Hamsin

Day One of the Ride

Remember yesterday I showed you a picture of a slide “Only in Israel”?  Today was that day - but more on that in a bit

We gathered around 5:30 this morning.  Bags down from the room, and out to the plaza for stretching, some inspirational (and instructional) words, the blowing of the shofar (from an Ibex - never saw an Ibex horn used as a shofar, I don’t think).  Wait a few minutes for the police escort to show up, and then a glorious ride down from Jerusalem.  For those readers who do not know it, Jerusalem sits on a hill (hence its strategic value to the ancients who inhabited it).  When we talk about Jews moving to Israel, we say they are making “aliyah,” which means “going up.”  They are going up to Israel - up to Jerusalem.  Well when you leave Jerusalem, you must go down.  It is a thrilling and breathtakingly beautiful ride down through the Judean hills.

Of course, if you go down, you must go up, and there are some mighty climbs ahead.  Here is some good news and bad news.  The bad news is that, despite having a ride permit for weeks and weeks, apparently the police decided that it was too dangerous to ride the stretch of rode after the descent up into the Judean Hills, even though this ride and others have done it countless times before.  Perhaps there was something going on, or perhaps somebody in the bureaucracy simply got it in his or her head that this should not happen. (First thing in the "Only in Israel" category) The good news (for those who agree that not every hill has to be conquered) is that we were bussed up what is one of the two most grueling hills on the ride.  Since we had no choice, I am content to feel relieved!

However, no rest for the soon-to-be weary.  There are many hills ahead, and it was HOT.  I don’t just mean  toasty warm.  It was HOT.  Somebody said it was 104 in Jerusalem… and we were headed into the desert, where it was not only HOT, but also this is where the hamsin comes in.  Hamsin is the word for a weather condition that is not only HOT, but windy… (oh and very HOT). (Second thing in the Only in Israel category) We spent most of the day riding into 30-40 mph head winds that were HOT.  So you get up a hill and look forward to flying down the other side (to get up a head of speed for the next hill), and BAM - it’s like riding up another hill.   It slowed us down so much, that at the end of the lunch break all but a few of the most dedicated (read unbalanced) riders decided to cut the day short, and skip the scenic loop that added another 18 miles to the day.  I may have told some of you before that I am sure that I am merely a biking enthusiast and not a fanatic because I don’t ride on purpose in the rain, and I don’t ride when it is icy - well I am adding, “don’t ride in a hamsin,” to the list.  Also the sandstorm that the hamsin blew up.

On the other hand, going slower offered more time to look around and take in the striking landscape.  I’m not able to stop and take many photos, but there are folks from the ride taking lots of pictures.  Go to www.hazon.org and click on Israel Ride.  I don't think they are posting photos daily, but you can see slides and video clips from previous rides.

The ride into Ashkelon, which is on the Mediterranean Sea got more pleasant has we got closer and the sea breezes began to waft in.  It is a fairly urban city, so once again we waited for a police escort… and waited… he finally came and escorted us into the city - except his idea of an escort was to ride about 100 yards ahead.  It’s no wonder that the cars who came up behind us simply filled in the gaps, and that we were on our own at the intersections.

For our brief stay in Ashkelon, the best thing is the sea… a cool dip, and the opportunity to take a few shots of little kids.

A brief note of recent history.  Today is the 15th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a member of a fanatic right wing orthodox Jewish group in Israel that believed that making peace with our Arab neighbors was evil.  Rabin was a man of peace, and a giant in his time.  Shalom Chaver. (Peace - Goodbye, Friend)

Tomorrow we ride 92 miles, along the Gaza Strip, into the Northern Negev.  The hamsin has broken, so it should just be hot.

L’hitraot,

Lester

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