Sup Syria!

So today after waking up too early, I re-woke up on the border of Syria and Israel... It was quite an experience that I doubt can be matched my many other things in life. Our tour bus pulled up to the border check point so naturally our tour guide got out and asked if we could exist the bus and talk to the soldiers, they obliged so we piled out and started snapping pictures (the tourist thing to do).

At the Syrian border check point

Aviv, the 20 year-old Israeli soldier 

I was able to talk to an Israeli solider who was my named Aviv. He was questioning me about American pop culture and the college party scene, all while heavily armed with a large machine gun across his chest. It pained me when he so innocently said, "it sucks that we have to stand here all day without any fun and you get to study and party like they do in the movies", it really made me contemplate my life and how different it is from other kids my own age. It was a hard but necessary way to start such a day.

After our visit to the border check point we were taken up to an old military bunker that we were able to explore and see where the soldiers slept, as well as the different lookouts etc.

Damascus is only 60 Km away...

The view into Syria

The view from an Israeli bunker

Our tour guide was a religious Druse so he took us to his apple processing factory, then to his village, and finally to his actual home where I was enlightened about the Druse culture and religion and what it actually was about verses the generalizations placed upon them, it was fascinating.

Lunch at a wonderful small restaurant in the village was our next stop. We had a fresh lunch of hummus, baba, pickled vegetables, AMAZING goat cheese with evoo and za' atar(an amazing spice blend), cabbage salad, pita, and falafel. I eat this stuff all the time but surprisingly it never gets old, I hope I can still say this in December :)

YUUUUUUMMMMMMM

After our bellies were full of hummus is yummus we left and went to our second military bunker where you can see Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. It was quite an odd feeling thinking of how much beauty the land holds and yet how much hate is associated is put upon it.

Next, we went to our tour guide's apple and plum orchards where we were able to pick our own fruit and take some home- this was my kind of tour.

My tour guide on the left and his friend dressed in traditional Druse garb to the right

Fresh figs from a tree at my tour guide's house

We had to have a body guide travel with us, that was interesting

How much stache can one man have?

Sitting in the sitting room learning about the Druse

We almost hit a herd of goats that was in the middle of the road

The antenna used during the war with Lebanon

Lebanon

My friend Jess (London) struggling in to get out of a bunkcr

We had to lighten the mood with some vogue

apples, and plums, and pears OH MY

Tea time (tire style)

Israel

We pickeded them fruits so good!

Once again I had an intellectual, cultural, physical and emotional stimulating day. It is now almost midnight and I am just finishing up the last of my arabic homework before going to bed in my 8000 degree room. I am exhausted, but so thankful for everyone and everything that has made this experience possible.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”- Mark Twain

xx