My Ride photos with music!

Friends -

Not a day goes by when I don't think about riding through the Land of Israel - from the green (though dry) hills of Jerusalem to the barren desert mountains and valleys to the sea.  I have taken my slides and inserted some music.  It's a little long, since I included the photos from before and after the ride.  But if you care to spend about 18 minutes with me,Click here and enjoy.

Lester

Photos from my Ride (also before and after)

Friends,

The link below will take you to my Picassa web album of photos from the ride.  I copied a few shots from another rider's album to fill in some blanks.  There are some photos from my time in Jerusalem before the ride, the trip to Petra and Wadi Rom after the ride, as well as my visit to Kibbutz Usha.  I hope you enjoy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lester.blumberg/IsraelRide2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCOvqy6-Wr5K0tQE&feat=directlink

And even better, here is the link to a 15 minute YouTube slide show put together by our fabulous ride photographers.  Not so many pictures of me, but there's music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuWe3sINUxA


Shalom,
Lester

Post Ride Travels

I suppose that this entry will be of most interest to my friends from Usha74 (though we will start with our trip to Petra in Jordan).  For those readers who don’t know, I was part of a group of college students that arrived at Kibbutz Usha in January (I think) of 1974 as the first iteration of a program with Haifa University.  It was an experiment to see whether more students (well, Dennis excepted, more Jewish students) could be encouraged to become part of the kibbutz movement.  We pretended to study two days a week at the University, and lived and worked on the kibbutz the rest of the week.  That was the beginning of an 18 month stint I spent living and studying in Israel.

Anyway, Petra was a very cool place to visit.  It is a narrow slice of desert in Jordan that was part of the Nabatean spice route (note the connection to the makhtesh at Mitzpe Ramon).  In the steep sides of the mountain are carved burial caves, temples and other strange and wonderful structures.  For Indiana Jones fans, think The Last Crusade, which was filmed there on site.  It is truly a Wonder of the World, and should be seen…though once is probably enough,  Afterwards to a dump of a hotel in Aqaba - the Jordanian city on the opposite side of the Gulf of Aqaba from Eilat.  Next day to Wadi Rom.  A wadi is a riverbed - though mostly dry since this is the desert.  This part of the desert has taller mountains than the Israeli side, and is very dramatic.  It was both the historical and film location for some of Lawrence of Arabia’s adventures.  The main attraction is the jeep ride they take you on deep into the desert, and the opportunity to stop an climb into the dunes and mountains.

Crossing into Jordan is an experience.  We are driven to the border by our Israeli guides.  After going  through passport control, we walk a hundred yards or so through no-man’s land and then Welcome to Jordan, where we are met by our Jordanian guide.  They take our passports for an hour or so for “processing,” which is really an excuse to make us wait and spend money at the cheap gift/coffee shop.  Most of us resist.

Jordan is a kingdom.  There are huge pictures of King Abdullah all over the place (also his father Hussein), and our guide tells us that the king really does hold all the power, even though there is an elected legislature.  It is a Muslim country, but our guide assures us that women are given as much freedom and equality as possible.  All of this notwithstanding, we must remember that Jordan is one of only two Arab countries (Egypt is other) to sign a peace treaty with Israel.  It is not exactly a warm peace, but it is peace.

After Jordan, back across the border for another night in Eilat (it is nice to see the Goodbye from Jordan sign, and wonderful to pass the one that says Welcome to Israel).  A short flight to Tel Aviv, pick up a car rental, and off to Usha!

I’ve not been back since 1978 when Robin and I visited.  The town of Kiryat Ata has exploded in size.  Used to be a healthy walk from the kibbutz into town.  Now the town has grown right up to the edge of the kibbutz.  The kibbutz itself is a combination of the old, which I remember, and much that is newer - houses and other buildings.  Our old dorm, which used to stand alone, is now crowded by the eyeglass factory, and is itself overgrown with trees and vegetation.  The community has joined most other kibbutzim in abandoning the communal lifestyle that was the hallmark of the movement.  Gone is the communal dining room.  Members own their own homes (though like cooperatives in the states, resale is restricted), and there are many people renting homes on the grounds who are not members - just people who have found a convenient suburb in which to live.   Most members now work at various occupations off the site.  The agriculture and dairy operation is licensed to outside entities.  Truth be told, the place looks a bit shabby.  Avner and Nancy both agree on this.  While some folks miss the community feeling that used to pervade, they seem to accept this evolutionary step in kibbutz life.

The memories of our time as young volunteers, and the friends who remain at Usha are what will keep me tied to that place.  It was wonderful to get reacquainted with Avner and Aviva and to spend time with Nancy and her family.  A special treat, the result of the death at age 92 of one of the kibbutz elders, was that Marlis came in from Germany and we got to spend an hour or so catching up.

And of course, there was biking.  Avner is an avid rider (he rides up the Carmel to Haifa for fun!), and he took us on a lovely ride up the coast to the border with Lebanon.  Then this morning he and I went out for another ride into the hills behind and around Usha (Israelis are big into off-road biking).  It was an opportunity to see parts of this area that I had never seen before.  And it felt good to be riding again (ok, perhaps I have become just a little bit more than just an enthusiast.).  Top on my list for the next trip is to spend as much time as Avner will give riding with him through the north of the country.

The time allotted to this visit is slipping away.  We left Usha and headed back towards Tel Aviv for lunch with Reuven, who was our American group leader in 1974.  Reuven is a kind soul, and so full of interesting stories and experiences.  I wish we had more time with him.  Reuven is a hiker - so also at the top of my list is to spend time hiking with him through the land that he has come to know by foot.

A quick dinner with my cousin Hagai and our friends Rachel and Zeev in Tel Aviv (Yaffo, actually), and to the airport.  As I write this last entry, we are in the air on our way back to the states.

It has been a wonderful trip.

Shalom,

Lester

Ride Postscript

So here are a few random reflections on the ride: 

• A GPS would be a really cool thing to have - on the other hand, do I really want to know I’m climbing a 12% grade?
• Next time get a granny gear for that 12% grade
• It’s amazing how quickly a community forms among relative strangers when it gets really HOT (did I mention before that it was HOT?)
• Organization is everything (Nancy is amazing that way)
• Butt butter takes on a whole new meaning after about 200 miles.
• Petra is amazing, but Jordan is not Israel. 

I am so impressed with how this group of riders, with widely differing skills, experience and interests became a community over just a few days.  That being said, riding for me, even in a group, tends to be a more individual experience. Perhaps because I am among neither the strongest nor the weakest riders, I often find myself riding alone.  This is not a bad thing.  I enjoy taking in the environment and the sights, and I appreciate the time to think and experience a ride privately.  So while it was really nice to chat with my fellow riders along the way, I was grateful for the long stretches of riding alone. 

I achieved my goals for this trip.  I have renewed my connection to the Land.  I was pleased and comforted at how familiar Jerusalem felt after so many years.  My visit to the Western Wall and to Yad VaShem re-established important emotional and spiritual ties.  Most significant of course was the ride and the important causes for which we rode. This was a physical challenge like none I have ever faced before, and notwithstanding getting sick on the second day, I am more than satisfied with how I met it.  I was able to absorb the desert in a whole new way.  I have written before that there is nothing like experiencing a place from the seat of a bicycle; all of the senses are directly engaged: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.  The combination of that visceral experience with the power of the desert is so much more than the sum of those two parts.  The north of Israel is beautiful, but the south is staggeringly so.  

I was glad I had a chance to see Petra in Jordan.  If you have the opportunity to see this Wonder of the World, do not pass it up.  It was wonderful that Robin was able to join me for the end of the ride and this part of trip.  On the other hand, you should avoid the dump we stayed in in Aqaba.  

Ben Simon and I achieved a mini-Usha74 reunion, and I have had the opportunity to spend time on the kibbutz after 36 years (Avner took Robin and me on a bike trip up the coast to the border with Lebanon today; I will shamelessly add those miles to my total to get over the 300 mile mark.)  Much has changed there, but the memories are warm. 

I am sure that more reflections will come to me in the weeks and months to come, but while I don’t want to accept that this intense experience is over, the time for daily entries has passed.  And so it is with real reluctance that I close my Israel Ride blog.  

I hope you have enjoyed the ride.

L’hitraot

Lester

EILAT!!!!!!!!!! (sorry for the late post)

10/25: Morning at Kibbutz Kutera dawned clear and crisp.  The moon has been full, and it was still out over the mountains as the sun rose.  A vision of grandeur among grand visions.  A little bit more about Kutera before we move on.  I spoke at dinner with one of the founding members. The kibbutz was founded in the early 1970’s by a group of young American Jews who were making aliyah. They started out as a traditional agricultural commune (kibbutzim are communal settlements), and always had an environmental bent.  As teens growing up in the American in the 1960’s, they were involved in the peace movement in the states, so it was natural that as they developed their community, their commitment to peace and the environment would leave to the development of the Arava Institute, which now forms a large part of the kibbutz operation.  They are developing a solar energy business (did I mention that we are in the desert - where there is a lot of sun, and it is HOT?).  I think I wrote earlier that one of the students at the Institute from Jordan is planning on a joint venture between the Arava solar energy project and a company he is starting at home.

After a traditional kibbutz breakfast in the communal dining room, an important decision needs to be made.  I neglected in yesterday’s post to describe the ride into the kibbutz.  Kutera sits in the Arava - that part of the desert that borders with Jordan on one side and Egypt on the other, and it is in a valley.  If you are on top of the mountains, as we were, you have to ride down in order to get into a valley, so down we went - a 4 mile rapid descent of about 380 meters.  It was a  thrilling arrival, made better by dozens of Arava students waving us in.  But there is only one way out.  Back up the hill.  They call it the meshuga (crazy) hill.  Do I ride up, or take the bus??  What the hell, I’ll give it a try.  Maybe it was the cool morning, or maybe the inspiration of the setting, but it wasn’t so bad (took an hour, but who’s counting - after all, it’s a ride, not a race!)

The rest of the day was a series of rolling hills as we gradually climbed to a high peak on the border with Egypt for lunch - spectacular views into the Sinai.  Then the last push before the descent into Eilat, which has developed from the little backwater I remember into a bustling beach resort.  As we begin the steep ride down (two at a time), the crystal clear water comes into view.  We are almost there.

Our triumphant finish was marred by a very bad crash.  One rider lost control of his bike on the way down and flipped over his handle bars.  He was seriously injured, and is in our prayers.  Though our pride at having finished this remarkable ride is tinged with sadness over our friend’s injuries, we are still in a festive mood, and there is much celebration.  For me, an extra special ending, as Robin is waiting at the end, cheering us in.  I could hear her cheers before I could see her, and there she was at the last turn before the beach.  What a treat!!!

But there is also work to be done.  Bikes have to disassembled and packed for the trip home (reverse of the scene in Jerusalem).  You might think that this would feel sad as we face the end of this extraordinary experience, but the spirit of the group remains as we help each other wrestle our bikes into travel boxes.  And we are tired, and most of us are ready to be off the bike seats for a while.

We had a festive dinner, which included a slide show of the photos taken along the way (there were two wonderful women on staff who are photographers).  We will be getting a CD of the show, and it will probably be on the Arava website.  I will see if I can figure out how to share it when I can.

Then the group begins to disperse.  A few folks have already left; some are leaving tomorrow.  Robin and I are going to Petra in Jordan for a two day trip, and then on to Kibbutz Usha where I spent 6 months in 1974.  Ben Simon, who has been on the ride with us was in that group, and he will be going to Petra as well.  It’ll be nice to spend some more time with him.

I have been using lots of superlatives throughout this blog.  The only problem is that the words cannot convey what has really gone on.  It has been remarkable, spectacular, striking, amazing, and more.  As the ride as ended, I know I will need some more time to reflect on the ride and what it has meant to me.  I will write a bit more as the next few days roll by (and will share the experience of Petra as well) - though I don’t know when I will have a chance to post.  And when I get home I will put together more photos that I will show as well.  I hope you will check back in from time to time.

Thank you for sharing this time with me.

L’hitraot,

Lester

A Few shots from today

No turning back.

Out of order, but...

Davening on the edge

Sunrise over the Makhtesh

A climb

A Spectacular Day!

Today was simply spectacular.  I confess that I have not been davening (praying) every day, at least not in the formal sense of attending the daily morning service.  However the prospect of joining this community of riders in morning prayer overlooking the Makhtesh was not to be missed.  It was a chilly 5:45 am when we put on our tallitot and teffilin at the overlook, climbed over the protective wall, and joined in song, drumming and prayer.  Watching the sun come up over the Makhtesh, with the sky and landscaping changing color by the minute was a deeply moving moment.  (I am not sure if I will get to pictures tonight, but I just Googled “Makhtesh Ramon,”  and the one of the first links is of images.  Look at them!)

Unsure of what would top that, we set off, 2 at a time, down a hair-raising descent into the Makhtesh.  Don’t know how long it was, but it seemed to go on forever, and very fast.  For the next hour of so we rode through the floor of the Makhtesh, past hundreds of millions of years of geological formations and wonders.  I really can’t describe the sights in words - and I did not take many pictures along that route - so, like I said, go to Google!  We did pass a jeep parked off the road under a tree with a small group of people  sitting at a table drinking coffee.  It reminded me of the tour we took with the kids (I think it was 11 years ago) to the bottom, and then off road, when the guide pulled under a tree and set up coffee and tea for us.  I wonder if it was the same guide.

We had a couple of difficult climbs - the first one climbing out of the Makhtesh (what goes down, must go up!) - Although we exited the lower end, so it was not quite as high a climb as was the descent - but it was steep!  (I can’t possibly write about how these things are formed… they did tell us how the erosion worked over hundreds of millions of years… suffice it to say that we started at the top, and went out at the bottom.)

The rest of the day was a continuation of the spectacular experience that is the desert.  I wrote about the inspiration that is the desert.  I suppose that what made today even better was that the ride was not quite to hard, and there were 3 or 4 dramatic descents as we rode from Mitzpeh Ramon.  A difference in elevation of 800 - 900 meters.  We were able to ride at a good clip and take in the wonders around us.

Tonight we are at Kibbutz Kutera, home of the Arava Institute.  The descent into the kibbutz is another very steep 4 mile descent.  We are challenged to ride out tomorrow.  The call it the Meshuga (crazy) Hill.  But it is good to see the thing we are riding to support (and that so many of you pledged in support of as well).

Tomorrow we leave for Eilat, our final destination.  Robin is in Jerusalem visiting our cousins, and she will meet us as we ride in.  I can’t wait!

L’hitraot,

Lester