Our Teepee At The Top Of Israel

For the last night of our Sukkot trip up north, we stayed in a teepee (yes, a teepee) in Nimrod, under the shadow of Mount Hermon, Israel's highest point.  The views were fabulous, but to be honest the bare accommodations, less-than-immaculate shared bathrooms, extremely spacey staff, and whipping winds coming in through the top of our teepee all night made us long for the comfy yurt we had slept in for the previous three nights at Genghis Khan in the Golan.  Ah, the ups and downs of life on the road.  We had a great time nonetheless, visiting two sights that were among the kids' favorites in all of Israel, while also sneaking in a brewery and a tour of a chocolate factory.

We also ate two of our best meals in Israel, in places I certainly wouldn't have expected to find gourmet cuisine.  The night we arrived at our teepee we went out to eat in nearby Majdal Shams, a large Druze village that is right on the Syrian border.  Majdal Shams is perhaps best known for the so-called "shouting hill" (about a kilometer east of the town center), where members of the Druze community who were separated from each other as a result of the 1967 war shout to each across the border with megaphones (although the practice reportedly has waned in recent times in favor of cell phones and the internet).  We really didn't get a chance to experience the town, as we arrived after dark and it was pretty quiet.  There were a few places open selling kebabs and felafel, but then Jeremy noticed a mural of a skier (there's actually skiing on Mt. Hermon in winter) and a sign with the odd name "Undefined Restaurant."  We were intrigued.  Run by a young Israeli chef, the restaurant served an appealing and eclectic menu that included freshly baked bread, tasty salads and pastas, Asian inspired dishes, the obligatory (but delicious) schnitzel, a memorable smoked eggplant appetizer, and some of the best red wine we've had since leaving the U.S.  (We forgot to ask the chef why he chose the restaurant's name.)

The night after we left our teepee, we ate in Metula, a picturesque hill town that is surrounded by Lebanon on three sides.  The town used to be known for the "Good Fence" border crossing, which opened in 1976 but which is now closed shut.  We ate at a place called Beit Shalom, which was a truly memorable experience apart from our kids' petulant behavior.  Ah, the ups and downs of traveling with children.  But we endured, sustaining ourselves on outstanding fare right from the backyard, including homemade bread, cheese, olive oil and ravioli, herbs from the garden, and eggs from the house chickens.

Home sweet home - for a night anyway

Not exactly the Four Seasons, or even a Motel 6

The Druze village of Majdal Shams, at the foot of Mt. Hermon

Broader view of Mt. Hermon

Mmm, beer!  (Golan Brewery, Katzrin)

Mmm, chocolate!  (De Karina Chocolates, Ein Zivan)

I'm happy when I have chocolate

I'll take one of everything please!

So, what were the two sights in the Golan that were among the kids' favorites in all of Israel?  The first is Nimrod Fortress, definitely the most impressive medieval castle in the country.  The fortress was built in approximately 1230 by the Muslims to defend against an attack on Damascus by the Crusaders.  The fortress lost its strategic value and fell into disrepair following the Muslim conquest of Akko and the ensuing end of Crusader rule in the Holy Land in the 13th century.  In the 16th century, the Ottomans used the fortress as a luxury prison for exiled Ottoman nobles, but it was subsequently abandoned and then ruined in an earthquake in the 18th century.  The Jews named the fortress after Nimrod, a biblical figure who according to tradition had lived on the summit.  We were wowed by the scale and setting of the fortress, and Jeremy insisted on exploring every staircase, doorway, hallway, alley, and scenic overlook.  And much to Eden's delight, there were plenty of lizards and furry rodents running about.  Here are the pictures, starting with our hazy early morning approach to the fortress from our teepee. 

Photo by Jeremy

Photo by Jeremy

The second highlight of the Golan was the Meshushim Pool, which is part of the Yehudiya Nature Reserve.  This natural freshwater pool is deep and cool and features an impressive basalt rock face, a charming little stream and waterfall, and plenty of parent-supervised climbing opportunities for fearless young children.  It was crowded when we first arrived, but by the end of the day we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  In fact, we were the last ones to leave, as our kids refused to budge until the park ranger told us we had to go.

Park ranger looking over his domain

Before we leave the virtual blogworld of the Galilee and Golan, there are two additional National Parks near the Syrian border that are definitely worth mentioning.  The first is the Hermon Stream-Banias Nature Reserve, which features a very scenic hiking trail leading to a small but raging waterfall; pristine natural springs (no swimming allowed); several historic flour mills; a Hellenistic cave temple; a Roman palace complex built by Agrippa II, Herod's grandson; Crusader and Mamluk ruins from medieval times; and a few holy Muslim tombs.  We didn't have time to see everything (you'd need a few days!), and both our cameras ran out of juice after four days on the road without a charger, but we did get a couple of good photographs.

The second is the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, which is nearby.  This park features beautiful rapids; lush, shaded hiking trails; and ancient ruins from a really, really long time ago - the earliest findings on the site date back to the Ceramic Neolithic Age (beginning of the 5th millennium BCE) and a city was built here during the early Canaanite period (2700-2400 BCE).

Remnants of Temple of Pan, Hermon Stream-Banias Nature Reserve

Banias Waterfall

Jeremy on the trail (barely) on the way to the waterfall

Panorama, Hermon Stream-Banias

Tel Dan Nature Reserve

Talia on the trail, Tel Dan Nature Reserve

What amazes me is that - after all we did in the Galilee and the Golan - there's a lot we didn't see, including some notable nature reserves and a number of ancient ruins (I really don't like to miss ancient ruins).  And we didn't even get to go wine tasting.  I guess we'll have to come back one day...