For my week off I decided to hike with a few new friends of mine from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee, a hike known in Hebrew as ים לים, or sea to sea. I could go into detail about the difficulty of the hike, how many miles (or kilometers) we walked, or how many pictures I took, but what really struck me about the entire experience was how hospitable and friendly everyone we ran into was.
We took a train from Tel Aviv to the start point of the trail which is at a beach in Naharia. It is tradition to carry some water from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee and mix the waters for good luck, so here is where I filled my little jar from the shuk (market).
We were consulting our map when a man pulled up beside us on a bike. He insisted on helping us find the trail and gave us detailed directions before continuing on his way. His directions turned out to be impeccable, and we started on our way. About an hour later as we walked through what seemed like miles of banana trees a man pulled up next to us in a four door sedan and asked us if we needed directions. Apparently, he takes all of his sons on yam l’yam when they turn 12, and he gave us his phone number in case we got lost. When we finally reached the end of the banana groves after another two hours of walking a car pulled up asking if we had enough water, and then a few minutes later another car pulled up asking if we needed anything.
When we finally reached our rest stop in Kibbutz Avirim that night, the sun was setting. We had barely made it before dark. We pitched our tent, prepared dinner, and were sitting around the campfire when we realized one of Becca’s shoes was missing! With the help of a local girl we tracked it down, a sneaky dog had taken a liking to it. But because of that shoe we met an awesome family who invited us to stay in their house for the evening! The hospitality and open doors were truly shocking for me.
The next day we reached Kibbutz Sasa where, again, doors were opened wide and we were received with open arms to someone’s home. We were able to cook in his house on a stove, sleep in real beds, and shower. The next morning we were even invited to the communal breakfast in the Heder Ochel (cafeteria). Our host even drove us to the start point of the trail, so we shaved 3km off of our trek.
On our way to Tsfat we encountered some trouble. Everyone on the trail was lovely and helpful, pointing us in the right direction and offering us support and encouragement as we passed by. However, right beneath Tsfat we passed a Purim party with loud music, dancing, and good food and drinks. We, of course, decided to drop by and see what was going on. Becca and I realized immediately that there were no women present, however our two male companions (Jeremy and Jacob) were welcomed immediately by the partiers while Becca and I were ignored almost completely. One of the men pointed at us, said “laila tov” (good night) and then turned away. It was a clear dismissal. Men were walking past us and not even looking at us, which was such a direct contrast to the way we had been treated for the rest of the trip so far. I have never felt so invisible and unwanted as I did in that moment. Jeremy and Jacob went into the party while Becca and I waited outside.
The next day we completed our hike! Again, the people we met along the trail were very friendly and helpful, always pointing us in the right direction if we asked for help (and when we didn’t!). Reaching the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) was such an exciting moment, it felt like it had been such a long time coming even though it had only been a few days. I poured my water into the sea and it felt so right, and like it was closing an important chapter in my life.
Of course, that evening the hospitality continued. We camped out in Kibbutz Ginosar, right next to a pub and a house filled with Thai workers. The Thai workers insisted that we come over for dinner, although they didn’t speak a word of Hebrew or English so communication was very interesting. They made us authentic Thai food with rice, chicken, very spicy chilis, and more very spicy chilis!! The food was delicious of course, and when they broke out the karaoke we traded singing songs in Thai and our favorite classics in English.
Conclusion: This trip was life changing. It’s made me resolve to be more caring and patient with people at home who don’t speak English or are lost and need directions, and just in general to be friendlier to people I pass. In the Northeast we are so used to putting our heads down and ignoring the people around us because we are so busy getting wherever we’re going, and we miss what’s happening around us. The smiles and kind words we received truly lit up the day, while being ignored was a dark smear on an otherwise perfect experience.
Be kind, smile, and climb a mountain <3
