I’ve just returned from my second trip to Israel. This time, I was assisting a great group of cyclists through the country with a very worthy organization – the FIDF (Friends of the Israel Defense Forces).
Back in the spring of 2017, I met Tamir Oppenheim, the Midwest chapter head of the FIDF, when he was here in Cleveland for a meeting. We really hit it off and my husband and I found ourselves joining the 3rd Annual Israel Ride that fall.
Unlike most tours — even other cycling adventures — this one focuses not only on the stunning beauty of the country, the fabulous food, and the many historic sites (there are literally thousands) but also includes a meaningful look into the lives of the soldiers and the defense that the tiny nation needs to mount to keep from being annihilated at any given moment. To say it is humbling is an understatement.
Stepping off the plane into the bustling very modern city of Tel Aviv, I had this “it feels like home” sense of the country and the people. Israelis are a breed unto themselves; they are welcoming, smart. fun, and pretty damn unflappable!
Thus began a dazzling week of incomparable cycling, sights, food and history.
Unlike any terrain you might possibly have encountered elsewhere, the State of Israel features some of the most magnificent and unusual land formations anywhere on earth.
We began our ride in the southern city of Eilat, which lies along the skinny Red Sea coastline, and cycled northward along the border with Egypt, through the Negev Desert, eventually reaching the town of Mitzpe Ramon.
Mitzpe Ramon is noteworthy for the Makhtesh Ramon, a vast and eerily beautiful land formation found nowhere else on earth. There we stayed at the Beresheet Hotel** before heading out the next day for the small town of Ashkelon along the Mediterranean coast. Along the way, we stopped for lunch in Sde Boker, the final resting place of Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion and his wife, Paula.
We eventually rode into Jerusalem, which needs no other explanation other than it is not to be missed. The architecture, history, and contrast between old and new are breathtaking.
Of course, these are only a few of the highlights of a wonderful week. I could go on and on about the beautiful foods displayed each night in the hotels — a very different way of serving meals than we are used to almost anywhere else, I think. While we often think of a “buffet” as an inexpensive and “easy” way to feed a lot of people, in every hotel, there were long tables heaped with fruit, meats, fish, salads, breads, desserts and more —at every meal — and the food was delicious.
A few other points:
- The riding was beautiful as well as challenging, offering a view of the country unlike any other type of tour can offer.
- The support on the ride was incomparable, with several SAG vehicles, the bike trailer (available if you just wanted to rest for a few miles and then get back on the road) and a tour bus with an incredibly informed history guide.
- Ride distances offered ranged from 30-100 miles, depending upon which route you chose each day. We even opted out of riding one day to spend some extra time in the Old City in Jerusalem.
- Our route took us north through the Negev Desert, which was other-worldly beautiful. The roads were good, mostly with wide shoulders, and the terrain ranged from flat to rolling to mountainous.
- Israel is usually sunny and hot in November. During the day, we experienced temperatures ranging from 70-90 degrees with just enough wind to keep you comfortable. The evenings are cool, making sleeping comfortable.
- Israel desalinates most of its water and grows most of its own food; the fact that the land has been turned from a desert into an agricultural paradise was not lost on me. As we left the desert and headed toward Jerusalem, the evidence of the transformation of the land was everywhere.
I want to wrap up this very brief “travelogue” with the answer to a question we were probably asked dozens of times — both before we left the States and when we returned.
“Is it safe?” In a word – yes. We moved about the country with virtually no fear because of the way the citizens live and conduct themselves. I would also venture to say that many of us live in much more dangerous places on a day-to-day basis.
Two side notes:
* Beresheet Hotel, which overlooks the Ramon Crater, is almost beyond description. I don’t believe anyone would find it anything except awe-inspiring.
* This year’s ride offered an E-bike option and those who used them RAVED about them. The route is also changed from year to year. For example, the 2020 ride will be mostly in the north of the country.
For more information on the 2020 FIDF Israel Ride, please contact the author through her website outspokencyclist.com. Read Jenks’ cycling blog at Northeastohioboomer.com.
