How Quickly Things Can Change

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States.  We have many blessings for which to be thankful.  At the top of the list this morning is the news that the cease fire between Israel and Hamas seems to be holding.  Barely three weeks ago we were celebrating our ride and the mission of peace that our friends at the Arava Institute embody every day, but hardly had we parted in Eilat and the region erupted into violence.  Such a mix of emotions.  Certainly no nation, no people, should be expected to tolerate a rain of rockets showered on them such as that being sent from Gaza.  Why Israel's response is called an offensive operation is beyond me.  While the conditions in Gaza are oppressive, I do not understand and cannot condone apologists for terror who claim the perpretrators are driven to violence by their circumstances.  We are human beings, and we have the power to choose our actions - terrorists and their leaders are responsible for their actions.  I believe that the vast majority of Israelis want peace... and most recognize that peace will only come when Palestinians are afforded the rights of statehood.  But there must be partners for peace... and where are they???  With this cease fire, Israel's statements are of hope for calm and peace - while Hamas, and indeed it seems the only members of the Arab world willing to speak out, talks of victory in its drive to defeat Israel - which means not peaceful co-existence, but anhilation of the Jewish state.  There is no moral equivilance here.  Israel brings massive force to bear, but it is not driven by a desire to eliminate a people - but rather to be left in peace.  Where are the voices of moderation??  Where are the voices of peace?  May the words that emanate from the Arava Institute be an example to the leadership on both sides - though I suspect that peace will come incrementally through the types of relationships fostered at the Arava.  I fear we do not have the type of leadership that will take this path.

To our friends and supporters of the Arava Institute, Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those in the region who find themselves in danger as a result of the violence which has erupted between Israel and Gaza. We hope for a quick end to the conflict and a return to quiet and safety for all. This renewed cycle of violence emphasizes the need for an alternative non-violent method to resolve the conflict between the peoples in the region. Though peace agreements seem like a distant dream right now, the only real hope for long-term peace and security is dialogue. The Arava Institute - its staff, faculty, students, and alumni - are dedicated to building bridges of trust in the region which can prevent future conflagrations. Leaders of the region should take an example from our Palestinian, Jordanian, Israeli, and international students. Even during times of crisis like these, they come together in friendship to air their differences and build trust by seeking that which unites and not that which divides. Through this crisis, as well as others in the past, our students meet on the lawn in front of their dormitories and exchange words, not bullets and missiles. It was Hubert Humphrey who said, "Peace is not passive; it is active. Peace is not appeasement; it is strength. Peace does not happen; it requires work." The conversations are often difficult and emotional, but they model a real alternative. We know that inevitably, both sides will seek an end to the fighting, bury their dead, tend to their wounded and begin to rebuild. We hope and pray that this will be the last eruption of violence to darken the skies of the Middle East and that the leaders of the region will explore new alternatives to peacefully resolve the conflict. The Arava Institute will continue to stand as a beacon of hope and to light the way. The Arava staff, faculty, and students remain safe on Kibbutz Ketura. We thank you for your concern and kind wishes during this time. David Lehrer Executive Director The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies  And so I close this ride's blog in an uneasy state of mind.  The memories of the ride are warm.  As with my first ride, the experience was spectacular.  The north was beautiful, and the desert was breathtaking.  I am eager to return... probably in  2014.  But along with the glow of the ride is the anguish of the recent violence.  I believe that sanity will ultimately prevail, but I fear there will be much more pain before it does.  As we give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, my prayers are for peace in the Land. I imagine I will post more thoughts on this blog from time to time, but with these lines I close the 2012 Israel Ride.  See you next time. L'hitra-ote Lester

Timing is Everything

Timing is everything!  Eilat was flooded just days after we rode in.  Would have made that last descent a real slog!  Click here for the story and a video: Floods in Eilat

 L'hit,

 Lester

Highlights of the Ride - You've gotta see this!

Elahn Zetlin, fellow rider and videographer par-excellance has posted this video highlight of our ride.  You've got to take 23 minutes and watch this - it's the closest you will come to the ride without being there - and will perhaps inspire you to join us!  Click here:  Israel Ride 2012 Highlights!

L'hit,

Lester

Home Again

Well, Newark is not exactly home, but you get the picture.  I am back home in Lexington after a long day of travelling that started in sunny Eilat.  Quick flight to Tel Aviv, and a lot of time to wait for my flight home.  So friends who live in Tel Aviv picked me up for lunch and tour around parts of the city (where I have never really spent much time).  Then I was handed off to my cousin for dinner and back to the airport.  It took FOREVER to get through security.  Finally on the plane. I sat next to a young Israeli man who was heading to North Carolina for a short-film festival that he hopes will help launch his carrier, and an Israeli woman who had left her husband and children in New Jersey before the Hurricane - she said they had been without power for 10 days!  And I owe Robin a lot for leaving her with 3 days without power!

There is no way to make an 11 hour flight pleasant (unless you spend a zillion dollars to get one of those beds in first class), though I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours, I think.  As the hours tick by, the exhilaration of the Ride starts to slip away.  Work begins to seep into my consciousness, as do the chores that are waiting for me in my real life.  Of course, I am anxious to see Robin.  We think this is the longest we have been apart since we got married (Yes Virginia, that would be 34 years ago...).  But it is friggin's cold here... and damn it has started to snow!

We were in the air as the election here was taking place.  As we approached the end of the flight, the crew announced the preliminary results.  I think they did not want to wake anyone earlier with the news - and I suspect they did not want to announce a final result while we were still thousands of feet in the air.

Some facts about my ride:

According to my bike computer, I rode 354.30 miles, and spent 24 hours, 36 minutes and 38 seconds in the saddle. If I include the ride I took with my kibbutz friend, the total mileage over 6 days of riding was 417 miles.  I climbed 19,661 feet, descended 24,028 feet, and I burned 15,538 calories.  My bike computer does not tell me how many calories I consumed - but with all the Ride crew fed us, I imagine it was a close match.  I hope I stop getting hungry every hour and a half or so!  I hope I never again come within a mile of lemon-lime Gatorade - especially when it's warm.  Yuck!

I got pretty good at posting stuff on Facebook from my iPad, reconnected with a few folks who were on the 2010 Ride, and made new friends this round.  Several riders overcame great challenges to make it to this ride, and I was impressed by the strength and perseverance of all the riders - from the  youngest to the oldest among us.  My anticipation of the highlights of the Ride were confirmed.  The North is beautiful and lovely to ride through, but the South is inspiring.  There is nothing that compares to riding in the desert.

It meant a lot to me to become reacquainted with the Arava alumni who worked on the crew, several of whom I had met the last Ride.  I have written in earlier posts of my respect for their commitment and courage to break down historical and political barriers in this region in hopes of bringing peace a little closer to this troubled land.  

As the reality of this Ride begins to fade, I can't help but think about next time.  Tentative plan is to return in 2014 with a group from our synagogue (Nov 4-11, 2014 - mark your calendars).  But I was also inspired by a father-daughter pair who rode this year.  Maybe I can talk Molly into coming with me the year after (for my 60th birthday!).

I may have some more thoughts to add in the days to come, and I wll try to put some photos together
to share.  But until then,

L'hitra-ot,

Lester

We Ride to Kutera and then to Eilat!!

This will be a double post, since I was too beat to write after the ride into Ketura.

Before leaving Mitzpe Ramon we started with shacharit (morning prayers) at the makhtesh.  This is aa regular part of the ride experience, and it is very special.  As the sun rises we wrap ourselves in our tallitot, some of us put on teffilin, we sing, play the drums and watch the sun rise over the makhtesh as we recite the morning prayers.  So many of them evoke a connection with the waking of the day which we experience viscerally as the makhtesh comes to life.

We also had a special visitor:

Then we ride down, down, down into the makhtesh.  It is a thrilling descent that takes you back thousands of years to the time of the Romans and the Nabatian spice route (which went through the makhtesh).  

Me at the makhtesh before we ride down:

 If I can figure out how, I will post a video from our tour guide par excellance, Bill Slott explaining how the makhtesh was formed.  It is actually from a previous year.  This year Hadar explained in using chocolate cream puffs... but I don't have a video of that.

Of course, what goes down must go up, and we do have to climb out... The rest of the day is one spectacular mile after another.  Not too hilly and fast.  Until the final descent into the Arava Valley and the home of Kibbutz Ketura and the Arava Institute.   It is several steep miles, and yet another thrilling part of the ride.  Here is a link to the route.  From Mitzpe Ramon to Ketura

Ketura is one of the few kibbutzim that remains fully communal.  Founded in the early 70's, most of the original members were American immigrants. It has prospered and is now a comfortable place to live.  But walking around the campus, we are struck by how rugged those early years must have been.  We toured the Arava Institute and saw some of the exciting work they are doing, especially in solar engery.  They have developed a type of self cleaning solar panel that seems to be able to remove the desert dust from the panels (which cuts their efficiency) without using water (which is scarce and expensive)


I have written before of the special mission of the Arava Institute, which brings Arabs and Israelis together to work on the vital environmental issues that affect them all, regardless of borders, and through that work to bring us closer to peace.  I continue to be awed by the commitment and courage of the Arab students who take on this challenge, and who live in this land of conflict.  One of my riding colleagues told of a conversation he had with one of the Arab alumni on crew.  As a jet fighter flew over he asked what the crew member felt hearing jets that might soon be screaming over Gaza or the West Bank.  He shrugged, but as we rode past Nafha, the maximum security prison outside of Mitzpe Ramon that hold many Palestinian prisoners, he said, "This is what hurts.  I have family in there."  No answers.  Just questions.  And a reminder of how vital is this cause for which we ride.

Day five of the ride is from Ketura to Eilat.  It begins with a long slow climb back up the winding road we came down yesterday.  A much different experience.  The five minute thrill ride down is now a grinding hour long climb out (for those who wish an easier start to the day, there is the bus!).  And then one last dart through the desert.  It is a ride full of anticipation and drama.  Much has changed along the Egyptian border since I was last here.  As the result of a serious terrorist attack along this border last year, what used to be a relatively open border, with grand vistas into the Sinai, is now cut off by a high mesh and barbeed wire fence that runs the length of this desert divide.  It is a sad commentary on the ever present risks that confront this land.  It is also a potential ecological disaster, as the fence literally cuts off the migration of wildlife that of course knows no borders.  If some compromise is ot found, the potential impact on biodiversity is enormous.

The anticipation builds until we reach the point on the road that begins our descent into Eilat.  This is another spectacular descent (I see to use the word "spectacular" a lot in this blog...).  Riders are spread out for safety, so the ride is a solitary one.  One switch-back after another, and the Red Sea comes into view, with the mountains of Jordan in the city of Aqaba in the background.  And soon Eilat rises up as we near the end of the ride.  Everyone gets down safely, which is the main goal.  (Readers of my previous blog will remember that this was the scene of a tragic accident in 2010 when I first did this ride.  One of the first riders down the hill - an experienced rider - somehow lost control at high speed and fell.  He survived the crash, but was terribly injured.  There is not a hill that I go down that don't think of him.  Though I have never been a reckless rider, I am ever more cautious with speed on these descents.)  See the route here: Ketura to Eilat

Our ride into Eilat proper under police escort is triumphant.  With cheers and drums we arrive at the edge of the sea.  We have ridden from the northern most parts of Israel to the southern most.  We have seen vistas that defy descriptions.  We have tested ourselves and proven our mettle.  Most important, we have strenghtened our bonds to the land, gained a better understanding of the critical environmental issues it confronts and which is must meet, and have been inspired by a group of pioneers who show us that peace in this troubled land can be acheived if only our leaders can display the courage to do what they do every day of their lives. 

More later,

L'hitra-ot,

Lester

Shabbat at the Makhtesh

On the seventh day God rested.  And so do we.  Even though we have not been riding for 7 days, we've been working pretty hard.  As we packed the biked away yesterday, I had a fleeting thought of taking a shabbat ride around Mitzpe Ramon.  Today it never crossed my mind.  A little davening, a schvitz (steam AND sauna), a dip in the pool, and a walk up to the makhtesh.  It is a Big Makhtesh! These shots really don't do it justice, but take a look.

The highlight of the day is an opportunity to sit with Arava alumni to hear their stories and ask them questions.  The Israelis talk about environmental activism, and a commitment to peace though engagement with Arabs and Palistinians on a personal level.  They are committed, inspiring young people.  But I am even more inspired by the Arabs from Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza.  While the Israelis are simply going to another place in their home land, these courageous Arabs have left their homes, and in the eyes of many of their family and friends, have gone to the enemy. What drives them?  What moves them to take this kind of risk?  They are serious environmentalists for sure, but that does not explain their journey.  Of course each has a different  story.  They talk about being curious about their neighbors across the border.  Some come from families who were pushed out during the various wars in which Israel established itself or expanded its territorial reach.  Some have families who encouraged them to come, others the opposite. They are not sure that they can have an impact on peace, but each one - Israeli and Arab - seems compelled to be a part of change - however small it may be.  They dream of creating a trickle, then a stream and then a flood of connections, communication and dialogue that will someday bring peace.  Their vehicle is the environment, because that is one thing they all share, regardless of their borders, religions, or politcal leanings.  Even those who are not sure they are making a mark can acknowledge small changes.  Bara from Jordan told of his twin brother who was angry and confused that he came, but who came to know some of his Israeli colleagues when they visited in Jordon and is now ready to consider that this may be a path to peace.  This is not to say that their path is easy.  The students talk about their sessions discussing the conflicts that they experience on both personal and political levels, and it is clear there is a tremendous amount of work to be done.  But to a person they say that after all is said and done, they realize that they still must go back to work, to their dorms, and to their lives together. None is willing to accept the notion of failure, so they must learn to listen, to argue, to agree and to disagree, and then to carry on.  (I suppose it helps that they are isolated in the middle of the friggin' desert!).  So while the desert riding inspires me to pedal on - it is this vision of the possibility of peace - if not in this generation, then perhaps the next - that is the true inspiration.

As the sun begins to set, we gather at the Makhtesh for Havdalah, with songs and dance as we great the new week.

It is a joyful transition.  Tomorrow we ride down into the Makhtesh, and on to Kibbutz Kutera, home of the Arava Institute.

L'hitra-ot

Lester

The Desert is What Brings Me Back

Don't get me wrong.  The two days of riding in the north were fabulous.  Yesrterday's ride tested me and rewarded me with sights and sensations I have never experienced.  But the desert is why I came back. Of course, it is the cause that really brings me back, but there are easier ways to raise money for worthy causes.  Those of you who followed my blog last time (or who care to read back over it) know how struck I was by the experience of riding through the desert.   It is a spectacular thing - every sense is fully involved - the sights, the heat, the sounds - even the taste and the smell tell you that you are in a strange and wonderful place. Nothing that I have ever done matches this kind of all encompassing visceral experience.

What vistas!

So after yesterday's tough ride, I decided to take it down a notch and ride with the Tsofim (Scouts).  We rode about 48 miles at an easier pace.  I needed the more relaxed ride, and I truly enjoyed the extra energy I could devote to taking it all in.   Here is today's map  Tonight we are at Mitzpe Ramon, home of the Ramon Makhtesh (it's not a crater, it's a makhtesh... more on that later).  Tomorrow we do not ride, but rest on Shabbat.  This is a lovely spot to spend a restful day.

Funny shot of the day:

I hope it is an air conditioned van.

Just spoke with Robin on Skype.  We are a long distance apart.  I miss her.

L'hitra-ote

Lester

This was no Great River Ride

Day 2 was a doozy!

Yesterday I mentioned that I was glad I had done the Great River Ride with Tom a couple of weeks before leaving for Israel.  And I am still glad I did it, not the least because Tom is a candidate for Mensche of the Decade.  And it is a great training ride. BUT - althought the GRR has more total feet of climbing, they are spread out over the full length of the 90 mile ride.  Today's ride promised to be a different challenge.  My worries started out last night at our briefing for the next day (a ritual of this ride).  When they asked for a show of hands of who was going to do the long ride, I expected the same 12 or so  that do it every day.  8 of us raised our hands.  uh-oh.  But the ride leaders swore we could do it, and they claimed it would be the most beautiful of the trip (I'll bet they say that to all the routes...)  Fearless - or without good judgment, I joined the group of Chaluztim (Pioneers), who I think should be renamed Mishugga-im (I leave that tranlsation to you), and we embarked on a 90 mile ride up into the Golan Heights -  within spitting distance of Syria.  The climb - 5800 feet of it, was mostly over a 12 mile stretch of continuous climbing, starting at around mile 14.  It was one of the hardest climbs I think I have ever done, and I find myself riding with a much younger group of very strong riders.  Thankfully this is a Ride and not a race - and they waited (and waited and waited) for me at the top.  Here we are:

There were actually a couple of other riders still coming up the hill.  I was not the slowest!
Of course what goes up must come down.... and the descent was a nearly 6,500 foot drop over  23 miles  from the Golan to the Kinneret (The Sea of Gallilee).  This was probably the most thrilling ride I have ever taken - the road was clear and the drop just went on and on.  We sped by glorious scenery - and could feel the weather changing as we flew down the mountians.  Please don't tell my wife or my mother how fast we went (though I did not go as fast as some of the mishuggas I was riding with!).  Sorry - no pictures of the descent - this is definitely a hands on the brakes kind of ride.

But I have gotten ahead myself.  As we rode out of our hotel this morning and made the first turn onto the road, there was this car pulled up on the shoulder and someone was out waving.  (Israelis wave at us all the time.... and honk their horns - which drives riders crazy, but they are just being friendly).  As I got close, I saw it was Avner, who drove all the way up early to give us a send off at 6:30 in the morning - and he had Hi Fives for all!  The photo is a little fuzzy, but there he is!

 And then he raced ahead and did it all over again!  Two or three times!  It was a wonderful send off.

Did I mention that we were near the Syrian border???

There are land mine signs on both sides of the road - a reminder that this remains a potentially hot border.

Oh and they have live firing ranges too:

You probably can't read this... but at least they give fair warnng!

So we rode down to the Kinneret for lunch -and the most refreshing dip into the cool fresh water... riding clothes and all!  Then back on the bikies for the last 20 miles into Beit Shan, where we will spend the night.  I gotta tell you, those last 20 miles were tough.  Tomorrow is going to be interesting....  For those who like this kind of thing - here is the map of the day.  My GPS conked out at mile 65... but the whole map is there for the clicking:  Day 2

Speaking of tomorrow - we will start our day on a bus as we ride south of Jerusalem.. (not sure where), for the day's ride into Mitzpe Ramon where we will spend shabbat.

More later.

L'hitra-ot,

Lester

First Day In the Books!

Today we finally rolled out as a group of Israel Riders from high in the Galilee, along  the Lebanese border, through lush farms, green forests and barren border lands.  We are REALLY far up there:

It was a long hard day, but it felt good to really push hard and see what I have in me.   The test today was a 5 kilometer hill that I swear was straight up.  An exercise in seeing how slow I can go and not fall over. But I made it!  If you are interested in seeing our route, click on this link.  Today's Ride  When I say border, I mean Border!!

Being that close to the border is a stark reminder of how small Israel is, and how close are her neighbors.  Driving through villages (kibbutzim) where folks have dedicated their lives to living in remote places that serve as lines of protection for the rest of the country is eye-opening. They live in the shadows  of tanks, watch towers and barbed wire fences... and they thrive.  How blessed it would be if they could live in peace.

As usual there is a wide range of riders here - some who ride hard and fast, and others who are not as strong.  I find myself somewhere in the middle, which I think is good... I find myself riding with lots of different people - each with a story of why he or she is here... this is a wonderful way to get to know people. And what surprises!!  A woman whose kids live in Syracuse and their kids will go to the high school I went to (I learned that AFTER I told her that Nottingham High was listed in the Wall Street Journal as one of the nation's most riot prone....  but that was in the 60's).  And my friend Tanya from the 2010 ride is back!

We stopped in the Hula Valley nature reserve, which has become home to over 40 thousand migrating cranes.  What a beautiful sight!

A word about our support staff.  They are mostly current and former students at the Arava Institute.  They come from Israel, Palestine, Jordan...and they all have wonderful stories and are absolutely terrific!!  More on that later I am sure.  But here are two of the stars:

I have been following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  It appears that Massachusetts was spared the worst of it, though NY and NJ got hammered.  Robin and Molly are still without power, there were trees down on the street, but it does not appear there was any damage.  I just got an email from my mother, so she has power back.  It seems odd to be here and not helping with this recovery - 'we joked in my office that there is always some disaster when I go away... but we did not mean natural disaster!  I hope that everyone has gotten through this storm safely.

Tomorrow is the longest ride of the Ride.  91 miles.  5800 feet of climbing.  Piece of cake!  :)  The Great River Ride is 7,000 feet.  Thanks to Tom Cheatham for making me do that a few weeks ago.

More later.

L'hit,

Lester

What was Lost has been Found

My camera, that is.  These wonderful women at the car rental place found my camera in the car i returned - I was even able to ask them about it in Hebrew!

Thank you Sixt car rentals!!!  and this means I can show you the photo of Cheri and me from yesterday:

We swear we don't look a day older... perhaps a few decades, but not a day!

Today was orientation and test riding.  Glad to have the whole group together.  I have written before about my riding friend David Eisenberg who battled cancer this spring and summer.  He arrived yesterday - fit and ready to ride!  What an inspiration!  The orientation meeting was WAY too long - over 3 hours!  there is much for them to say, I suppose.  I will try to get the Hazon and Arava powerpoints to post -as they contain inspiring messages.

I have a roommate.  Carl, who retired with his wife to Jerusalem.  I will enjoy getting to know him.

And tomorrow we finally start what we came to do.  We Ride!!!!  Can't wait!!!

L'hitra-ot,

Lester

A Bit of This and That

Today started off with a reunion.  Cheri Fox was one of the Lost Tribe of Usha (our group of kibbutz  volunteers in the winter/spring of 1974) who was part of the reunion effort our friend Dennis (another Usha-nik)  inspired over 6 years ago.  Though we have been in touch from time to time by email, today was the first time we have seen each other since we parted in 1974.  Cheri has made her home mostly in Jerusalem since college, and we met in a coffee shop on the edge of Rehavia.  (Funny note:  she gave me elaborate directions to the place, and it turned out to be in the apartment buildings that my parents stayed in when they spent 6 months here many years ago.).  We spent a lovely couple of hours catching up.  Not all of our stories are happy ones - but we both marvelled at how we have grown over the years, raised smart strong kids, and have in our own ways made our mark on this world we live in. Hopefully for the better.

I would show you a picture of the two of us, but DAMN!  I appear to have lost my camera!  Somewhere between my hotel room and returning the rental car it disappeared.  I discovered it was gone too late to call the rental car office - I will tomorrow, and perhaps some good soul found it and turned it in.  There are always people taking pictures during the ride, so there will be photos to see and share, but I do enjoy capturing my own shots.  Oh well.... easy come, easy go (we found that particular camera in the street in Boston one evening a year of so ago).

Through the magic of Facebook, I met up with a fellow rider who was in Jerusalem and needed a ride to Shavei Tzion where the ride is gathering.  His name is Mark, and he is an anesthesiologist from Texas.  We had an interesting conversation about health care reform (and biking).  I think it will be interesting to see if there will be much talk about the elections during our ride!

Tomorrow is registration and orientation, probably a test ride or two, and perhaps a walking tour of Akko, an ancient harbor city on the Mediterranean Sea.

My family and friends are being battered by Hurricane Sandy as I write.  We have lost power in Lexington, so I cannot Skype with Robin and Molly.  I am sure they are ok, though I worry just a bit.  Looks like a Most Powerful Storm.  I hope there is not too much damage and that all are safe.

We had a wonderful dinner tonight in Akko with a large group of riders.  Good food and good company.  It's going to be a great ride.
More tomorrow.

L'hit,

Lester  

A New Stem is a Beautiful Thing

New stem for my handlebars was secured this morning with minimal difficulty.  It is a little longer than the one I had, but the handlebars don't slip.   Tomorrow's test ride will be important.  Today I am a tourist in Jerusalem, visting with my cousins.

Hagai and me at the Western Wall:

View of the Dome of the Rock and Mount of Olives from the roof-top cafe at the new Notre Dame church and hotel.  (Very fancy - apparently where the Pope stays when he comes to Jerusalem)

My Kibbutz Usha friends would never recognize Kiryat Ata - It's so big there is a new highway approach  and a sign that is bigger than the whole town as I remember it:

Tomorrow I visit with Cheri Fox (a friend from Usha days), and then up to Shavai Tzion, where the Ride is gathering.

L'hit,

Lester

Shake Down Ride - a good idea

Had a great shake-down ride with my friend Avner from Kibbutz Usha (next to Kiryat Ata - near Haifa).  A leisurely 60 mile ride up to coast into the mountains on the border (shades of the ride to come!)  But here's the thing - it is a good idea to do a shake-down ride - because even though the new stem that I bought said to set the torq at 5 - two of the bolts stripped at 4.  So tomorrow it will be off to the bike store for a new stem.... oh yeah, and a new tube, since I had my first flat in years.  Other than that, the ride was terrific.  Started out a little rainy, but the sun soon came out, and it was really early, so there was not much traffic (until we were riding home).  Steep switch-back ride up to the Keshet Cave (where a bunch a crazy kibbutz volunteers were learning how to belay).  Check us out:

  Here is the link to our ride. Shake-down Ride!

Dinner tonight with Nancy, also from kibbutz days (she is still here!).  Tomorrow on to Jerusalem to visit with cousins (and Cheri... also from kibbutz!).  Then back up north to join the folks gathering for the Ride... the reason I am here!

l'hit,

Lester

10 Hours is Long Time to Sit

I am not talking about my bike seat - though 10 hours on a bike would be long too.  No, I am talking about the flight from Newark to Tel Aviv.

 Though I had better seat companions than last time (readers of my blog from the last ride will remember), there is not enough benedryl in the world to get me to sleep on a plane.  I think I dozed for an hour or so.  I was struck at the mind control that the airlines exercise over us.  We sit down on a plane at 4:00 in the afternoon...and they decide it's dinner time. So they stick food in front of us.. and we eat it.  Then some time later they decide it's time for another round of complimentary beverages - and so we drink something.  Then they decide it is time for bed, so they turn out the lights... until they decide it's time for breaksfast. Come to think of it, this is not mind control, so much as it is early parenting....  I don't know where this is going, but my sleep-deprived, over fed mind seems to be on its own tangent....

Any, the handoff from plane to car when pretty well.. My bag and AND my bike both made it.  Only hitch was whether it was all going to fit in the car.  No Problem says that rental person, we can always ugrade you to a bigger car.  But not necessary. My finely attuned sense of space and perspecitve told me that the bike and my stuff would all fit if I could get it out of the box.  And indeed I was right!  The storage company came and took the box away, and off I drove  to USHA (with only the vaguest thought about how bizarre it was that all of a sudden I was driving the the Holy Land (with a British-sounding GPS no less.).  Well I made it to USHA in fine form.  After some tea and soup Avner supervised while I got my bike back together - a succesful venture with only a few spar parts left over.  In spite of a rainy afternoon, we took a short shake-down ride to make sure everything was working,... and I think so! It was fun to see the kibbutz - the old and the new.

Tomorrow we are planning on substantial ride from here up along the nothern border - the weather is supposed to turn nice.  Hope so.

Sorry no pictures today - though the scene in the garage was a sight to behold!

More later... i can't keep my eyes open.

L'hitra-ote,

Lester

Biding My Time

It is almost surreal to be sitting in the airport waiting to get on a flight to Newark (when will there be non-stops from Boston to Israel?).  Folks are sitting all around me waiting for their flights, each with his or her own plans and itineraries.  I imagine most are on routine trips, though some are probably off on adventures... wonder whether any will wind up on my flight to Israel, with their bikes too in the belly of the plane???  As I sit here reading emails, checking Facebook, it is almost hard to put myself in that special place of an adventurer... until this exact moment!  The desk person just called our flight, and it was electric!  All of a sudden my pulse has quickened and I am almost bursting with excitement and anticipation.  AND I got to check my carry on bag all the way through to Tel Aviv for free!  It's gonna be a great day!

L'hitra-ote,

Lester

Is it Thursday Yet?

Deja vu all over again...  Is jumble of tubes, padding and stuff really my bike??

Even though this weekend's weather has turned beautiful, the calendar and my work schedule for the next few days meant that it was time to pack my bike for the flight to Israel.  It all fits.  Now I only hope it arrives when I do!

Stay tuned!

l'hit,

Lester

15 Days and Counting

15 Days and Counting

In just 15 days I will be off to Eretz Yisrael for my second Hazon/Arava Institute Israel Ride.  I am excited beyond measure and am eagerly anticipating the splendor of the ride.  The excitement and anticipation are very different from my first venture in 2010.  Two years ago I was a less experienced rider, and I had never done anything like this - sure I had ridden a couple of centuries, even taken long rides a few days in a row.  But nothing like this.  I was excited to be going back to Israel - but the anticipation was mixed with trepidation.  Could I really handle all that time in the saddle?  Would my legs hold up?  Would I be too sore after a day or two to continue?  As followers of my blog from last time know, the trepidation was for naught.  The ride was spectacular and I was well prepared.

So I have approached this round a little differently.  Sure, I have trained hard - but not as obsessively.  I have learned that I can take a day or two off, and even miss a week if the weather is bad or my schedule too crazy, and I will still be ready and prepared.  My training is enhanced by the memories of the 2010 ride.  I sing the songs we sang and relive the challenges and thrill of riding in the desert as I pedal through the hills of New England.  A couple of weeks ago I rode in the Rodman Ride for Kids, supporting the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters (The Rodman Ride and the Israel Ride are my two big charity rides - I am so grateful for the support of my friends and family.) This last weekend my friend and riding hero Tom Cheatham and I rode the Great River Ride in western Massachusetts - 7,400 feet of climbing over 90 miles of gorgeous fall scenery along the Westfield River.  It is the hardest, and second to Israel, the most beautiful ride I have ever done (this was also a reprise. Tom and I did it a few years ago.)   I know now that I can handle the most challenging hills we will climb in Israel, if I just take my time (It's a Ride, not a Race!).  Here is an experiment.  Since I am hoping to post my rides from this neat iPhone app I have - there is the report of Sunday's ride:  http://bit.ly/LDB-GRR .  Check it out.

I wrote last time of the sources of inspiration that are helping to drive my training.  I am pleased to report that the friends about whom I wrote who have been waging battles far greater than any I have encountered are continuing in their recoveries.  I am more thrilled than I can tell you that David Eisenberg, who last spring dared not even think about riding, will be returning for his umpteenth Israel Ride, having been deemed healthy and strong enough for the challenge.  I could not imagine a more powerful inspiration and role model for taking an important cause and making it part of your soul.

There will be a few more rides before I go, but I am now thinking about what to pack and the adventure of taking my bike apart for the trip.  Not sure whether I will get another posting up before I go.  Check back soon

L'hitra-ote,

Lester

Turning of the Season

Cool misty mornings as we are out for our morning rides remind me that summer is winding down and the riding season is waning.  In an ordinary year that might turn me wistful, thinking of rides not taken and the dwindling opportunities to get out on the road.  But this is not an ordinary year, and the turning of the seasons heightens my excitement as I anticipate my return to Israel to experience the Land yet again from the seat of my bike. 

The summer has indeed sped by.  We had some time away, but it never feels like enough.  It seems as though the pace of the things did not slacken as we always hope for summer – perhaps it is the political season; maybe kids in transition… who knows?  But I got a lot of riding in.  I do not feel as pressured in my training as I did when I last prepared for the Ride – probably because it was such an unknown last time.  As challenging as it is to ride 300 miles in a week - in the desert -  I know now that I can do it.  I am feeling strong and confident… and inspired.

Inspired…  I have become a bit more literate in using social media this year (mostly that means Facebook), and I have tracked the adventures of other riders whom I know.  Serene Victor, the former director of education at our synagogue, and a few years older than me, became a cyclist in her retirement.  She did the Israel Ride last year, and this year just completed the Hazon Cross  Country Ride.  Ten weeks from Washington state, to Washington, D.C., raising money and consciousness about sustainable agriculture.  How cool is that??  Definitely on my bucket list! 

A little closer to home, a bit darker, but no less inspiring, we have had several friends stricken with illnesses over the last 6 months or so.  I am pleased to say that each of them is recovering, but their courage and strength in the face of challenges so much greater than anything a tough bike ride can throw at you has made me ever more grateful for the opportunity to get out each day and ride.  Pete Erines, an old friend from our days working at McLean, and my riding friend and Israel Ride icon, David Eisenberg both waged courageous battles with cancer this spring and summer.  Both are recovering. Pete is back to work and David is even talking about the Ride as a possibility for this year.  They have been blessed with good care, support from family and friends and a measure of luck. 

It is the season of blessings.  As we approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is a time for introspection.  Our troubles seem minor when viewed against the world of hunger and need; our goals and aspirations perhaps trivial when held against the example of those who do great things… but we each have an opportunity make our mark.  I don’t have any illusions that my participation in the Israel Ride is going to bring peace in the Middle East, but if the dollars that I raise, and more importantly the message of co-existence and collaboration I can spread can help bring us a little closer, then I will be truly blessed.

L’hitra-ote (see you soon),

Lester

Join me on the 2012 Israel Ride!!

What could be more of an inspiration than the images in this video!

One and Done...or not

One and done… I was sure that was it.  The 2010 Israel Ride was an enormous undertaking.  The training, the fundraising, the logistics of getting to Israel with my bike…  It was going to be wonderful, but I was pretty sure it was a one time deal.  I knew there were people who went back year after year… but I had other goals to meet and other places to go.

But then we were there, putting our bikes together, the practice ride around Jerusalem… I got to talking to some of the riders who were back for the 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th time.  After each ride they swore they were done… and they were back. 

Then came the ride!  As readers of my ride blog know, it was stunning.  The sun, the sand… the Land (check out my slide show, still posted on this blog).

I did not come back right away.  2011 was too soon to think about it.  But in the fall, when I started to get fundraising letters from friends, and email pitches from Hazon, something started… somewhere deep in my riding soul… first it was just nostalgia, then it became an idea, then a yearning… and soon it became a plan.  I’m going back! 

I was not all that excited about the initial discussions from Hazon and Arava about riding just in the North.  I wrote and urged at least a split.  As beautiful as the north is, nothing can match riding in the desert, and we have to see the Arava Institute at Ketura; after all, what are we riding for???  And as long as we are at Ketura, might as well go to Eilat.  I may not have been the vote that convinced the planners to do this – but split it will be –

2012 – Israel from Top to Bottom!!!!

October 30 - November 6

The Hula Valley, the Golan, Beit Shan, the Kinneret; Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon, then on to Ketura and Eilat. 

This will be awesome!

I hope you will join me – either through these words… or better yet, join the ride!  It’s not too late.  Check it out at www.israelride.org.

And so, it’s not one and done.  Maybe not even two and through!  2014 sounds pretty good to me.

L’hitra-ot

Lester