A Day of Rest, Celebration, and then we Ride!

As predicted, Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon was lovely.  A time to rest, reflect and re-energize.  The time that is perhaps the most moving is Havdallah - the ceremony that closes the sabbath and welcomes to new week.  We gather at an overlook at the Makhtesh - and as the first three stars of the evening appear we usher out the day of rest with song and dance.

Back to the hotel for dinner and early to bed, for tomorrow we ride!  But before then...

Sunday morning on the Ride we gather at the rim of the crater for morning prayers (for those who are so inclined).  But even if you don't choose to pray, the spirituality of the moment is palpable.  As the sun rises we chant to the beating of drums.  Wrapping oneself in a tallit and teffilin at the edge of such a wonderous feat of nature connects the ritual to world in a way that I have never experienced in any other setting.  We are greeted by ibex who come close - and this time by a large male who watched over us from above.

Soon we are ready to ride.  I can't decide whether today (Sunday) or tomorrow is my favorite day of the ride.  Today certainly counts as the most dramatic.  We begin with a thrilling descent into the Makhtesh.  One at a time we are released down the steep hill, through switchbacks that give us views in both directions (if you are brave enough to lift your eyes from the road for a second), and down to the floor of the Makhtesh.  We then ride several miles across, imagining the ancient Nabatians who new this as the spice route from Yemen to the Mediterranean Sea.  The climb out the other side is more gradual (such is the geology of the Makhtesh), and then we have a long day of riding through stark desert landscapes that are awesome in their expanse.

Every ride brings something new.  This year we had a large group of strong riders, and several times we have gathered into an organized pace line.  (For non-riders, this is a  group of riders staying very close together generating a wind draft that moves the group much faster with less effort). At times we are upwards of 25 riders in a double column, just flying along.  It's really fun, but takes a lot of concentration (to stay so lose but not hit the rider in front).

Since I am not the strongest hill rider, I usually fall off the line when we hit a rise - which gives me the opportunity to spend long stretches riding pretty much by myself.  I welcome these times of solitude as I take in the magic of the stark landscape, reflect on the importance of our mission - and I get to sing at the top of my lungs!

At the end of this day we have one last steep descent as we ride to Kibbutz Ketura and the Arava Institute.  We are greeted by the students and staff and other residents of the kibbutz as heros, embraced by their cheers, welcome signs, songs and dances - and beer home- brewed im our honor (they call it Route Beer).  We tour the facilities and listen to the stories that brought the students from such diverse backgrounds to this jewel in the desert.  Ketura is a place of beauty.  Surrounded by the mountains of the Arava Desert, with the peaks in Jordan so close you can almost touch them.  Sunset brings a splash of colors to the barren cliffs, and the night sky glitters with stars, and this year a "Super Moon," 30% closer and brighter than normal (This phenomenon with not recur in my lifetime).

There is so much to take in... but bedtime again comes early, for tomorrow we ride!