Day 4: Into Ketura and the Arava Institute. This is why we ride.

Shabbat in Mitzpeh Ramon was lovely. Restful, a massage, a schvitz, strolling around the town.  A nap - much needed, but I slept through the student presentation.

This morning dawned clear and crisp.  We gathered at the Makhtesh for morning prayers and a group picture.  Then a thrilling descent into the Makhtesh.  Speeding down through literally millions of years of erosion resulting in one of the most spectacular geological phenomena you can imagine (photos will follow). We  rode across the Makhtesh, criss-crossing ancient Nabatian spice routes, out the other side. Down another steep descent into a dry river wadi, and up the other side.  Much of today's ride was through long straight stretches of desert, without too much traffic, so plenty of time to chat with other riders, as well as to open up for long sprints.  Much welcome after days of rolling hills and steep climbs (not that there weren't some of those today too).  We took a long spur towards the border with Jordan, and were treated to two young gazelles sprinting across the road right in front of us.

Our final climb of the day was to the rim of the Arava Valley, followed by a three mile step descent to the floor of the valley, and another mile to Kibbutz Ketura, home of the Arava Institute.  Such an important grounding  for our ride.

The kibbutz sits in the shadow of the mountains of Jordan; the site of so many biblical dramas, including the point from which Moses gazed into the Promised Land, which he was forbidden to enter.  We had the opportunity to tour the facilities here, including the Arava Power Company's solar panel field - Israel's first commercial solar panel field.  There are plans for expansion so that the field will be able to supply up to 7% of Eilat's power needs.  And new fields are in the works in cooperation with Palestinians in the West Bank, and with Jordan.  These are examples of the vision of the Arava Institute at work.  Environmental technology developed here, and deployed across political boundaries, showing the potential for peace when it is coupled with the trust engendered by these cooperative ventures.  A highlight of the evening is the opportunity to meet with current students from Israel, Jordan and the West Bank to hear of their journeys to this piece of desert, and to share their dreams of sustainable environmental initiatives that will sow the seeds of peace, maybe even in this generation.

Tomorrow we retrace our route out of the valley, up the steep and winding road, and on to Eilat.

L'hitra-ot,

Lester