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