Getting out of Jerusalem was slow and tedious. We missed our scheduled 5:45 a.m. departure. So many people with so much to manage. Nonetheless, we finally gathered with our bikes around dawn just outside the property walls of the hotel. The travelers’ prayer was recited in Hebrew, Arabic and English. A rabbi from Connecticut sang the names of the four shofar sounds to cue my blasts which were more than adequate, and off we went. Within the city we had to fight early commute traffic until we met up with our police escort. From that point forward it was a good deal smoother.
Even with all the stopping and starting through the crowded streets, just seeing signs in Hebrew and knowing that we were indeed cycling through Jerusalem—this was extraordinary. There were some magnificent descents with the Jerusalem hills as counterpoint. We attacked one of the trip's more significant climbs as we left the city—very grand. Reminiscent of California landscape—maybe more like SoCal than the Bay Area. Overall the scenery all day was rich. Some of the long speedy downhills surrounded by breathtaking views evoked the kind of yahoo that I am moved to shout descending Skyline Road. A good deal of farm lands and orchards. The climbs were reasonable. That first long climb was not as tough as Old La Honda Road in Woodside, so I felt well prepared. The program makes an effort to keep riders relatively near one another unlike many charity rides at home. The support, the snacks at rest stops, the lunch, the tourist spiels were all handled with aplomb. There were many opportunities to chat with fellow riders while riding or at the various stops.
Nothing was sweeter than at last rolling into Ashqelon and seeing the shimmering blue Mediterranean in the late afternoon sun. We have precious little time between activities—check-in, shower, dinner, briefings for tomorrow, sleep if possible and set out bright and early again in the morning.
Altogether a very satisfying first day.
Even with all the stopping and starting through the crowded streets, just seeing signs in Hebrew and knowing that we were indeed cycling through Jerusalem—this was extraordinary. There were some magnificent descents with the Jerusalem hills as counterpoint. We attacked one of the trip's more significant climbs as we left the city—very grand. Reminiscent of California landscape—maybe more like SoCal than the Bay Area. Overall the scenery all day was rich. Some of the long speedy downhills surrounded by breathtaking views evoked the kind of yahoo that I am moved to shout descending Skyline Road. A good deal of farm lands and orchards. The climbs were reasonable. That first long climb was not as tough as Old La Honda Road in Woodside, so I felt well prepared. The program makes an effort to keep riders relatively near one another unlike many charity rides at home. The support, the snacks at rest stops, the lunch, the tourist spiels were all handled with aplomb. There were many opportunities to chat with fellow riders while riding or at the various stops.
Nothing was sweeter than at last rolling into Ashqelon and seeing the shimmering blue Mediterranean in the late afternoon sun. We have precious little time between activities—check-in, shower, dinner, briefings for tomorrow, sleep if possible and set out bright and early again in the morning.
Altogether a very satisfying first day.
1 comment:
Ride on, Brother!
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