Mount Arbel- Israel Pilgrimage

Mount Arbel-

 from Nof Ginnosaur- in the Galilee

(January 2014)

 I have wanted to drive up to the 

top of this mountain ever since then.

Here is the story for this adventure:

Part One.

We have WAZE on the car. 

Amy speaks to us in English,

but you have to add the site in Hebrew.

We got to many places 

that were NOT Mount Arbel.

 We finally arrived at 3:10 pm 

and the guard at the gate said- 

"We are closed."

"But, the webpage said you are open till 4 pm."

"Yes, but that is now for you."

"Come back tomorrow."

 And he took the goats down the road.

 So we went to look at the synagogue.

  We looked at the nearby cliffs,

and thought about the people

 that worshiped here long ago.

 Part Two.

Since we didn't really know 

how we got there the first time, 

we attempted to drop imaginary bread crumbs

 to find it the second time.

We arrived about 10 am and hiked to the top.

 This was my long awaited view of the Sea of Galilee 

from the top of Mount Arbel.

 A peak over the edge.

 "Another" view

And another.

We greeted the lone carob tree at the Carob Lookout-

the last of the many that use to flourish here.

From this lookout on a good day-

 you CAN see the Sea of Galilee, 

the Golan Heights, Mount Hermon 

and the eastern Upper and Lower Galilee.

 So we came down and 

read a bit about the history.

Then we did what anyone does

 to mark the visit in this circumstance.......

 We took photographs of the lovely photos

 in the Visitor Center

of what we would have seen, 

if we could have seen the view.

Thanks Shimi Anav Photography.

A view of a valley on the way back

 down from the mountain-

until we try again someday.

A bit more information:

The Arbel plateau is a basalt highland.

The highest point on the cliff is 

181 meters above Sea Level.

The Nature reserve here is home to 

mountain gazelle, wolves, hyenas,

 badgers, and martens. 

Families of hyrax inhabit the cliffs 

and bats hide there during the day.

The rock crevices are the only place

 on earth for a small snail-

Cristataria genezerethana.

Griffon vultures were identified here

and the cliffs and crevices 

are home to rare plants in the centauria, 

rosularia and galium families.