Tobia Ziklik

On our final day in Israel, we headed southeast to Latrun to visit Mini Israel. On previous trips to Israel, people have talked me out of going there, saying it’s a place for kids, but I really enjoyed it. For one thing, you get a bird’s eye view of the greatest sites in Israel. Plus, it’s amazing to see how detailed the mini creations are.

For lunch, we decided to drive to Old Jerusalem since it was close by. We entered through the Jewish Quarter and Arnon saw the Western Wall for the first time since he was six years old. I insisted that he touch the wall and say a prayer. Though chagrined, he complied.

This may sound strange, considering the wonderful things we saw that day, but the highlight was sitting in the air-conditioned lounge at the airport, sorting through our luggage, and diposing of papers, magazines, maps, and all sorts of other nonsense. I was clearly ready to go home.

One more thing, we were able to see everything I had hoped to see minus Bet She’an, near the Southern Galilee. Bet She’an is an archaeological site with twenty layers of settlements dating as far back as the fifth millennium BCE. It’s also supposed to have the best Roman ruins in the Middle East. We couldn’t squeeze it in because it’s only accessible in the mornings, when it’s still cool enough to climb up to the ruins. I’ll be sure to go there this summer, though, when we’re in Israel.