SI MONTHLY NEWS October 2006 Travel reports
From SI Exco News
Israel and Turkey - part 2
Last month the 12 Servas travellers from India visited
Jaffa and Haifa. Now they continue their journey.
As last month, due to space, I have had to cut down on the
very interesting descriptive and historical detail. People who
would like the complete text are welcome to contact the editor.
1 June 2006 Drive to Tel Dam for a walk in the nature Reserve. Visit the Tel Dan, Via Banias to Kalat Nimrod, the Druze villages, Golan, back to Tiberias Via Capernaum, Tabga. Shavuot eve, accommodation-Galil.
Our host Oma took us to the Bus at 9.30 a.m. where we met the group.
The first halt was at Nature Reserve. It was all forest with cold water Herman stream. The Hermon spring emerges at the foot of Mount Hermon whose peak is 2814 metres above the sea level. We walked for an hour up the stream. Dalia, our Guide was naming different trees and telling us the stories. Some school children came with their teachers and securities. The children were pleased to see us and were greeting us either with "Hello" or "Namaste" Each school had two security persons with guns. We were surprised to see it but they said that it is compulsory to have securities with school children. The children were both Arabs and Jews. After walking for half an hour, there was a small lake, where children were making fun. We had our journey back from there.
We saw the Druze villages from the Bus. Near the entrance of the Crusader gate, there is a large group of Column segments, made out of limestone, granite and marble and apparently originating in Roman Banias. It is a large 11X 7 meter room, with a seven- meter-high ceiling and walls that are two metres thick.
From the top of the Donjon we had a panoramic view of Mt. Hermon, the Golan Heights, the Galilee and the Hula valley.
We reached our host's house about 7.00 p.m. thought it was yet bright light. Our host Anat was waiting for us in a small village of Galil. She welcomed us with herbal tea. We had good talk about what we had seen in Israel and Anat's experiences in India, she came to India in 2002 and went to J. Krishnamurthys school of Rishivalley. The food there was very spicy and it did not suit her health. She returned to Israel with this experience thinking not to go to India again but after stay of 5-6 days in Israel, she felt as if India was calling her and she desires to come to India once again.
When I offered her Thepla and Khakhras, she asked me- why I did not find such innocent food while in India? She is vegan, so she prepared Pasta and Soya noodles as well as Salad for us. We had free access to computer in her house and then went to sleep. I expressed my desire to see Kibbutz. Anat was grown up in a Kibbutz so we decided the next day.
2nd June 2006. Free day in Amirim.
It is said that Amirim is fully Vegetarian Village. We saw some Indian Vegetarian Restaurants with the name Rishikesh and Mysore. My host Anat was a vegan, no milk products. A peaceful lady staying in a peaceful place of 25 houses.
I expressed my desire to visit Kibbutz. She was brought up in Kibbutz but left Kibbutz, when she was not allowed to keep her child with her. In earlier Kibbutz, all children were kept together and were looked after by a lady given that work.
She drove us to her Kibbutz at 10.00 a.m. On the way she narrated that people in that Kibbutz came from Hungary. She introduced her brother, sister-in-law and their children to us.of a Shavuot day which all of them were enjoying. They had no interest in the outer world. Everything for them: food, clothes, houses, relatives, from birth to death, was included in that Kibbutz.
Then we went to the former Druze M.P. Mr. Asaad Asaad. He is a leader of Druze. We talked to him about of Druze people. Anat said that Druzes are very loyal to the country in which they stay. So, one Druze of Israel will fight against another Druze of Jordon or Syria.
Mr. Asad Asad himself brought different dishes of Peaches, Plums, Apples, Melons, Biscuits, Cakes, Juices etc. from the kitchen. But one who was preparing in the kitchen did not meet us. He had been to Zambia for a week, so he had much social work pending for him yet he took out time to meet us.
Anat insisted on showing us the Museum of Druze people. We saw their store Garage room where old vessels, weapons, machines, shoes, games, photos etc. were kept.
We went home. We sat down with my thepla, bread, salad and Pasta which she prepared last night. We were not very hungry after the dishes served at Mr. Asad Asads place, yet we ate something and went for rest.
We had to go for the festival of Shavuot where the village people were to meet, sing and dance. Anat was very tired and she had to drive us. So we gave up the idea of going to that festival. Though, we had to go for Servas Meeting near that place at 7 p.m. There was also a pot-party of SERVAS Group. We took chickpeas and watermelon.
We reached the meeting place at 7.20 p.m. Other fellow travelers had enjoyed the festival of Shavuot eve and told us that we really should have attended that eve. Slowly people started coming and at 8.p.m. the meeting started. Everybody had to tell his/her name and the qualities which one loves. There were around 30 persons in all. Then the lady Eliana who is practicing meditation, made all of us to meditate in whichever posture we liked. Some of them including Eliana were lying down while meditating. After 20-25 minutes, she got up and played melodious music only using her mouth. It was really a soothing music. We had dinner at about 9.00 p.m. Different vegetarian food from different hosts were delicious, yet our Indian flavour was missing. There were desert and fruits. Anat drove us back at about 10.p.m. and we reached home by 10.30.p.m. we were tired, yet packed up for the next day and went to sleep.
Dr. Geeta Mehta, Peace secretary, SERVAS India
Continued next month.
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