Day 1 - Don't Go Chasin' Waterfalls...

This post is a joint contribution from Todd, Igor, Fred, and James.

Banias

We started the day at Banias, home to what is undoubtedly Israel's best outdoor trails. Despite Mother Nature's best attempts to sweep us off our feet, we managed to brave the slippery stairs and find our way to a beautiful waterfall.

During the interim, Tsach, our fearless tour guide, pinned several of Israel's most prominent sites on Todd, who 'volunteered' for the task. Learning about the geographic and cultural diversity of Israel was both an eye-opening and engaging experience. 

Syria

After a delicious lunch of hummus and falafel from a local Druze restaurant, we took the bus up Mount Bental where we had an overlook of the Syrian and Lebanese border. With the current conflict in Syria right in Israel's backyard, we discussed questions such as when and how to intervene especially when the international borders have historically been so unstable.

Akko

To finish the day we visited Akko, a thousand year old city that was built during the crusades. It served as their home base. We wandered through the old city's small streets and peered out over the Mediterranean Sea during some stormy weather. We learned about Israel's history and the important role it plays in several religions and cultures including Judaism, Christianity, and the Ba'hai Faith.

The wonderful, enthusiastic Harvard-Wesleyan Birthright Team in Akko! We had an awesome first day filled with eating, walking, seeing beautiful scenery and more eating! We're all so excited to get to know each other better and continue our journey through this beautiful country! -Igor Liokumovich