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May 10, 2007
Golan Happy Land
I wanted to show Mary and Steve the ruggedly beautiful Upper Golan, but we dawdled for a while in the Gallilee and it was heading for evening as we wound our way parallel to the Syrian border. We ended up driving through several of the Druze villages up there.
BTW I know the main reason Israel shouldn't give back the Golan is that whoever commands the heights has a strategic advantage, but an equally compelling reason is how beautiful it is and the unlikeliness of Syria allowing Jews to visit. If you go to Israel rent a car and wander around there. Take a few days. Hike Gamla and explore Nimrod's Fortress.
This sign in Majdal Shams summed up our mood as we wound our way back down the mountains and headed to Jerusalem.
The building behind it looked like a community center, so we are assuming it's a day care facility or nursery school.
Judith | 05/10/07 at 10:08 AM | Categories: Eretz Yisrael
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Comments
Nice that the Hebrew for "Happy Land" is "Happy Land" -- or, more precisely, "Hahpi Lahnd."
I assume it says the same thing in Arabic at the top: "Happy Land."
Attila (Pillage Idiot) | May 10, 2007 12:41 PM
Also nice that on the Druze site, they only refer to the Golan and Palestine. Seem to have a hard time using the "I" word...
Majdal Shams, what a bunch of hypocrites they are while they pledge allegiance to Syria and defame Israel they howled "blue murder" when it was sugested that the armistice line be changed to incorporate them once more into Syria proper. They would lose the health care, National Security payouts and shopping in the malls in Haifa and environs.
Cynic ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.keshertalk.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| May 10, 2007 03:10 PM
Mt. Bintal is absolutely amazing.
soccerdad | May 10, 2007 03:43 PM
Attila, one of my favorite things this time around is all the transliterated hebrew signs. Esp. MKDONLD'S.
last time my favorite word from liturgy/religion being used in daily life was "cheshbon." "Spiritual accounting" is "cheshbon hanefesh." "Cheshbon" is also the restaurant check.
This time it's "kabbalah." Every hotel desk says "Kabbalah" ("Reception")
Judith | May 10, 2007 06:08 PM
It's great that you made it back to ha'aretz, especially at this usually gorgeous time of year. And Mary too! I love the comment about the cheshbon and kabbalah, since I go at Hebrew language from the opposite direction, enjoying recognizing liturgical terms from the modern Hebrew I know. Here's a good one for you guys: in Indonesia, the word for newspaper is "koran." I guess there are so few publications in muslim countries, maybe anything printed is referred to as koran? But it wierds us out to hear a newspaper vendor (like the ones who come up to the car at any stop light) yelling "koran, koran!"
Rona | May 10, 2007 10:56 PM
I'm just imagining a bemused member of the red-cord-round-the-wrist fraternity (or given the highest profile member thereof, sorority) seeking spiritual guidance from a bemused bellhop.
Which isn't to say that the bellhop might not give quite good guidance.....
