Below is the old Quneitra, now abandoned, destroyed in the withdrawal of the Israeli army. The Syrian
government moved the provincial capital to the New Quneitra or Baaz City(name of the ruling party) few
kilometers West. The checkerboard-shaped city is populated by three or four greyished monoblocks, a
watchtower, a minaret, and discontinued sections of a perimeter wall topped by barbed wire. A roar war
recalls that in the Arab country a new war is being unleashed today.
We got in the car to continue our way, but we finally decided to stay a few more moments and parked in
the lot. Under the bare trees of the viewpoint, an Arab family -thicked-moustache men, bandannas-tied-to-
the-head women- is having a joyful conversation while drinking something. But they do not take pictures
of the landscape nor take photos of each other, and specially they do not allow to be photographied at
all. The Muslims believe that photography steals the soul. A salesman -wool cap and mustache - exposes
its fruits and canned food flanked by the widely opened rear doors of his van. It is curious that he allows
to be photographed. Back turned to the camara, looks to the objective unsmiling.
We continue journey to Mount Ben
Tal which summit is Cafe Kofi Annan and an observation post of the
UN. The
entrance is milestoned by metal sculptures of dinosaurs on human
scale that do not harmonize with the history of the area, like that
Elvis Priesley themed café off Jerusalem. A tyrannosaurus, little arms in hand, watches the entrance. Over the wall surrounding the way
there are tinplate-shaped soldiers profiles -crouched, pointing with
rifle, or upright, looking with binoculars -figures repeated all
throughout the tour, humanoids that are really harrassing the
visitor, and unlinke the tyrannosaur, are intimidating.
We climbed to the top of the mountain, against sun and wind,to find the famous cafe.
In a post, signs pointing to cities located in the four cardianal points -Jerusalem , Amman , Haifa ,
Baghdad, PM Office- . On the right the restaurant whose name is a word game. Koffi Annan was Secretary
General of the UN and in Hebrew means Coffee in the Clouds. In a nearby viewpoint there are two Austrian
officers; the high-ranked one seems to be busy with his laptop; the other, blue-eyed blond, tells visitors in
a lively way the terrible situation experienced downhill .
We leave just exactly when the friendly officer initiates a briefing for newcomers soldiers,embroidering
flags of China, Ireland, on their epaulettes . Something unusual, like dinosaurs or Elvis Priesley , but not
quite in the area. We got in the car and head in the direction of Mount Hermon.
Mount Hermon is a omnipresent and visible snowy peak all across and along the Golan Heights . Under
it lays an Arab village, now under Israeli rule. The main road meanders West-East ; along it , gaudy
buildings combating melancholy mountain, Syrian flags tied to street lamps, pictures of Syrian President
looming from balconies; old men with a mustache , beret, suit and tie smoking shisha and drinking mint
tea sitting on Persian carpets and awaiting the return of their chieftain, their Messiah- President -not
President 's son , Bashar, but the father, Hafez -al -Assad belligerent in 1973- mounting on a Soviet tank.
This was always Syria and the Israelis did not realize .
The
trip back to Tel Aviv will be long, about two hours and a half to
cross the country from north to south . And we have already been
''israelized'' in mileage .