on numerous occasions. I love, love, love hiking in the Golan. It’s just beautiful. And if it’s not nature’s beauty to discover, it’s old Syrian tanks and bunkers to explore.

On Sunday morning, we drove further north where we rented rafts and made our way down the Jordan River. We may have taken the scenic route...i.e...sometimes exploring one bank and then the other. And not always on purpose. A few people had battle wounds. A few ended up in the river now and then. But we had lots and lots of laughs. And I was reminded that it’s time to go white water rafting again. I’ve only ever done it once. On this trip we got to go through the slightest bit of rapids and it made me want another white water adventure.

Anyway...I had a great weekend exploring two places in Israel I had never experienced. I do so love this country. And again I pause to thank the Lord for allowing me to not only live there for 4 1/2 years but to now give me the opportunity to go back for a quick visit.

"Wade in the water, children"...sung with a deep, soulful voice, of course.

Ditto. Water was frigid by the way.

Welcome to my playground. I love stomping around in the Golan. So much to explore.