Monday morning made me feel really warm and fuzzy, when we volunteered at the Hazon Yeshaya soup kitchen. The kitchen caters to Jews, Arabs, and anyone else alike, feeding those from poor children to Holocaust survivors. I peeled a ton of potatoes in the kitchen, while others helped prepare food. We then left Jerusalem for the two hour drive north to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. I learned how to control the media with Jewish magic! Just kidding – we walked around the Old City, its artists' colony, and its synagogues. There were a lot of Orthodox families with little children dressed all orthodox, and it was strangely adorable. I bought a really sweet glass hookah for quite cheap, and it'll look nice for show. Safed is a myriad of alleyways connecting the streets and buildings, and I loved exploring where scholars have tried to unlock the secrets of the universe for centuries. Kabbalah is hard to explain but it goes way beyond Madonna's little red bracelets. I don't know how to define Kabbalah, but Wikipedia probably does a good job. Our guide said it was like taking the blue pill in the Matrix. In the evening, we drove to Tiberias, near the border with Lebanon, and near the gorgeous Sea of Galilee. I wish I had more to write, but the second we got back to the hotel, I ate some hummus and passed out cold in my bed. Israel is exhausting!

Tuesday, was unfortunately the last day of our stay, but definitely one of the best. The group drove up to the Golan Heights, an area disputed with Syria during 1967's Six Day War. Despite 41 years passing, there were still acres upon acres of minefields remaining, some with cows lazily grazing. During the war, Syria violated the Geneva Accords by never giving Israel the map of where it planted its mines, so Israel can only suspect certain areas of mine activity and close them off. However, since they're merely suspected, and the wild grasses grow free, the cows are allowed to wander about. I suppose if one blew up, you could wait by the side of the fence with a bun in hand. Har har. At a monument site, our group stopped for a conversation about relating to Israel and what it is to feel safe or endangered. After mentioning some of the things I've dealt with in life, that's when I had the epiphany I posted about earlier. It was a beautiful thing. We worked our way up a hill by the border with Syria where they invaded Israel in 1973, and explored an abandoned army bunker. Living underground while defending your country from attackers is probably not quite fun, at least from what I saw. Next, we proceeded to the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, a fantastic park with babbling brooks and canopies of plant life. It's amazing that Israel is the only country with more trees now than it had 100 years ago. The hike was short, but I was equipped with good sandals I'd bought at a shoe factory we'd stopped at prior. The shoes were made on a kibbutz, which is a communal settlement where one gets free food and shelter in exchange for work. Those sound real neat, and a good back-up plan in case for some reason I need to get out of America, i.e. if McCain wins. I never actively disliked him until he voted against the Fair Pay Act, stating that women ought to have better skills and training and that's why there shouldn't be a law guaranteeing equal pay between the genders for the same job. I believe this action makes him an enormous jerk. I'm (mostly) kidding about fleeing America, but eh, if I could peel all those potatoes, I could make a pair of shoes.

From the nature reserve, we trekked to a nearby outdoorsy entertainment park, I tried my hand at kayaking for the first time and absolutely loved it. Everyone had the opportunity to kayak or raft down the Jordan River, and my friend Sharon and I tried our hand at a two-girl kayak. I'd never kayaked before in my life, so I was scared I'd make a huge mistake such as flipping it over. In actuality, our teamwork was supreme and we were able to complete the course without running into anything (save for other kayaks and rafts, when the river was narrow) or any other issues. The best part was when the rapids got a hold of our kayak for a minute and they sent us zipping down the riverbank. We surprisingly finished before most people, alongside the athletes. I'm no athlete, but I guess I've got more strength and stamina than I thought. Excellent!

When we finished kayaking, there was a stopping point with a rock climbing wall, archery, and a zip line. I donned a harness, climbed five stories on a ladder, and zip lined across the river's tributary to the other side. Zip lining is when you grab hold on to a handle attached to a cable spanning a wide length, grip it, jump, and zoom down the cable while flying in mid-air. It was absolutely amazing, even though my bikini bottom fell off a bit when I hit the water. I love how Israel made me realize that nature is awesome, and there's so much to do outside that I oughta get up and do. Once I get back to New York, I'm going to check out what's available in the area (even though it's Manhattan, I wouldn't mind taking the Metro North railroad upstate), and go do it. My muscles are aching, but Israeli food and all of the activities have done my body a world of good. Now I really understand why you can't get a bacon double cheeseburger here!