For the birds

November 27, 2010 - 6:38 PM by David · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Environment, General, Social Justice, Travel

We didn’t really expect the Hula Argamon bird sanctuary to be so crowded when we stopped by for a visit last week while on a vacarion in the Galilee.

But it was packed – not with people, although there were plenty of human visitors riding around the 10-kilometer circular trail on rented vehicles including standard mountain bikes, family-style bikes for four, or golf carts. But I’m talking about the winged-guests, in the guise of over 40,000 cranes who have planted themselves at the Hula expanse.

It’s part of the Crane Project, initiated by the Jewish National Fund, to aid local farmers during the cranes’ migration to and from Africa twice a year. The cranes have traditionally stopped at farmers fields and ravaged their crops, until the JNF initiated the project.

To protect the farmer’s crops, approximately 280 acres have been set aside to be scattered every day with two tons of corn seed for the cranes. The cranes have enjoyed the hospitality so much, they’ve told their friends about it, and the Agamon has been inundated in recent weeks with the feathered creatures who have created a living carpet on the Hula grounds.

It’s a sight to behold, and you can still see it for the next few weeks, as well as enjoy everything else the Hula has to offer. You can read all about the Agamon from Israel’s most knowledgeable naturist, Aviva Bar-Am, here.

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Tags: africa, Agamon, cranes, Galilee, Hula, migration

Getting out in August

August 28, 2009 - 12:05 PM by David · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, Environment, General, Israeliness, Life, Travel

A family bikes it at the Agamon Lake.

People complain about how crowded everyplace is in the summer, when the kids are off from school and the country takes vacation en masse.

But the trick, I’ve discovered finally, is to wait until later in August. My theory is families are already back home and getting the book lists ready and going clothes shopping by August 20th. So, those last 10 days of the month are primo for going just about anywhere (Eilat is an addendum to the theory which states ‘stay away from Eilat in July and August in its entirety’.)

We just returned from four days in the Galilee, and wherever we went, there was space to park, hike, swim and enjoy the amazing variety of activities the area has to offer. Starting off in Gan Hashlosha (Sakhne), there were lots of folks there, but the spacious, refreshing pools were wide open, picnic benches were there for the taking, and there was plenty room to explore.

The next day started off at the Agamon Lake at the Hula, where you can rent bikes or golf carts and tool around the hour-long route, spying birds and water animals, or just enjoying the outdoors. Again the parking lot was mostly empty and service was immediate.

When I realized, a short way into the route, that a bee sting I had received on my ring finger at Gan Hashlosha was threatening to cut off blood to the finger due to swelling, a staff person picked me up on the route and brought me back to my car. (A quick drive into Kiryat Shmona to the Magen David Adom station solved the problem as they cut off my wedding band and pumped me with antihistamines to lessen the swelling – again no line – three doctors were sitting waiting for me).

The Kinneret is in a dismal state, and it was heartbreaking to see how long it took to walk to the water line, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying swimming time at Ginnossaur and at The Zemach Water Park (where there were virtually no lines for the water slides, meaning my 8-year-old set some kind of a Guiness Book record by sliding over 100 times).

And maybe the most refreshing activity we undertook was an hour-long water hike at Majrase, a nature reserve at the foot of the Golan. If you’ve never done it, it a blast, and great for families with young kids or older kids who aren’t the 5-hour climbing from ladders types.
Indeed, late August is the time to get out and enjoy Israel.

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