Golan Heights Tiyul

This past weekend I went to the Golan Heights, Hula Valley, and Finger of the Galilee region of Israel. It was our final trip we would take as a program. It was a bittersweet trip, but it was well worth it.We first stopped by a memorial for the 1997 IDF Helicopter Crash which was en route to Lebanon and killed 73 soldiers. After our stop at the memorial we went to a kibbutz for a chocolate making class at the Chocolate Museum. It was a great time had by all. I think it is hard not to have fun when you are making your chocolates. We had the opportunity to make our own chocolate truffles, and chocolate bars in the various different shapes. After eating way too much chocolate, we went rafting on the Jordan River. There was a lot of shenanigans on the river, stealing paddles, and trying to dunk everyone in the water. It was very fun and I would do it again. In fact, I had done the same rafting trip before so it was nostalgic for me as well. For the night we camped out as per usual when we go on trips. I was in charge of making dinner for the program. We have vegetarians on the program so we decided to make vegetarian chili and salad. Our tour guide Yuval also prepared his hot cider as per usual. Everyone loved the chili which made me very happy. The next day we ventured to the Golan Heights to  Mt Bental. For many visitors to the Golan Heights, Mt Bental is a must visit because it has a great vantage point of the border with Syria and Mt Hermon. It was also the site of an important tank battle in the 1973 Yom Kippur War which is called the Valley of Tears. Each time I have been in Israel, I have been to Mt Bental. It is one of my favorite places to visit. It is cool because of the view and also because the bunker system that was left by the Syrian Army and the IDF is still in place for visitors to see. After Mt Bental, we took a magnificent hike on Nahal Gilabon. If you love water hiking, this is great for you. The trail leads to the Gilabon Waterfall. Swimming in the Gilabon is quite relaxing because after hiking your way to the waterfall, it is refreshing to take a dip into the water. The waterfall is also one of the most beautiful places in Israel in my opinion so check it out. Overall, the trip was a great time had by all. I want to thank our madrichot, Rakefet and Sarah for organizing the trip. Also a big shout out to our tour guide Yuval. His knowledge about the places we went to over the year has been amazing. He did an amazing job in choosing some fantastic trails for us to hike. The Golan Heights are absolutely spectacular. If you are a hiking enthusiast, the Golan Heights are a place for you to check out. Enjoy!