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(Sergio) This weekend, my parents took us to the Hula Valley.
Quite a remarkable place,
located north of the country,
about an hour-and-a-half drive from Nazareth.
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We have a membership card.
(guard) Shalom.
(Sergio's father) Shalom. How much does it cost?
They have a membership.
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(Sergio) We are in Hula.
This is a beautiful valley in the north of Israel.
It starts all the way up north at Tel Dan
and goes all the way 30 kilometers south
to Tel Hatzor, which is Hazor.
It is mentioned in Joshua 11
at the separation of the land
or the divisions of the land between the Israelite tribes.
That's right. So, this is a biblical place,
and it always has been.
Even Josephus Flavius mentioned this place.
This place is best known for its mass bird migration.
Every year, 500 million birds fly through this place.
Yep. They make a stop here,
and then they continue their way on to warmer places.
It's awesome.
I hope to see at least 2 million today.
There is something swimming there.
It's not a bird, but I don't know what that thing is.
- (Sergio) Oh, wow! - (Rhoda) Wait. Wait.
(Sergio) That was a (speaking Russian).
(Rhoda) Wow, babe.
(Sergio) That's the first time in my life I see a beaver.
(Rhoda) Really?
(Sergio) Except that it was no beaver.
It was a Coypu.
A rodent that did not seem to like
the peanut that Rhoda gave him.
Whoa!
So, an interesting story about this place.
In the 1950s, when the Jews started resettling this land,
this whole valley was full of swamps.
It was one giant swamp.
So they said, hey, we've got the technology
to dry the swamps out.
So, they started drying the swamps,
and they noticed something.
Well, from one hand, it was great that they dried the swamps
because now they could plant fields in here,
start agriculture, even move in and live here.
But, from the other hand,
the problem was that the natural habitat decreased
for these birds and animals,
and that hurt the migration of the birds
and started hurting the ecological eco balance.
So, what they did is
they started a national fund to preserve this area.
So, a certain part of the valley
they declared as the national park,
and they restored the swamps.
Back in 1951, it was kind of a crazy idea to say:
Hey, let's preserve the swamp.
What?
But, apparently, it was very necessary for this area.
Unfortunately, this time,
we did not get to see many birds.
It seems like it was not the season yet.
So, Rhoda and I drove here again a month later
in a hope to see those millions of birds
that everybody's talking about.
♪ (Eldar Kedem, "Like a Bird on a Tree") ♪
And after hiking for two miles around the lake,
once again, we were so disappointed
to see only a few birds around.
We found snakeskin here...
which means this field might have some snakes.
I'll tell you which snake this is.
One that doesn't smell good.
- (Rhoda) Eww!
But, then, on our way out,
we saw a car and a man inside of it
who motioned with his hand to come closer.
He opened the window and he told us:
Do you want to see something beautiful?
Then, he picked up a giant scope with a laser on it,
and he started pointing the laser at the horizon.
And, then, all of a sudden...
(birds squawking)
(Rhoda) Oh, that's just a camera, right?
- (Sergio) Maybe. - (Rhoda) Is he doing something?
(Sergio) Distance? No, he's doing something.
(gasps) He scares them with a laser?
No way!
- (Rhoda) You think? - (Sergio) I don't know.
They're all flying, babe. They're all flying!
(Rhoda) Look at that. Like dominoes.
Unbelievable. They're like ants in the air.
(Sergio) Unbelievable!
This is too cool to be true.
Whoa-ho-ho-ho!
Look at that! Look at that!
Look at what's happening there?
(Rhoda) There are like thousands of them!
(Sergio) Babe!
- Whoa-ho-ho-ho! - (Rhoda) Wow!
(Sergio) This is insane!
(birds squawking)
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This is so incredible.
I mean, think about it.
Israel is such a small land in the world
and yet half a billion birds choose it as their resting place
during the migration time.
Incredible, isn't it?
Wow!
All right. So...
before I go, I'm gonna leave you with this question.
Tomorrow, we're going to film the next episode,
and it's based on Psalm 133.
So, the question is: Where are we going?
If you think you can guess it, comment below.
So, see you next time.