Lamberg Travel: Israel Ride Nov 5-12, 2019

I did the Israel Ride, similar to the ride 5 years ago, but relative calm allowed the route planners to get us closer to Gaza this time. I had no plans to do the ride again until my synagogue created interest in doing this ride as a group event. I went to a planning session, described the great ride I had in 2014, and then was obligated to match my words with my deeds. Of the 175 participants, we fielded 10 from the synagogue, including a minister friend of the rabbi. It was a great experience and I was glad to have done the ride again. I was the oldest biker in 2014 and was the oldest this time as well, although there were a number of riders in their 70s.

The ride is still the best supported bike ride I have ever been on: Bike mechanics at the start, end, and always available; elaborate buffet lunches along the way; mostly 5* hotels, and one kibbutz overnight; police escorts at most intersections; shadowed continuously by medical, police, and AC tour buses with a bike trailer; experienced travel guides; educational programs; tours; roundtables with students; lectures; and pleasant interactions with other riders, and a lot of Jewish geography played at meals.

The first day of the bike ride. Those in the red shirts at front are part of the staff.

I came a couple of days early to see Jerusalem, and stayed an extra 5 days at the end in Tel Aviv. The temps were hot; Israel has now had 5 years of drought and one speaker talked about the critical dryness, not compensated by the much talked about desalination efforts.

It was possible to choose 3 levels of riding intensity most days, about 30, 50, or 70+ miles a day. The shorter ride allowed more time for tours, so I did a couple of the 50 miles and the rest the 30 miles plus a tour. The Negev desert is not all that varied mile after mile so I enjoyed the visit and hikes the shorter rides allowed, especially the trip to Timna Park.

The 10 Baltimore riders

Lunch along the way

Coming down a steep downhill.

Janet, Rabbi Burg, and me in Ashkelon

Some of these photos were among the 20,000 taken by the photographers, and I am identified from this mass by using an Israeli technology that searches out a colored tag on my helmet and name badge. I click on my assigned number and all pictures that I appear in are pulled out. Amazing.

The extra days in Jerusalem left time for a tour led by one of the tour guides, and the extra and exciting days in Tel Aviv were filled with museums, food markets, art fairs, and shopping. I was impressed by the modern skyline, the art deco White City, and the vibrancy of the city that never seemed to go to sleep.