Today, the first real day to vacation on Chol HaMoed, we went to Keshet Cave, a unique shallow cave offset by a huge stone arch on the border with Lebanon. There were a surprising number of vacationing people there, teeming all over the rocks, jostling for space with the random herd of goats that meandered through, grazing leisurely. But, when we finally made it to the famous arch, this is what we saw:

The arch and the cave below it looking out over the low hills of the Western Galilee

An Israeli guy came about the same time as we did and began setting up to go rappelling off the arch. That was quite exciting until a tour group called “Extreme Israel” (or something like that) came and set up an even cooler rappelling site. The guide helped the eager teens into the web of ropes and carabiners and instructed them on the descent. As the small crowd watched the “daredevils” drop into the abyss, several spectators asked how much it would cost for them to participate in the rappelling. The price for a free-fall drop on the side of a mountain is 70 NIS, something I may have considered doing with friends.

Rappelling off the arch and into the cave

Once we’d seen enough of the xtreme sports we left the cliff edge and found a memorial for the kidnapped and slain soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser who were captured by Hezbollah back in 2006 in the general area of the Keshet Cave. I have been to the kever (grave) of Ehud Goldwasser in Nahariya when going for the Yom HaZikaron tekes (ceremony) so now I have covered two of the bases of the history behind the tragedy.

The memorial of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser in the park

Hopefully Gilad Shalit will be returning soon.