Cousins

"I go wherever Haydie goes" – Sennen

"Where's Bailey? Can I go with Bailey?" – Ailyn

"Bailey, put Ailyn down, you're going to hurt your back, Sweetie!" – All the adults

"Haydie, can you sit in the middle so we can both sit next to you?" – Ailyn

"Daddy, I want Haydie to have the next piece (of birthday cake) because she's my favorite cousin!" – Sennen (We all knew, just no one had ever said it so bluntly before).

While our tour of Israel is made of many stops, places and events – one thing is constantly going on: Cousins. Ages 12, 9, 6 and 4 don't necessarily go together and we wouldn't be at all surprised if they weren't all best friends. But amazingly, the kids are a very loving, together group who entertain one another constantly. As indicated by Sennen's birthday cake comment, the four kids often (though not exclusively) pair off into the "teams" they seem to have developed since birth: Bailey and Ailyn; Hayden and Sennen. To Ailyn, Bailey is the center of the universe – the big cousin extraordinaire. Sennen adores Hayden and she seems to tolerate whatever mood he's in or game he wants to play – even if it makes no sense to her. 

They are, in short – adorable.

While there's nothing new about the Cousins relationship or uniquely different about it this trip, it involves perhaps the most extended time they've ever had together – which could well have gone totally awry. So far, it hasn't and if anything Cousins help make long, busy days; lengthy bus rides; and sometimes moments that require great patience from a child – far more enjoyable.

"Ailyn, we need to get up now, Sweetie."

"I don't want to get up. I want to sleep."

"Sweetie, we need to get going for the day."

"No…"

"If we get dressed quickly, we can go to breakfast and see Cousins…"

"Ok!"

That was how this morning started. And after getting dressed and out the door lickety-split, everyone enjoyed a fantastic Israeli breakfast buffet with more kinds of cheeses that I think I've ever seen at a single meal – among numerous other things ranging from egg dishes to several kinds of hot cereals to desserts. I had a warm cheesecake/soufflé type dish that was a unique breakfast find.

After fueling up, we spent the day surveying the Golan Heights beginning with a trip to an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) base that operates cavalry/tank command. We were taken on a tour of some of the older tanks which included communications/intelligence units as well as a Tiger – an American tank modifying by Israel to include several new battlefield advantages including the ability to blow up a missile that hits it before the missile can bust through the tank walls. Israelis have made a practice of taking US technology and finding ways to "perfect" it with their own – and then share-back their adaptations with the US military. 

Three 19-year-old officers each 1.5 years into their three-tear service showed us around the tanks and to our amazement, allowed us – and in particular, the kids – to climb up on a tank.

Afterward, we proceeded to Mt. Avital to overlook the valley below, seeing what was Israeli on one side and off into Syria on another. After a brief review of Israel's capture of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 Six Day War and its strategic significance in holding the high-ground and ending the constant shelling and sniping of Israelis in the valley below, we embarked on an off-road Jeep ride through the fields leading up to the Syrian border and actually drove up-close along the border, passing by mine fields, and visited the shelled-out hull of what used to be Syria's military command center for the Golan region. Obviously seeing the territory and how holding the high positions makes a tremendous difference in Israel's security helps make sense of the history and Israel's decisions both to take the Golan and to fully annex it. Israel could afford to trade land for peace with Egypt and Jordan, but that wouldn't be possible with the Golan and Syria.

After exploring the seriousness of Syria, we adjourned to a homemade Israeli lunch at a nearby kibbutz. On that same kibbutz, we visited n Argentinean-Israeli De Karina chocolatier and not only learned about chocolate making, but had the chance for some chocolate tasting and then make our own confections. The kids in particular enjoyed filling truffle shells and figuring out the combinations of chocolates and fillings for their own pieces and bars.

Next door was the Bahat Winery at which the adults stopped for a tour and tasting, while the kids went to the nearby kibbutz playground with our guide, Dina. Both parties had a chance to unwind. The Golan region has a thriving wine business, much of which is exported since we learned that Israelis drink an average of six liters of wine per year, while the French drink an average of 50 liters per year. Thus, export business is the best way for these vineyards and wineries to make their money. Bahat specializes in kosher wine done to a level acceptable to the most fanatically orthodox of Jews. Thus, Bahat himself cannot participate in making his own wine as only the ultra-orthodox can make wine of that certification. Why cut himself off from his work? The kosher wine market is niche, but lucrative and it gives him an instant, dedicated customer base.

Happily, today we wound up our activities by about 4pm, which allowed us to make it back to our kibbutz/guesthouse by 5pm and allow Cousins time to swim before our 7pm buffet dinner. Playtime and swimming were both welcome after a lot of driving yesterday and today – and before tomorrow's long ride to Jerusalem. But of course, even the hour ride back from the chocolatier and winery was filled with cousins chatting and napping together.