Day 1: Sea of Galilee

Batya did a great job interspersing holy sites with secular activities during our two days in the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee. We saw this 2,000-year-old boat that two fisherman found buried in the mud in 1986 when the tide was low due to a drought. It was fascinating to watch a video of the race against time to excavate it before it crumbled away once exposed to air. Apparently the Vatican would like to get their hands on it because it was from the time of Jesus (and is known as the Jesus Boat), but the Ginosar Kibbutz has no plans to give it up.

Next, Batya pulled some strings and managed to get us a private ride on a wooden boat; we got a lot of stares as we walked past all the lines of tourists. It was corny yet sweet when one of the crew raised an American flag while playing the US National Anthem during the 20-minute cruise.