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
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