[Israel ride] *wave*
May. 23rd, 2008 04:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidI'm in Mitzpeh Ramon, in a swanky hotel (I'm in an apartment, not just a room), and showered; it's really nice to be clean and out of the sun. Not enough time for a real update (and not enough hands... those straight handlebars are not good for my hands at all, though the mechanic is going to move them before Sunday, so hopefully it'll be easier).
In short: Wednesday, I biked from Jerusalem to Ashkelon, 60 miles (a metric century, and longer than I've ridden before). Minus part of one hellacious hill that just kept going up, which I walked (in bike shoes, which is very hard on the calves, I found out. Plus, in general, I've walked too much in the cleats, and I suspect I'll need new ones when I get back, though they're only a month old).
Thursday, I biked most of the way from Ashkelon to a little kibbutz, with a side stop in Sderot. I got a ride after the last rest stop, 63 miles in (again, my longest ride yet); it was late in the afternoon, and the sun was brutal. We started late due to security issues: there was a suicide bomber somewhere near the Azza strip (not sure where), who blew himself up with 4 tons of explosives (we were not anywhere nearby; I heard this much later about why we were delayed). Anyway, long day riding.
Today, we biked from the little kibbutz (I have the name written down; I'm just tired enough that I don't remember) to Mitzpeh Ramon, with a stop at Sdeh Boker, at Ben Gurion's grave.
It's a really full schedule, getting up early, riding so many hours (with rest stops and all; it's very well-coordinated, with thoughtful staff), then dinner, briefing for the next night's ride, and usually something else too. Last night that something else was a bonfire for Lag B'omer, which was great.
More, and in detail, when I'm actually awake (and perhaps not paying for connection).
In short: Wednesday, I biked from Jerusalem to Ashkelon, 60 miles (a metric century, and longer than I've ridden before). Minus part of one hellacious hill that just kept going up, which I walked (in bike shoes, which is very hard on the calves, I found out. Plus, in general, I've walked too much in the cleats, and I suspect I'll need new ones when I get back, though they're only a month old).
Thursday, I biked most of the way from Ashkelon to a little kibbutz, with a side stop in Sderot. I got a ride after the last rest stop, 63 miles in (again, my longest ride yet); it was late in the afternoon, and the sun was brutal. We started late due to security issues: there was a suicide bomber somewhere near the Azza strip (not sure where), who blew himself up with 4 tons of explosives (we were not anywhere nearby; I heard this much later about why we were delayed). Anyway, long day riding.
Today, we biked from the little kibbutz (I have the name written down; I'm just tired enough that I don't remember) to Mitzpeh Ramon, with a stop at Sdeh Boker, at Ben Gurion's grave.
It's a really full schedule, getting up early, riding so many hours (with rest stops and all; it's very well-coordinated, with thoughtful staff), then dinner, briefing for the next night's ride, and usually something else too. Last night that something else was a bonfire for Lag B'omer, which was great.
More, and in detail, when I'm actually awake (and perhaps not paying for connection).
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 01:38 pm (UTC)how exciting! What an adventure! I'm so glad we get to hear all about it!
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Date: 2008-05-25 12:17 pm (UTC)Will be posting more soon, once I can think clearly again (really hot ride today through the desert).
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Date: 2008-05-23 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 12:19 pm (UTC)Today was harder for heat, going through pretty stark desert, and for being saddle sore, but I made it to Kibbutz Ketura, and there's a bbq tonight! :-)
Yay, Debby!
Date: 2008-05-23 05:19 pm (UTC)Re: Yay, Debby!
Date: 2008-05-25 12:20 pm (UTC)I have been thinking about you; will try to call soon after I get back.
Definitely having fun, and even found a crew member who's an Israeli Burner :-)
Re: Yay, Debby!
Date: 2008-05-28 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 08:10 pm (UTC)What a great experience you seem to be having! The setting references are making me all wistful.
Your bike riding accomplishments are so impressive!
Have a fantastic Shabbat.
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Date: 2008-05-25 12:22 pm (UTC)It's really great, though some of the actual minutes are reasonably challenging.
Shabbat was lovely, capped by havdalah overlooking Machtesh Ramon; totally gorgeous.
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Date: 2008-05-23 11:31 pm (UTC)(And for us lamers, is it too late to sponsor you?)
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Date: 2008-05-25 12:23 pm (UTC)(Not at all, especially because I haven't quite made it to my goal! Hazon.org has links to the spring '08 ride, including a list of riders and links to the individual pages. And thank you.)
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Date: 2008-05-24 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 12:24 pm (UTC)Hope you're doing well!
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Date: 2008-05-27 12:30 am (UTC)Go magid, go! Sounds like a wonderful adventure, and I can't wait to hear about the Arava institute.
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Date: 2008-05-27 07:42 am (UTC)It was really interesting; there will be more to tell.
Btw, we wrote stickers about who we were riding for on Friday, and I decided your two were it :-). (So odd this morning: I saw the sauteed veggies at breakfast had sesame seeds all over them, and worried about cross-contamination with the other offerings.)
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Date: 2008-05-28 01:55 am (UTC)Tried to explain your sticker to the boys tonight. They looked pleased (Debby) then confused (sticker) and finally, I just said that you were raising money so people could have food, but not just food: the right kind of food, grown mindfully and respectfully. That, they got.
Sort of.
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Date: 2008-05-28 05:12 am (UTC)