In addition to cultural and religious sites, Israel also has many beautiful nature parks, such as the Banyas Waterfalls park. After a pleasant hike, you come to the waterfall, which varies in size based on time of year and rainfall. We were lucky to see at least some water flowing, though often there is more:
We also saw some Greek ruins for a change, complete with the Temple of Pan:
At the Mount Avital - Mount Bental Natural Preserve there was an art exhibit that I liked a lot - the artist made goblins out of recycled materials. Here are a few of my favorite:
Because this mountain range is so close to Syria, there is a big military presence here. The United Nations is also around:
You can see Syria off in the distance here. Notice the barbed wire in the foreground:
While we were there, some Israeli military individuals flew in by helicopter, probably from Jerusalem. Since Syria has officially been in a state of war with Israel ever since Israel annexed their land, the Golan Heights, in 1981 after the Six Day War, Israel keeps a close eye on their northern neighbors. Having the Golan Heights helps them maintain a geographic advantage, though Syria would really like them back.
After all the war talk, we needed some wine:
Interesting sign on some power lines:
Beautiful Baha'i Temple in Haifa:
Picturesque Roman viaduct on the beach:
One of the highlights of the trip was going up to see Masada. This was once the location of Caesar Herod's Palace, and later a stronghold for Jews who fled Jerusalem when the Roman empire invaded. When the Romans came to conquer Masada, a great battle was fought. Even though they were strategically located, the approximately 960 Jewish people were grossly outnumbered. So, after the last day of battle, they knew that they would be conquered by morning. Not wanting to be murdered by the Romans or to have their women and children enslaved, they decided to commit mass suicide. When the Romans broke down the gates it the morning, they found only a few women and children who had hid from the massacre. Though there is some debate as to whether or not what they did was really necessary, they are nevertheless remembered as brave heroes who fought for their faith until the very end.
You can walk in the blistering sun for about an hour to get to the top, or take a 5 minute cable car ride:
View from the top:
These very smart birds live at the top and beg tourists for treats:
The remains of Caesar Herod's Palace:
And going back down:
Locals riding donkeys and talking on cell phones:
Another monestary built into the mountainside:
Thought about buying this:
We also saw some Greek ruins for a change, complete with the Temple of Pan:
At the Mount Avital - Mount Bental Natural Preserve there was an art exhibit that I liked a lot - the artist made goblins out of recycled materials. Here are a few of my favorite:
Because this mountain range is so close to Syria, there is a big military presence here. The United Nations is also around:
You can see Syria off in the distance here. Notice the barbed wire in the foreground:
While we were there, some Israeli military individuals flew in by helicopter, probably from Jerusalem. Since Syria has officially been in a state of war with Israel ever since Israel annexed their land, the Golan Heights, in 1981 after the Six Day War, Israel keeps a close eye on their northern neighbors. Having the Golan Heights helps them maintain a geographic advantage, though Syria would really like them back.
After all the war talk, we needed some wine:
Interesting sign on some power lines:
Beautiful Baha'i Temple in Haifa:
Picturesque Roman viaduct on the beach:
One of the highlights of the trip was going up to see Masada. This was once the location of Caesar Herod's Palace, and later a stronghold for Jews who fled Jerusalem when the Roman empire invaded. When the Romans came to conquer Masada, a great battle was fought. Even though they were strategically located, the approximately 960 Jewish people were grossly outnumbered. So, after the last day of battle, they knew that they would be conquered by morning. Not wanting to be murdered by the Romans or to have their women and children enslaved, they decided to commit mass suicide. When the Romans broke down the gates it the morning, they found only a few women and children who had hid from the massacre. Though there is some debate as to whether or not what they did was really necessary, they are nevertheless remembered as brave heroes who fought for their faith until the very end.
You can walk in the blistering sun for about an hour to get to the top, or take a 5 minute cable car ride:
View from the top:
These very smart birds live at the top and beg tourists for treats:
The remains of Caesar Herod's Palace:
And going back down:
Locals riding donkeys and talking on cell phones:
Another monestary built into the mountainside:
Thought about buying this:
No comments:
Post a Comment