One of the amazing trips I was able to make as a Sabeel volunteer was a week-end-long visit to the Galilee, in the northern part of the country (taken late May 2011). The drive through the country alone involved some amazing sceneries, arguably some of the most beautiful in the world.
Our main destinations were Al Bassa, Kufr Yassif, I’billin and Ras al Naqoura. In Al Bassa-- a town which was depopulated in 1948-- we visited the ruins of 2 churches, one of which has recently been used as a stable by Israeli settlers. We also saw the ruins of a Christian cemetery. I am always baffled as to how anyone could disrespect the resting place of those who have passed on, regardless of the cemetery or deceased people’s religious affiliation…
I found this deeply disturbing and painful to see, so much so that I couldn’t bear to take many pictures of the area...
In Kufr Yassif, we visited some beautiful campgrounds and climbed atop a huge wooden structure (tree-house like; I don’t know what else to call it) that showed some amazing Mediterranean ocean views. Kufr Yassif is also the town in which we all attended mass on Sunday morning, with about half of the group attending a Melkite/Catholic mass and the rest attending a Greek Orthodox mass.
I’billin was the lovely, very Christian Palestinian town with endless hills and narrow, winding streets through which we had to maneuver a huge bus to reach the ‘dorms’ where we spent Saturday night. I immediately noticed how Christian Palestinian that town was due to the fact that almost every other building had a big cross crowning it. We briefly visited a nearby town called Shefa-Amr, where we got to taste some local, delicious Palestinian ice cream, serving the equivalent of 3 huge scoops for a mere 10 shekels (less than $3!!).
Although we only stayed one night at the ‘dorms,’ I will always remember fondly the time spent there and particularly the man who was ‘overseeing’ us during our stay. He was a very warm person with a great sense of humor, and as he wished us well saying “God bless you,” I couldn’t help but to feel a bit sad to leave.
The last place we saw was Ras al Naqoura, which is right at the border with Lebanon. The sceneries there overlooking the Mediterranean were absolutely stunning, as were the grottos we wandered through. If standing in a certain area, you could actually see the rope-like ‘string’ used to indicate the border between Israel and Lebanon…
Always a bit funny/confusing to see these things; how does one determine a border? And who decides on the specifics? Mmmmm...
On the way home, we stopped in Nazareth to have some delicious knafeh dessert, which I am shocked to say I was unable to finish because it was so sweet and filled me up fast (which is rare for someone who is as sweet-toothed as myself!). ABSOLUTE DELIGHT and a must-try if visiting the country!
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to visit these places. Besides being visually stunning, I must say there is a different ‘feel’ to the north, and apparently I’ve heard quite a few other people say the same as well… I believe the total drive time from Jerusalem to the north is about 4 hours long, and given that the drive from Jerusalem to Eilat (at the southernmost tip) was also about 4 hours, it seems you may be able drive through the country from north to south in around 8-9 hours? This seems minimal to me, who lives in California and which I believe would require more time than that to drive through…
Sadly, this time around I did not go to Tiberias (where Jesus walked on water), but that location is also in the area (more to the East), making the Galilee an absolute must-see. Until the occasion presents itself again, I’ll contend myself by combining memories from Tiberias in 2009 along with my 2011 Galilee experience, and rejoice at the memories. +
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