JNF "Northern Exposure Tour"

On Monday (10 November 2008) several of us went on a tour of northern Israel with a JNF tour guide. We drove from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv along the Sea of Gallilee and up to near the Golan Heights.

We spent part of the morning at an Israeli Air Force base where we sat with a dozen very bright and very well armed Israeli soldiers. This group was made up of men and woman responsible for training the newest inductees to repair and maintain the planes and helicopters used in both training exercises and combat. These soldiers also meet and review high school students interested in the Air Force for their obligatory three year assignment.

Not ONE of these soldiers were over 22!

After lunch with the soldiers, we were off to Agamon Hula - a JNF / KKL (Keren Kayemet L'Israel) nature preserve surrounding Laka Agamon in northern Israel below the Goln Heights.

The sky was beautiful, the breeze welcome and the animals plentiful. This picture is from the middle of the preserve, looking across some of the re-claimed wetland towards the Golan with the moon just appearing over the mountains.

We experienced water birds. wild boars, Netanyas (huge rat-like creatures), birds of prey and even a few tourists.

After Agamon Hula, we headed back to Jerusalem for dinner ....