Today was our last full day in Israel! It's amazing how fast our time has gone here, but we enjoyed our last day and are excited for a new experience in Jordan!
We were up earlier than expected, so we took off to an unscheduled event to see Peter's Privacy and the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This was supposedly the location where the miraculous fishing story occurred where Jesus told Peter where to throw the net. We were able to put our feet in the water, as well as see the rock where the great meal was served.
Our first scheduled stop for the day was the Atar Sapir-Mekorot Pumping Station. We heard from a great speaker who shared with us about Israel's water problems and how the national water carrier helps to supply water to the southern areas of Israel for agricultural and drinking use. It was great to visit this company since we had previously visited the desalination plant, which is another part of the solution to the water problem. No pictures were allowed to be taken due to security reasons.
We then went to a small village where we had a delicious lunch with unlimited hummus, pita, salad, and our choice of chicken of beef. The food and service was amazing and we were all ready for our next visit!
After lunch, we piled back on the bus to visit a site to watch a short video on the Golan height battles of 1973. After the movie, we were able to visit the sites of battle and see an original tanker from the war. Our bus driver for the trip, Avi, used to be a tank driver in the War on Lebonan, so we were able to ask him questions on his experience and hear his stories. It was a great visit and very eye opening.
We then headed up a mountain on the bus to see some old bunkers. We spent about 30 minutes on top walking around and seeing the sites from a different view. We were even able to see Syria from the top!
In the afternoon, we headed to a world-class winery, Yarden Wineries. We enjoyed a tour of their facilities and afterwards got to sample three of their wines. We learned how to taste wine and the general process of how to make the different types of wines. It was a great visit that the group really enjoyed!
Our last and final stop for the day was a farewell dinner at a steakhouse. The food was absolutely amazing and we were served a full 5 course meal. The group enjoyed talking about our favorite parts of the trip so far, and what we are excited about as we travel to Jordan tomorrow. It was a great chance to enjoy our last dinner in Israel and to reflect on what we have learned and how the reality of Israel is nothing like our perception of it before we came here.
