Shtender meets Hezbolla

No joke.

Well, we didn't exactly 'meet', but we were within shouting (or rock-throwing) distance of each other. Here's what happened.

We (me and several other like-minded people) decided to head north to Metula. For those that don't know, Metula is like a little finger jutting out of the North of Israel into Lebanon.

So we headed north.

Past the Kinneret.




Farther North, through Katyusha-scarred Kiryat Shemona:




Finally we got to the absolutely gorgeous town of Metula.


Driving around in Metula, it's almost impossible not to bang smack into the border fence. We came upon a border fence which was opened and apparently unguarded. It was not a gate directly into Lebanon, but it opens onto the security road which runs betweeen the two border fences.


While standing around checking out the area, we saw a vintage SUV-type truck drive up on the Lebanese side near the fence. Two goons got out and started walking towards us.


We drove to the army base in the town and told them what we saw. They basically told us that they can't do anything as long as they remain on the other side of the fence and don't shoot or anything.

Not willing to leave Israel unprotected, we returned to the fence.
More cars and trucks had joined them, it was almost like a caravan.

More goons got out and started walking towards us.



They got closer...



and closer...



until they were just a few feet from us.



One member of our group apparently got carried away with his vocal excercises in their direction, and a soldier materialized and shouted at us to get away.

So we did.