As a member of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, or UNTSO, I am tasked by my government to perform military observer duties in the Golan Heights for the United Nations. This essentially means - in simple terms - that I assist both Israel and Syria to observe the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement. 

There are two lines on a map. The west line is called the Alpha Line and the east line is called the Bravo Line. Those two lines outline what is called the Area of Separation - which for all intents and purposes is a buffer zone between Israeli Occupied Golan and Syria. It is inhabited and administered by the Syrians. The Area of Separation runs approximately 75 kilometres and generally in a north south direction. The Area of Separation is as narrow as approximately 200 metres and as wide as approximately nine kilometres. The lowest point is in the south at 47 metres below sea level where Syria, Jordan and Israeli Occupied Golan come together in what is locally known as the Tri-Border Junction. The highest point is in the north at approximately 2814 metres above sea level on the top of Mount Hermon which borders upon Lebanon, Syria and Israeli Occupied Golan.

There are six fixed observation posts on the Alpha side and five fixed observation posts on the Bravo side. This means there are places that cannot be observed by those fixed observation posts. To solve the issue of places that cannot be seen from the observation posts, the military observers also patrol the area. 

A full description of this mission can be found here: http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/untso/ including a bio on the man who has the overall responsibility for the mission. I do not know him well, but I have met him several times - and I think he is a pretty cool guy.

On this day I was guiding several personnel from another United Nations mission who work very closely with us. They needed to visit an area in the southern part of the Area of Separation. As this is my sector I rode along to provide directions and advice. It was a pretty good day and I took a few pictures to show the scenery.

The area is rugged, hot and very dry.

I snapped this one out the back window.

Did I mention it is also dusty?

The last vehicle finally catches up with us. You might be able to see a barrel on a tall pole just to the right of the Toyota. This is the very first barrel that marks the beginning of the Alpha Line. We call it the Golden Barrel - and no, I do not know why. We are now in Israeli Occupied Territory.

From this point we had to walk to the Wadi Ar Raqaad where there is still a little water remaining after the winter rains. It is a very pretty part of the world.

Once we completed this little trip into the low lands, I took a Toyota and travelled up the Yarmouk River by myself to complete another small task.

This is a very typical view of the countryside. Water in the Yarmouk River means crops for farmers. Arable land is never wasted.

While I was enroute to the area I needed to get to, I ran across these guys out earning their living.

They were a little slow getting out of the way so I stopped to talk with them - typical farmer that I am!

The road through the Yarmouk is actually between Jordan and Syria. The water is quite clean and flows well despite the dry weather. The roads in this area are not easy to travel as they are subject to landslides and winter flooding. The farmers grow all types of fruit and vegetable crops in this area and they seem to be very good crops. To be in a hurry here is to get into trouble, so I shuffled along at about 10 - 15 kph. I am about 50 metres above the crop land at this point.

I finally got to where I needed to be. This bridge is part of the old and now out of service railroad. I believe this is a bridge from the  Jezreel Valley Railway, or simply the Valley Railway. I have read references to a historical railroad in Ottoman and British Palestine, which was part of the larger Hejaz Railway and ran along the Jezreel Valley.

If I am correct then this bridge is a work of art from a long time ago.

It was built in the beginning of the 20th century and connected Haifa with the rest of the Hejaz Railway, its last stop within the Palestine Mandate borders being al-Hamma. After many failed attempts, the final planning and construction lasted 4 years. The railway was inaugurated on October 15, 1905 and operated until the middle of the 20th century.

I think these references are correct:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hejaz_Railway
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jezreel_Valley_railway

Here is the bridge - pretty nice piece of work!

Bridge found picture taken and mission accomplished. I climbed out and headed for home. Nice view!