Goodbyes and reunions

Sour last day in Jerusalem, with - for some of us - a trip to Bethlehem - proved as moving as we had hoped. We spent Saturday morning on a tour of Jerusalem together before having lunch on the Via Dolorosa. After this Louise and I went to Bethlehem, transported there in a taxi by a lovely Palestinian Christian taxi driver from the Mount of Olives, who took us a back way along the settlers road and avoided the long wait at the checkpoint.
Bethlehem was wonderful, and we were happy to see that people are returning there in some numbers. Since the second intifada the town had been almost deserted by tourists and even by pilgrims, and the People of Bethlehem had struggled to survive. It is no longer so, and although there are clearly many problems the town is at least alive with visitors again, and therefore once more has some currency coming in
We saw the wall, of course, you can't miss the wall. It is, sadly, ugly in every sense - nine metre blocks of concrete fastened together and dotted with watch towers, stretching for miles to remind a divided people that divisions are entirely man made.
Nobody here wants the wall - Israel built it for protection, of course, against terrible attack, but as a solution it is surely no more effective than shutting a door to keep your anger locked in. It's an enemy in itself, and set against the lovely pink beige of the Jerusalem stone it's a scar. Not that it would be any better built of pink stone - it is what it is. A barrier to movement and therefore to friendship and understanding.
The wall made us sad, but our driver was a delight, taking us to the Mount of Olives where, as a small boy, he had given tourists olive branches and asked for coins. Sure enough, when we got there they were waiting for us, branches at the ready.
He was a lovely man - his family grave dates back 700 years, he told us, but his heart aches at the divisions in his country. There are hard stories to hear on all sides here.
Our final celebratory supper provided a last chance for the remaining cyclists - and some family members - to gather before we part. It was a chance for Ed to embarrass us all, and a chance for us all the embarrass Ed. Both chances were taken to the full.
Since I have a hold of this blackberry and have therefore a certain amount of freedom to embarrass Ed still further, I include here my words to him....

Every so often half way up a hill
You'd come pedalling by and I'd be standing still
I'd say, Ed, is this the last hill for a while
And you never replied, you just gave me that smile.
So charming, so handsome, that smile said, don't worry
There's only one more and we're not in a hurry
You seemed to have faith that I'd get there with ease
Despite pain in my calves and my thighs and my knees
So thank you for smiling and helping me on
Till the miles were all done and the hills were all gone
But I'll never forget till I'm long in the tooth
The difference 'tween literal and Biblical truth.

And so after supper a few of us painted the town red (or at least a gentle pink). Fi made friends with all of Jerusalem and the forty somethings actually stayed awake later than Veila!
Sunday morning dawned with an early trip to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for some, and the Mosque for others. The church, the place where Christ was crucified, and where He was laid in Joseph's tomb, was deeply moving. The church was full of pilgrims - Greek orthodox, Armenian and a group of Christians on pilgrimage from California who were generous enough to allow me to join their Eucharist service. I can't say what a privilege it was to say Mass with this lovely group of people and their priest at the very place of the Crucifixion.
And now the blog should end, despite my own tendency to waffle on as a cure for your insomnia.
It has been an enormous privilege to share this journey with these people, even if I shared it from the back (where, as so often said, so many of them lingered to help me on) and to finish in this place. I am writing this now from a cafe in a quiet Jerusalem - most people are in church or in bed. The heat of the day isn't yet upon us, the shops are just opening and I must buy oranges and wine for my beloved. But taking a moment to reflect first my mind drifts back over the laughter and the pain, the crises that drew us together and the miles we have covered. We did have the odd disaster, it's true, but that which doesn't destroy you makes you strong, as they say, and I know we have moved from a slightly mixed and nervous set of individuals to a really close group of friends. I don't believe any of us could possibly ever forget one another.
As to what we have learned... It's very difficult to answer, and the answers are doubtless as varied as the number of our group. But we've asked ourselves questions we had never asked before, and many of us feel that we were on more than one sort of journey.
So from me at least, until the next time (poor Ed has been assured there will be a next time) a Christian blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto Him. The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace. Shalom.
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Jerusalem

What can we say about Jerusalem? Fought over for centuries, loved for Millennia, the subject of countless songs even the name has come to mean a great and special city. William Blake said, 'we shall build a new Jerusalem,' and many others have said the same.
For us Jerusalem represents many things - but the most predominant one yesterday was that it represented the top of a hill that some of us had been secretly (or not so secretly) dreading for days.
We left Tzor'a soon after 8, after a giant kibbutz breakfast, and headed along the main road for a little way, allowing me a brief encounter with a car (I came off worse but whilst Ed and Paul were rescuing me and Keith was elastoplasting me back together the driver was more interested in his bodywork) before turning into the Jerusalem forest.
I can hardly begin to describe how lovely it is in there. The rain yesterday had left it green and alive, smelling of juniper and young leaves. The track wound up and down in the shade of oak, ash and pine - and we began to see Other Cyclists coming the other way. This was a surprise to some of us, who had returned to cycling on the left on the basis that nobody else really wanted the road.
The forest is dedicated to the six million, and perhaps should therefore be sombre, but it isn't. It has a beautiful feel, as though it is a place people love, and come to to laugh and enjoy themselves. We loved our ride through it, and those at the back had the particular treat of songs from Peter and Tom as we went. There was spontaneous harmonisation, improvisation and on the spot composition going on that Gershwin would have been proud of (although the end result might have given him hiccups).
We stopped at a memorial in a glade. Although we have not come to look back and mourn, the Holocaust is a part of our shared history, not just of Jewish history, and seeing the very personal face of the tragedy was moving in the extreme. The eleven million personal stories we're brought alive and into focus by the one memorial, words from a survivor, to his unforgettable family. Wife, sisters, children, grandchild their names and nicknames bringing them alive to a group of strangers standing thoughtfully and reflectively in a beautiful wood. That really is the memorial, rather than the stone itself.
And then we went on, with Peter singing and Paul deliberately splashing through every single puddle. I was just behind him (as always on hills since I couldn't get up them without him) and was waiting for that vicar of Dibley moment (they were large puddles). It never quite came but there were a few close shaves.
We came out of the forest eventually to see the edge of Jerusalem above us. It still looked above to me but by now what we lacked in power we made up for in determination. Having said that mention must be made of Veila, who we suspect of being a descendant of the Greek God of fitness. Veila took several of the nastier hills two or three times, cycling up and down them repeatedly for fun (FUN) as she waited for the rest of us to catch up.
Stopping for a brief snack on a hill (when I asked Ed if we had just done the worst hill he simply smiled that smile. So charming, so handsome, so deadly. We understood it was going to hurt.
But do you know, we didn't mind. We've done so much together by now that we know we can get each other up any hill (and after friendships made on this trip I thing that statement is not only literally true but also profoundly true).
At this last stop we put on our Egypt to Jerusalem T shirts, a kind gift from Muhammed in Egypt, and onwards and upwards we went. Eventually we joined the main road into the city, cycling two abreast and becoming a part of the Shabat traffic.
The ride though the city itself was interesting - lights and traffic meant that we lost each other now and again, but the moment came when we were cycling through the Jaffa gate and along the pathways of the Armenian quarter towards the Western Wall
Our arrival was a time for reunions with family and with Brian, with Paul's red fez, and for a team photograph taken with so many different cameras that we suspect on some of them we will have the stretched rictus grins of the person told to smile a full minute too early . We were also able to visit the Western Wall itself, and feel the faith of those who stand at it bobbing and praying and chanting in such numbers that it is often called the Wailing Wall. Many of us put our prayers into the cracks, feeling the power of the place and touching the fair warm stones and. It was good to take a quiet moment there. Little bushes grow out of the wall in places, and birds nest in them. People come and go, mill and talk, cry and pray, read the Torah and write on slips of paper that take their prayers directly to God. It's both deeply personal and very public - and it also feels like a place of great pride, pride that it's still there and that those who pray are there to do so. It's tremendous. If more Christians and Muslims visited the Wall perhaps we would understand each other better.
Lunch was of course up another hill. Somehow we hadn't expected hills when we were actually in the city. But lunch was sumptuous - vine leaves and hummous, cheese and bread. It felt positively Biblical - the perfect food.
Then to the hotel - up, yes, you have it, a hill. And there with pain, sorrow, love, joy and relief, we finally said goodbye to our bicycles, the trusty iron horses that have carried us (with a bit of effort on our part) up and down and up, through desert, mountains and forests, through searing sun and driving rain (apart from those of us who hid in a bus shelter). On those bikes we had learned a huge amount about each other, and possibly even more about ourselves. We bid them goodbye like old friends.
And then, family and friends back home will be delighted to hear, we all headed straight for a hot bath. Ed's was full of bubbles and run by goddesses. The rest of us used taps and soap but it was still bliss. And we no longer small like old socks. Not that I ever did, obviously.
We met again before supper for a talk from one of the most amazing people I have ever heard speak. Father David Neuhaus is a Jesuit priest, fluent in Arabic and Hebrew, who works for reconciliation on both sides of the wall. He teaches Judaism to Palestinians, at the Bethlehem University, whose only encounter with Jews is as soldiers, settlers and policemen. He gave us a view of the other perspectives which are so often lacking, particularly that the Palestinians in the West Bank have lost their collective memory of a shared history, that Arab nations have somehow forgotten that there were once Arab Jews, and that the Palestinians cannot imagine that the Jews as a race were ever a persecuted minority. He is an inspiring man, a man who has the vision and the ability to sit atop of the walls that separate us, at the point where they all join, and see not only the squabbling and the conflicts, but also the common humanity. As he said, we are very good at building walls - but we clearly need help demolishing them. He is a man with a sledgehammer wielding it as gently and carefully as though it were an artists brush. It may be a gargantuan task - but so seemed the Berlin Wall once. We should be glad that he is in the world to tackle what so many feel is unresolvable. Nothing is unresolvable, and no conflict that is made cannot be unmade. It begins with shared understanding
After Michael had spoken we ate, we relaxed, we started to worry again about the sheer number of calories we were consuming, we cheered Robert, DJ and Peter who are leaving us on Saturday, then some of us went out - on FOOT (so inefficient compared to those lovely bikes) - to a juice bar in the Old City where we drank Palestinian wine, mint tea and pomegranate juice. It was a fitting end to a fantastic day, walking into the city together with the full moon reflected in shining silver from the top of DJ's recently shaved head to light our way.
Tomorrow we cease to be cyclists, but we remain pilgrims, and so will continue the tale for that one last day. For now most of us are collapsing into bed - but a few are off out clubbing. The energy of youth is quite something to those of us who need 8 hours in bed...but we haven't done so badly.
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We've arrived!

Nearly there...

Jerusalem

We have arrived! Unbelievably we are in the Old City, after a series of hills that Goliath would have been defeated by. We cycled up and up and up, had a brief cyclist-car incident, a tense encounter with the Jerusalem traffic - and then, suddenly, the dream came true. Paul was wearing his fez and we were cycling between the ancient walls of this Holy City, beloved of all our faiths. The sky is clear and blue, the sun is shining, Jerusalem is preparing for Shabat and all feels well with the world. Added joy came when Brian met us with Hana, looking as handsome as ever.
More later no doubt - but we are tired and thrilled, happy and emotional, and - most of all - we are here.
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To Tzor'a

The penultimate day of cycling dawned with a lazy awakening and hot showers at the camp in the Negev. The camp was full of teenagers again, and sadly Martin heard them commenting on the large number of old people that there were in camp. We couldn't think who he meant.
We started off in the bus, as
Admiring the agriculture of Israel as we reached more fertile lands. Some trees were unidentified - we discussed their possible nature - pomegranates? Dates? Figs? A consultation with out resident agricultural expert Matthew woken up to give the definitive farmers view, was a great help. They were trees.
But soon we were back on bikes and the road was, once more, going on and on.
We struggled through the hills of Israel - well, some of us struggled. Veila not only didn't struggle but went back down and up several times as the last of us wheezed bronchitically up the gradients. We certainly met gradients today.
It was a day of instruction - with questions about the state of Israel, its origins and its sometimes uneasy relationships with its neighbours.
The day began particularly happily with news from Brian in Beer Sheba that he was feeling better. .
After a huge lunch - which rendered the initial after lunch cycling rather heavy duty - and some nightmare hills we found ourselves - for the first time - caught in the rain. The wisest of us hid in a bus shelter intrediply, thus demonstrating initiative and wisdom, whilst the rest got nobly and fortitudinously wet.
After stopping at the site where David slaughtered Goliath we slaughtered a couple more gargantuan hills before reaching Tzor'a.
Supper was at the kibbutz, preceded by a session on faith led by Ruth and followed by presentations to Jane, Victoria and Ann who are leaving early tomorrow. Ed had a great deal to say about them, all of it flattering. Honestly.
We then heard that Brian was on his way to Jerusalem and would be meeting us at the Western Wall. Merriment overtook us all as we finished supper and the kibbutz staff encouraged us to take as long as we liked (not).
And then.....
Peter took the stage with the world premiers of two songs, both of which were full of admiration and pride for the intellectual and physical capabilities of the group.
The first, What did you do in Sinai, was equalled only by the second, to which we all chorussed Get away Get away
It's a jolly fine song and we'll sing it all day.
Hopefully full words will appear on the blog.
So how do we sum up today?
Peter says it rained and people honked a lot which felt like England. Jane wrestled her bike up every hill, despite threatening to chuck it over the edge or sell it, and had an email from her son to say if he was her mother he'd be proud of her.
Paul says he is looking forward to the hills up to Jerusalem. Paul will be pushing me up them. Peter says we're at the place where Samson was born. Robert has Louise's trousers and nobody knows why. Ann and Peter remember the bats and doves most, despite the hills.
What was wonderful?
The view of the Ramon crater from its rim and the realisation that we didn't have to cycle out. Tom mashing avocados to make guacomole (can we take him home?). Martin telling Victoria he will miss her. Martin telling everyone he will miss them. The wine (not linking the previous two statements). Sharing the camp with two hundred schoolgirls. Not having to share the kibbutz with two hundred schoolchildren. Sunrise this morning. Two travellers walking into the sunrise. Toasted sandwiches with basil for breakfast. Peter singing. Everyone else singing Crocuses growing. Jane coming up a hill with a huge grin on her face. Sheltering in the bus stop. The caves at lunchtime. The British Park which did not exclude Glaswegians. The desert. The vineyards. The orange groves. The wine. Ruth's talk. The kibbutz staff driving off in a gold buggy. The full moon. The friendship. The group. Sitting together in the kibbutz courtyard under the moon talking, the sweet smell of agriculture drifting through our nostrils.
Everything.

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Keith leading the peleton...

Louise and jane looking for the missing cyclist

Peter Wolfers back on the road

Ann and Martyn washing up

Belinda cycling in ramon crater

Keith at breakfast

Update

This updates today,s blog really with what we are calling the Beer Sheba Experience....Today was a bit of an experience for us all, from the terrible tumble in the desert that Brian took to the fantastic camaraderie of meeting again this evening after several of us had been to Beer Sheba with Brian, one of us in the ambulance
Brian is ok and will doubtless tell the tale far better in his own words. Indeed there is much to be said for the enormous charm and grace of a man who, upon discovering that he can see two of the doctor, declares this to be an improvement.
We zoomed to Beer Sheba in a blue light Israeli ambulance, passing the Southern Negev in a flash, complete with multiple signs warning of camels crossing, several of which seemed to have their own camel deliberately choosing to cross there
Of Brian's leap over the handlebars he must tell the tale, but Keith's fantastic and timely medical input, Tom's incredible high speed ride for help, and my own miswandering alone in the desert which led to Tom, Chaim and I meeting the ambulance and riding in it to meet Brian (who was mystified when we leapt forth like mystery guests from an Israeli critical care vehicle) made the day seem guided from above. The hospital were wonderful, and the arrival of Ibrahim, Amir, Tim and Peter just as I had accidentally let off Brian's brake and sent the two of us floating balletically through A+E was a joy
Arrival back at camp to the warmth and affection of such good friends meant that we all retired unbowed, and we have wonderful, happy memories of the Negev and it's glorious scenery
Dinner was superb and Fi, Jane and Victoria were on fantastic intellectual form during the discussion afterwards. . Peter was secretly working on his opus, of which more later.
Everyone had a challenging day, one way or another, and I think we all feel the closer for it.
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Update

This updates today,s blog really with what we are calling the Beer Sheba Experience....Today was a bit of an experience for us all, from the terrible tumble in the desert that Brian took to the fantastic camaraderie of meeting again this evening after several of us had been to Beer Sheba with Brian, one of us in the ambulance
Brian is ok and will doubtless tell the tale far better in his own words. Indeed there is much to be said for the enormous charm and grace of a man who, upon discovering that he can see two of the doctor, declares this to be an improvement.
We zoomed to Beer Sheba in a blue light Israeli ambulance, passing the Southern Negev in a flash, complete with multiple signs warning of camels crossing, several of which seemed to have their own camel deliberately choosing to cross there
Of Brian's leap over the handlebars he must tell the tale, but Keith's fantastic and timely medical input, Tom's incredible high speed ride for help, and my own miswandering alone in the desert which led to Tom, Chaim and I meeting the ambulance and riding in it to meet Brian (who was mystified when we leapt forth like mystery guests from an Israeli critical care vehicle) made the day seem guided from above. The hospital were wonderful, and the arrival of Ibrahim, Amir, Tim and Peter just as I had accidentally let off Brian's brake and sent the two of us floating balletically through A+E was a joy
Arrival back at camp to the warmth and affection of such good friends meant that we all retired unbowed, and we have wonderful, happy memories of the Negev and it's glorious scenery
Dinner was superb and Fi, Jane and Victoria were on fantastic intellectual form during the discussion afterwards. . Peter was secretly working on his opus, of which more later.
Everyone had a challenging day, one way or another, and I think we all feel the closer for it.
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Wednesday

A day of drama and excitement...but let's start with last night.

We all got through the border well until they came to our last
pilgrim. Vaila was detained for interrogation. We had to leave her
there in the capable hands of Chaim ( an anxious time for me leaving
my daughter with the security guards).

We had delicious meal at an Ashram and were joined 2 hours by Vaila
with her story of Israeli intelligence.

We arrived at mitzpeh ramon crater, 90 minutes from the border, to the
sound of 250 teenagers enjoying freedom, drums, music and themselves.
We had thought we had the place to ourselves but alas they had other
ideas. It was 10.30 and we all really tired. So started the
scattering of our tribe.

6 of us (who were feeling most exhausted or unwell) were driven to the
nearest hotel where we slept well but guiltily. The others made the
best of the overly excited teenage racket.

Come the morning 5 of the 6 returned to the now empty camp on the
promise of a quiet night this evening. Two parties set out to explore
the crater, one on foot,the other on bikes. Doctor Mary set off to the
hotel to help Peter W and administer anti bios

The bikers took tracks and wadis until we found ourselves diving down
a ravine- Sara went first, I second, Fi third, then Brian. Brian hit
the rough and was propelled to the rock on the other side of the
ravine. We picked him up and realized he was injured. Many kilometers
from the road, the cavalry far away( not even a helicopter in sight)
we carried him on a bike to a track that the ambulance that Tom had
summoned could reach. We are so fortunate to have 2 doctors with us,
Keith was with Brian throughout. For reasons I still don't understand
as the ambulance doors opened out popped the sprightly Mary!

So this evening we returned to camp with just 200 screaming girls for
company, Brian in hospital ( he's fine, mending fast with his wife
Hannah with him) Peter feeling better and somewhere in transit back to
camp, Mary still at the hospital and Amir in transit.

The rest of us are fine, the blessings of the prophets have been
somewhat overshadowed by the blessings of the somewhat obscure St
Trinian.

Tomorrow we are hoping as many of us as possible can get back together
again. Brian, all our thoughts are with you and God bless for a
speedy recovery.

From Mark

Ramon crater at midnight

Chinook helicopters in Egypt in the air (and note that one landing nearby)

Our leader...

Ruth and Mark ready to cycle

Arrival in Israel

Today was extremely hot and jolly tough. The ride along the coast was, of course, profoundly flat. Of course it was not literally flat. The difference between the two consisted of rather a lot of killer hills executed with grace and aplomb beneath a blazing sun. In a glorious metaphorical moment Asaf took me by the hand and pulled me up the last part of the hardest hill. What can I say? It sums up so many things about this trip - help, companionship, encouragement, brotherhood....
We cycled around 65km - and of course for every up there is always a down, and the downs were as fabulous and fast as they always are.
Lunch was in Taba, on the Gulf of Aqaba, where we swam in the fabulous blue water and continued our ongoing pattern of eating enough to feed a camel for a week.
After lunch we cycled on another 5km to the Israeli border, passing camels wandering in the road.
Passport control was slow but fine, and then we were in Israel.
We understand that, from the blog and the photographs some people feel we may be on a bit of what my grandmother would call a jolly. In fact, despite the moments of levity, relaxation, over eating, laughter, swimming, sleeping, camel riding, star gazing, late-night chatting, monastery visiting and emailing, we are working incredibly hard covering vast mileage, with hills that turn your legs to jelly and free wheeling descents at excessive speeds that barely give time for recovery before the next one starts
We are thrilled to have crossed the border into the land of milk and honey. We will miss the vibrant and inspiring mountains of the Sinai, but we have more time in the desert (this time the Negev) to come.
Israel is for most of us a place of great significance. It is dark as I write and we are enjoying a brief bus respite as we move away from the border to tonight's Bedouin camp. The exhaustion of the hills is already behind us and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead
Highlights of today - going uphill and getting to the top, going downhill without knowing that a huge uphill lay round the corner, Victoria's rolos, Peter's dates, swimming in the Gulf of Aqaba, spectacular views - asp of Saladdin's crusader castle in the Gulf (fabulous and ancient), the security guard leaving Egypt who was texting as our bags went through, seeing the Welcome to Israel sign - MAKING IT as a group, all this way, intact and together and friends.
This is, in summary the most challenging, exhausting, hot, happy, companionable and moving trip you could imagine. We wish you were here.
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DJ at swimming pool in Taba

Martyn is ready for today's challenge

Brian and Mohammed in harmony

Tim ready for the off...

Six new pilgrims arrive

On Sunday night martyn, keith, belinda, vaila, Arsallah and fahim arrived after 21 hour journey. After being welcomed by their fellow pilgrims they collapsed into bed. The next morning they visited the monastery at mount Sinai at 9am. The previous night the monastery's Fr Samuel, at a meeting with ed kessler, asked whether they would like to attend a 5.30am service but they understandably declined. The rest set off at 7.30ish on 110km journey to nuweiba. We were told it was all downhill but should have known better than to have believed amir...it was a long, tiring but rewarding journey. We arrived at dusk and some of the pilgrims are hoping to find a G&T before dinner. Tommorrow we expect to enter the promised land.

Arsallah and fahim arrive

Arrived in Nuweiba

Today was one of those epics, on a par with Ben Hur and reading the complete works of Proust. We have covered 73 miles, which by my reckoning is 117km. We saw in the process the impossible beauty of the Sinai desert in sunlit glory - russet stone, distant sands, fierce trees clinging to the ground with the determination well known to parents of small children, occassional flurries of small birds....
Our new companions on the journey joined us about a third of the way in, leaping into the saddle fit and fresh whilst the rest of us were the full spectrum from equally fit and fresh (most people) to - well, stunningly fit and fresh, obviously
Today was initially marketed as all downhill. The writer would like to emphasise that there was a definite progression, as the morning went on, from no hills to one hill to a few hills to one more hill to that wasn't the hill I meant..... Suffice to say there jolly well were hills
We were much enhanced both physically and mentally by an exercise class held by the roadside and directed by Sarah B. We think it was tantric yoga combined with laughter therapy. Sadly there pictures to prove it
Lunch was fabulous as ever - the oranges here are particularly intoxicating - sweet and perfectly flavoured. We trekked off barefoot through the sand to look at some Greek graffiti- but more importantly at the possible site of burial of the children of Israel - some of them, that is - as they wandered the desert
After lunch the one more hill (I counted at least six) finally gave way to a gargantuan downhill ride. Imagine more than 20km of open road with a warm wind on your cheek and nothing to do but pedal as fast as you ever could, duck to minimise resistance, and then shout 'wheeee' if you passed anyone. Sadly the writer of this blog demonstrated her immaturity by doing all three - and by taking her hands off the handlebars just because she could. It's a small compensation for being a snail on the hills - but great consolation in fact when you have been pushed up a hill by Chaim. No one else would shame me by posting it so I have done it myself.
Highlights of the day, bearing in mind that this is a personal view from one who's so far behind most of the time that nobody knows she's here.....
Chocolate. Cold, fresh chocolate at the top of a hill. Sarah's exercise class. Chaim's local knowledge. Everyone's encouragement. Robert's wind shadow, graciously provided on many of the hills. Paul's endless support for the slow ones. Hugs on getting up a hill. Oranges (again). The downhill at the end. The sheer beauty of it. Louise's joy in it. The new gang joining us. Seeing nuweiba as we came down the hill. Seeing the signs to Nuweiba drop from 120k to 50k to 20k. Being left without a police escort with just the desert (they got bored. Maybe not wise but certainly peaceful). The new gang joining us and slotting in as of they had always been here. Breakfast. The honey. The birds in the desert. Bedouin women with sheep like scenes from thE Bible. Jane never stopping on a single hill. Everyone's help. The colours of the desert..
Tonight we look forward to showers, supper and lots of talking as the shared journey brings us closer together. Tomorrow apparently there are one or two difficult hills. I think ha ha, don't you?
This is the irresponsible correspondent signing off...
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Looking after Paul

Our photographelr, Dan

Stretch class with Sarah

Fi and Sarah on top of sinai

Paul and Louise leading the peleton!

Victoria riding high

No stopping Jane!

Camping in Sinai on the coast

Hurry up, boys!

Robert and Tom

Sunday November 9th

Remembrance Sunday

Today we climbed Mount Sinai, on a glorious sunny day. There were at least three thousand stairs, but obviously as hardened cyclists we ran up with light heart and bouncing step. On the top was a church which was not open, and we heard a reading of the giving of the ten commandments. Brian showed admirable stubbornnness and Mark's Knees came down by themselves in an epic descent of Ben Hur proportions.

The group have really gelled and are wonderfully mutually supportive - we have educated one another in all kinds of ways, most of them regarding the many similarities in our religions and histories.

Ruth's desire to be a hermit was noted as she disappeared over the rocks to sit in silence, before being summoned for the photo you have seen

On the way down we reached 11am UK time and stood for 2 minutes in silence after Ed had read the words of the poem Remembrance, scrawled on to a luggage label from the combined memory of several trekkers.

So this was our rest day - a mere 3 hours climb and 2 hour descent. we are of course filled with happiness at the thought of 100km tomorrow, and thrilled at our proposed 8am start.

ONwards and upwards

 

Mary Selby
happyselby@btinternet.com

Mount sinai

We have made it to the top of mount sinai

Ps Mt Sinai

Ps we didn't cycle 600m today, we cycled 50km and climbed 900m ..... And that great big email was the work of the famous Paul Silver-Myer

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Mount Sinai?

We awoke to cloudy skies and the noise and smell of goats at our new accustomed time of first light. We were also now accustomed to foregoing running water, cold let alone hot, mattresses, any sort of private female toilet facilities, cappucinos or glasses of chardonay.
The task today was to ride a further 600 metres towards the alleged Mount Sinai. According to the bible it should be the highest peak around but as that honour goes to a mountain with difficult access, the current choice is the most practical one. The road leading upwards had a small but steady incline, which allowed no let up in our efforts. The scenery was spectacular with mountains mixed with sandstone and granite surrounding us on all sides.
A couple of minor falls, with no scratches or bruises, saw us progress timely with rest breaks being taken under acacia trees and by an oasis. We arrived at Mount Sinai by mid afternoon and made straight for a special visit to the Santa Katerina monastery. Within the grounds are the burning bush and the well where Moses met his wife, Zipporah. Sadly we have also re-entered commercial souvenir territory leaving the friendliness and innocence of the bedouins behind, if only for a day.
After three days of camping out we are enjoying the life of riley in a hotel overlooking Mount Sinai. The view is spectacular and rather spiritual and even if it is not the 'correct' Mount Sinai, at this moment, are we bovvered?
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For blog

Saturday November 8th finds us back in emailing territory at the beautiful St Catherines monastery in Southern Sinai. We have spent the last two days cycling only upwards - around 100km - to get here. The road goes ever on and on, as Tolkien said, and it certainly felt like it at times. Brian was the fall guy who took a tumble today - the roads here a little sandy and it can catch out the unwary cyclist
Last night we had Shabat together - a whole goat was roasted for us although as a veggie it was a little lost on me (we spent the night beside a penful of its cousins). Last night was slightly fraught for the girls as we were billetted in a compound which the Bedouin clearly regarded as their. The men gathered - with hookah pipes - to watch the spectacle of us trying to remove our dreadful cycle shorts in our tents. Eventually they did leave but one kept returning to make bread. He made more bread than they could eat in a month. It was, in the end, too funny to be irritating
Great moments so far - Louise having tea with the driver under the bus, swimming in the red sea, visiting the monastery during a service, long talks around the camp fire, rest stops, shooting stars, sleeping on the beach making bread, riding camels at the pyramids, folk dancing with Emir and Asaf by the side of the road under the shade of an acacia, new uses for chamois cream, aloe vera gel, the only scorpions we've seen being in a jar, snack bars, the group dynamic, the chivalrous chaps who help us along when it's windy, the fantastic girls who reduce the worst moments to laughter, cold snickers, Fi's sense of humour, eating bread we made, finding a downhill bit (there haven't been many) and the glorious pink rock of Mount Sinai beneath a rising moon.
Tomorrow we climb Mt Sinai which is in contention for being the original Mt Sinai - along with many others. Our glorious leader Dr Kessler has kept us all together, focussed and very aware of what we're doing and why. There are, of course, times when the gradient is steep and we experience the odd twinge of doubt (probably rather like the children of Israel when they came this way, although I'm not sure Ed would want to be compared to Moses.

Here ends today's blog.....
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Roast goat

A fairly short cycle ride today of about forty-six km up the wadi feiran. On the way up we stopped at the monastery of the seven sisters where we were lucky to be admitted by the sole nun present. After some attempts at translating her arabic descriptions of the building into english by one of our egyptian guides, dan realised she had a romanian accent. Sure enough she was one of dan's fellow countrymen and fluid conversation and translation followed. The nun told us that she felt blessed to have us visit.

We went on to our campsite in the middle of a bedouin encampment. After some discussion about who was sleeping where - with everyone trying to avoid the goats. Dinner came served on two huge metal platters each covered in rice and topped with half a roast goat. And it was all wonderfully delicious.

Testblog

This is Mary Selby's email on Cairo Jerusalem ride relaxing in the Sinai and wondering if the reception is good enough for this to go
Mary
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Day 2: more scratches

We did 90 km today and have just arrived at the campsite totally exhausted. Our escort consists of two lots of police and two Chinook helicopters. Clearly we are of interest to the security service. Great team spirit, and much mirth when Paul fell off his bike and needed medical treatment from Mary. His arm is now bandaged but he carries on. The pilgrims are helping each other along the journey, enjoying local cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bikes are great, no problems there. Facilities are pretty basic but we have the faith of nomadic travellers. As soon as O2 relents the picture service well resume. Cyclists fitness is remarkable, the girls support each other well. The nights are mild. Last night we slept outside the tents in the sand and will do so again tonight. A notorious snorer will have to be secluded. Tomorrow the night will be colder as we will be at higher altitude.

First day of cycling

We got up at 6 this morning, made our bikes ready, had breakfast at 8 and took off on the first leg of the trip. After about 60km we reached Hammam Faraun and will be camping by the sea tonight. Everybody is well. Mary Selby has hurt her knee slightly, but not seriously. We are experiencing problems with uploading pictures at the moment but are hoping to solve them soon.

Louise and Ann at the embassy

Listening carefully to the ambassador...

Jane Clark and Ruth Scott at the Embassy

Ambassador Asquith and Ed Kessler

Paul silver-myer at the sphynx

Visiting the pyramids

This morning we were up at 7, had breakfast at the Cairo Europa Hotel and then made our way to the pyramids. 14 cyclists entered the Great Pyramid and 8 made it to the center. We then visited the sphinx and are presently in the old Christian Coptic quarater. Hightlight of the day so far: Tim Simon grazed his head in the pyramid, requiring medical attention. Don't worry, it's a minor scratch. Soon we will be making our way to the Sinai and Ras Sudr where we will meet our bikes and spend the night. The temperature is 26 degrees C and we are keeping up the water intake.

Lovely reception at Ambassador's residence.H.E. Dominic Asquith and his wife

Lovely reception at Ambassador's residence. H. E. Dominic Asquith and his wife, Louise, welcomed the cyclists last night. He returned from Sinai especially to meet us and wished us success. He had previously been ambassador in Iraq and was pleased to be in Egypt... A tired party headed back thru Cairo's 24 hour gridlocked strees. This morning we are heading for the pyramids.

All cyclists arrived safely in Cairo

All the cyclists arrived safely in Cairo, city of 20 million people. Tonight we are attending a special Woolf Institute reception, hosted by the British Ambassador, H.E. Dominic Asquith. Further updates tomorrow.

We're nearly on our way...

Sunday night, 10.30pm: Dan does his last minute packing, we finish finish off a couple of work things, have a glass of red wine and in 3 hours we'll be on our way to Cairo, on the first stage of Pilgrimage on Wheels, 2008. The next post will come from Egypt...