Post 12: Morning Hike
We were woken up at approximately 3:45 this morning for a hike through the trails of the Upper Galilee. When we began hiking the stars were still high in the sky with no sign of the approaching day. The cool breeze that blows through Northern Israel in the hours preceding the sun-rise is extremely refreshing in a region that routinely reaches the high-nineties a few short hours after sun rise. As we walked through the mountain passes we were surrounded by scenes of natural beauty: below us the glimmering green of the Beit Hakerem valley, all of which used to be submerged in water; at eye level and above, the majestic mountains of the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. All around us were remnants of imperial occupation of the land; British look-out towers, French forts, and burned out Israeli armored vehicles that fought to retake the towers the British left to the Palestinians on the summation of their mandate were among such reminders.
There is an hour before the sun rises where the pink hue of the approaching sun meshes with the soft blue of the distant mountain ranges such that it is impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends. Among other thoughts of serenity and calamity I was struck by at that moment came another thought…nobody should have to wake up early enough to see this. Sorry to kill the moment romantics but we were 3.5 KM into a hike at 5 something in the morning and I was carrying one of the medical/water bags for the group. I’m not that guy who is whining in the back, though. I’m making sarcastic comments from the front of the pack and making fun of our painfully slow pace. Why be negative when you can be sarcastic? It keeps people laughing AND satisfies your desire to complain. A win-win. Even more entertaining to your English-speaking friends, Israeli’s often don’t have a strong enough grasp of English to understand the negative undertones of comments to the tune of “Your doing a great job today on this hike! You’ve managed to hold up the rear AND make sure that nobody falls behind you. I don’t know what the educational corps would do without you!”
Still loving life,
Corey
Addendum: When the Israeli soldier in reference comes across this, I’m kidding. Poetic License. Don’t fail me in Ulpan please.
Joining the IDF 
August 12, 2010 at 1:35 pm |
Hi Corey. I’m a close and an old friend of your dad and mom. So far, your IDF experience sounds a lot more like Canyon Ranch than boot camp, but I figure you’ve tougher days ahead.
The very existence of Israel and the United States, and the survival of the Jewish people over the centuries, has required enormous sacrifice and bravery on the part of young men like you. Good on you, Corey. Be smart and be safe.
Jonny