Last day of riding for ARAVA HAZON Israel Ride. On the road at 6:30 am, biked 50 miles, from Kibbutz Ketura to Eilat.  Another 3500 feet of elevation, with 25 miles of slow and steady rising, hill after hill.   Grueling uphill and long, amazing descents, with the Red Sea beckoning, Jordanian Mountains along our left, Egyptian border all along our right, biking down the Arava valley.  Army jeeps are a constant companion, and shots in the background, two checkpoints for security along the way. Topography changing from limestone to granite mountains. Heat rising to 90 degrees. Finally, the Eilat mountains, red and black, stark and bare, in front of us, a 5 mile descent to Eilat, the ancient port city.  Speeds approaching 45 mile per hour in descent.  In Eilat, popsicles awaiting our arrival, a police escort for the 6 mile ride to our hotel on the Red Sea, and finally, FINALLY, a splash in the sea with our bikes!

In total, finished biking 300 miles over the five day ride.  130 plus bikers, and 2 dozen staff, students, guides and mechanics, from so many states and countries. We showed that we can ride for the environment. We can ride for peace in the Middle East. We can challenge ourselves physically, make many, many new friends, and give thanks for the many blessings we have around us each and every day.  Thank you to all those who supported our ride.  We raised close to $18,000 with Team Tar Heels.

On my way home tomorrow.

A 63 mile ride today, three large descents and one difficult ascent. Amazing views of the desert and desert ecology. Reaching 45 miles an hour down steep cliffs, hairpin turns, highly dangerous at times. Starting with an early morning prayer service, and an Ibex staring at us, ending with camels and the ARAVA institute, with the graduate students talking about their lives and work. My group had a student from Jordan, a West Bank Refugee camp, and three Americans, one from Alaska, doing amazing conflict resolution and environmental research and advocacy, on water, on algae, on policy, etc. The kibbutz we stayed in, kibbutz Ketura, was founded by many people with North Carolina connections over 40 years ago. It still thrives in the desert. Forty students working on the kibbutz at the Arava Institute. The red mountains of Jordan looming all around us.  Dinner with a barbecue feast, with barbecue tofu too. Off to bed to get ready for the last day of biking and the route to Eilat along the Egyptian border.

Day of Rest

Saturday was a day of rest- well-deserved. It was a chance to rest sore muscles, a chance to rest a tired mind.  Almost 200 miles biked as of today. Now, a chance to read, talk and reflect.  Stories of Arava graduates who have made environmental contributions in Israel; Hazon graduates that transform US views on food and sustainability.  Prayer, speakers and a long walk to the Ramon Crater, where Israel’s first major rainstorm in the Negev was this winter gave forth near sunset to sunshine, a rainbow and majestic sunset. To bed early as a need to get up at 5 am to ride on Sunday.

Team TarDevils!

Today was a “short” day, only 50 miles, but GRUELING. Ok- I know I am complaining again, but the last 20 miles was straight uphill, 3800 feet of climbing and only 2200 feet of descent. Went through sandstorms, cross winds of 30 MPH, and pretty dangerous at times. More wildlife- sheep, ostrich farm, Ibex.  Stopped for lunch at Sde Boker, a modern kibbutz and the site of David Ben Gurion’s grave.  Right on the verge of Israel’s Grand Canyon- see the pictures- hard to describe. Hearing so many inspirational stories of courage and leadership, past and present, with LOTS of riding buddies! Singing old spirituals and camp songs to take us up the hills.  At Wadi Zin, we met with the Mayor of the local town, much like Chapel Hill, wanting economic development and sustainability, all green, with a core of education. GO FOR IT!  Ended the day at Mitze Ramon, our host for Shabbat, a Negev desert town atop Ramon’s giant erosion cater.  A short massage (I earned it), a short swim, and off the Internet for 24 hours. A day of rest!

Up at 5:30 am, on the road at 6:30 am, ride today was 69 miles, with 2500 feet of elevation and 1400 feet of descent. Long stretches of headwinds, 10-15 MPH. Enough complaining (though my body is REALLY sore).  Left Ashkelon and headed to the northern Negev desert.  First stop after 17 miles was the NIr Am Reservoir, overlooking the Gaza Strip, with Iron Dome in front of us, tanks to the side of us, and a long winding road in between.  One day, one day, there will be peace, but last week alone, more missiles shot from Gaza, actually towards Ashkelon, where we slept last night.  We passed several kibbutzim, some Bedouin villages, and lots of straight desert riding, with topography changing to brown, and the hills starting to rise. The Israeli desert is definitely not flat.  Arriving at Kibbutz Mashabei, we had a communal dinner, and then we heard from Said, an amazing Jordanian student who was a former ARAVA student, and he is now conducting research on Algae.  There was an amazing abundant source of food, energy and so much potential, with rapid accumulation and ability to harvest. Finally, a campfire with Bob Dylan, Israeli environmental songs, an Arab chant, with three guitars, a drum and marshmallo.

Awoke at 6:30, on our bikes at 7:30, leaving Jerusalem for Ashkelon. 63 miles today. 4100 feet of climbing, 5700 feet of descent.  Started with an almost 6 mile climb- brutal really, though the descent that followed was great.  Surrounded by hills that gradually stretched out to valleys, valleys that stretched out to fields, fields that emptied into rural areas, rural areas that finally connected to the outskirts of Ashkelon, an ancient seaboard. As we entered the city, the sea sprang upon us, welcoming a difficult by gratifying day, sore and somewhat relieved to have not fallen, and to have made many new friends.  Practicing safety, looking at Israeli signs in Hebrew, English and Arabic, having police escorts to cross some busy intersections. Must have drunk 2 gallons of fluids, eaten 5 power bars, a ton of nuts, three large meals, and spent 4000 calories.

Several highlights: Lunch at Bet Guvrin, an ancient Roman Settlement with caves used for burial of royalty, now a park; biking through Emiek HaEla, the site of battle between David and Goliath,  coming across a Palestinian wedding, hearing about a joint ARAVA project that examines the Jordan river flow and how to restore what is now 10 times less than the turn of the century, meeting several people who knew all my family in Atlanta, and best of all lots of Carolina UNC alumni.  Small world indeed.  Off to bed at 11 pm, have to be up at 5:00 am tomorrow.

As the evening sets in Jerusalem, I take a long walk among the old walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, in the “Teddy” Peace park where all faiths walk.  Tomorrow, I will start a bike ride from Jerusalem to Eilat, the first leg that will take me 63 miles from 2700 feet elevation in the Judean Hills to the coastline of Ashkelon.  130 riders besides me, from 18 states and 12 countries, from age 22 to age 77, many who have done this ride many times.  Challenging ourselves physically (it will be 90 degrees in the desert) is no comparison to the challenges people face daily in the Middle East trying to work towards peace, sustainable living and solving difficult environmental problems.

The ARAVA Institute for whom we ride (our team, the TarDevils) has worked for 2 decades here to bring together Arab, Israeli and Palestinian teens and young adults;  these students will be our hosts along the way. We will hear about their research and their amazing journeys.  Staff includes many former students, from the West Bank, Jordan and Israel. We also ride for Hazon, with many branches in the US, that supports sustainable food, environment and social justice.

Today, we take a “test” ride to tune our bikes, through the Jerusalem forest, below Hertzl cemetery and Yad VaShem, the world’s foremost Holocaust museum. We listen to briefings about safety, heat, bicycling etiquette, drinking water, drinking more water, reminders to wear sunscreen, eating salty snacks, and finding a riding buddy.  We all received advice that we live in a world that brings alive the spirit, and the spirit brings alive the world.

Made many new friends today from Atlanta, Israel, Michigan, Maryland, Colorado, Hartford and New York. Some singles, some married, one on their second honeymoon.  An early meal, and off to bed before wake-up at 5:30 am.

Congratulations to our very own, Dr. Adam Goldstein, who has been recognized as the Hometown Hero by WCHL! From October 26^th to November 5^th, Adam will be travelling to Israel to participate in Israel Ride. He will be biking for 450 miles from Jerusalem, through the desert, to Eilat for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Dr. Goldstein’s journey will be supporting unity between Palestinian-Arab and Israeli-Jewish youth through undergraduate and graduate degrees on the environment.

Again, congratulations to Dr. Adam Goldstein!  Adam will be blogging throughout his bike journey on https://yourhealthradio.web.unc.edu
 
Listen to his interview: 

WCHL’s announcement of Hometown Hero: