We went to a former army bunker in the Golan Heights, right near the Syrian border. We got to go down into some of the tunnels and rooms and walk around. It was not a place I'd like to spend any extended period of time, or even a night actually, although it did feel pretty safe. Outside the bunker, there were beautiful views of the surrounding area.
Driving through the Golan Heights was interesting. We had an extra armed guard with us for the duration of our stay, just as we had when we were near the West Bank. Pretty frequently along the road, there were fenced off portions of land with signs that said, "Danger. Land Mines." I asked one of the American guides what the story was with those sections of land. Apparently Syria had put land mines all over the Golan Heights and when Israel captured the land, Syria gave them all the coordinates they had. However, they did not have coordinates for all of them, so there are still some areas with mines. I asked what they are going to do with the land, and was told they graze cattle on it.
Pictures:
1st: Helpful sign to orient yourself at the bunker
2nd: Leslie and some others in the bunker
3rd: Golan Heights and Syria
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