A relaxing day before returning?

It would have been nice to sleep in , what with the day starting off with heavy rain showers. However, we were so used to our early morning schedules that we were down for breakfast fairly early.

It really is a small world! Yesterday, as we were checking in, I recognized a fellow member of my synagogue, also checking in.  He and his wife had also brought a couple with them who had never been to Israel and they had been touring Israel at the same time as us!  This morning, after breakfast, we all sat down together and really hit it off.  Turns out, his friends live near Naomi and I and they have close friends on our street.  You have to come to Israel to meet people you know!


The weather improved dramatically in the early afternoon and while Ann caught up on some down time, John, Naomi and I set off on a long walk to the Eretz Israel Museum. We walked along a beautiful bike path parallel to a river with a sports complex and  rowing club.  The museum has very interesting pavilions with history of Tel Aviv, archeological artifacts and tools found in this region that man has created and used throughout the various civilizations.

On our return walk, we had to stop for a falafel and a drink.  It is a tradition in Israel!

We walked back along the bike path that connected into a new boardwalk that is quite beautiful. There are many stores, boutiques, bars and restaurants along this section and the boardwalk is filled with  people and children enjoying the day along the seaside  There was quite a surf today and heavy waves splashing up onto the boardwalk over the breakwater - also many surfers on the water.

It is relax time for a while before a late dinner.  We leave for the airport at about 2 in the morning, so this is my last posting from Israel.

Hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as we have enjoyed our trip!

Shalom !

Back in Tel Aviv

How quickly our trip is winding down!

Yesterday, we got up very early (5:30 am) to do our last bike ride in Jerusalem. After a quick breakfast of peanut butter and jam on pita, we set out by van to a small village 15 minutes away called Ein Kerem. It is located  in a beautiful valley below the Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem). The plan was to ride the rolling, hilly roads surrounded by the Jerusalem Forest for about 3 hours before returning to home base and pack the van for our return to Tel Aviv.  Initially it seemed as if we were going to be rained out, but soon the skies cleared and the temperatures rose quickly from about 18C when we started.  As much as we wanted to continue riding for at least 65 km, the steep hills proved to be quite exerting for Naomi, although Ann was in good form.  Us guys were too proud to cry "uncle".  We rode to a popular rest stop called BarBahar, having climbed a good 340 metres from our start.  A number of road cyclists showed up at this spot soon after us. After a few pictures and a pit stop, we turned back.  The descent was fun, what with nice switchbacks and long downhills, yet a few more climbs particularly into Ein Kerem.  We returned to our starting point and John and I decided to ride the steep climb up to Yad Vashem.  Without the girls who like to coast downhill cautiously,  we just let the bikes go, flying down the hill.  It had only been a 2.5 km climb, but not being the least competitve John and I  pushed each other  hard to make it a decent workout.

Back at our apartment, we took turns showering, changing and loading the van, which we parked ON the sidewalk beside the apartment building.  Naomi really enjoyed this apartment and when we return next year, I may have to rent it again  rather than the basic no-frills apartment provided by the clinic.

John and I were so good at packing the van now, that we got ALL the luggage and bikes into the back!

The scenery on the drive to Tel Aviv is always spectacular but this time we hit major rain all the way through, so it was difficult to enjoy the views. A missed turn in Tel Aviv had us going the wrong way and in circles for a short while before we got onto the right roads to our hotel. The next challenge was getting the van squeezed into an impossibly tight spot in the underground parking but with John's guidance (should I really trust him?), I did it. As we were unpacking things, John discovered a sticky mess that had leaked from a jar of honey, that Ann insisted on bringing back. Some stuff and the carpet in the van needed a little cleanup. Oh well..that was sweet!

After a good dinner on the boardwalk, we reclaimed our bike boxes stored at the hotel and disassembled the bikes, packed up the bike boxes and stowed them away in the van.

That was yesterday!

Last days in Jerusalem

The holiday is quickly coming to an end  I have been working in the clinic since Sunday while John and Ann have taken in some tours on their own - one with Naomi in the tunnels under the Western Wall in the Old City, another  tour by themselves in the Old City of the Christian sites. We have been enjoying our apartment as the location is ideal for many things; we've eaten out at a variety of good restaurants every night.  Ann has kept John on a restricted diet of healthy low fat foods and he is sticking to it.  Myself, I have been indulging in many good "nushes" when I can, although for the most part we all have been pretty selective as to what we eat.


We have done some bike riding, but it gets dark around 5:15 PM now so there is not enough time for a decent ride.  You have to be a "road warrior" in this city to negotiate the traffic to get to areas where the good cycling begins, and today, Ann had not been comfortable at all with the road ride.

On Friday, we will drive to an area near the Jerusalem forest early in the morning (I finish at the clinic tomorrow - Thursday) and then we will do a 60 km ride in the valley.  After that, we will go back to the apartment, pack up the van and head to Tel Aviv for a rest day on the beach and then prepare to come home.

Our stay in Jerusalem

We really did luck in on the apartment we are renting. I found it on the Internet and saw from the pictures that it did look pretty decent. It is quite comfortable for the four of us. It has a modern kitchen with new appliances, microwave and dishes, a full bathroom with tub/shower and washing machine and a small "water closet" (toilet and tiny sink).  The combination kitchen sitting area with walkout to the garden is nice and homey.  It is significantly less expensive than staying in a hotel and offers us much more flexibility in terms of meals, bikes, and accommodating to four people.

I have been working in the DVI dental clinic no more than a 9 minute walk away. I have to say that I feel quite at home back in the clinic and enjoy the challenge the children give me.  So many cavities to fix!  This clinic is SO necessary. I was talking to one of the administrators today - she wanted to promote some of the success stories on our international web site.  She thought of a particular one in which a dentist stayed for a month to restore the discoloured front teeth of a Ethiopian child who did't want to smile.  I told her that every child we treat IS a success story :  from the hygienist who teaches the children how to brush and discusses healthy nutrition with the parents, to the kids we treat , who are in pain and cannot eat properly or concentrate at school .

This week, there are two dentists from France, a dentist from New York and myself.  Each of us feels as enthusiastic about the clinic and the importance of it.  Whether you can volunteer as a dentist, or help out by way of donations - it all counts to making these children in need, healthier. On my first day I treated a few Arab children, some Jewish kids and an Ethiopian child. We worked from 8 am until 1:30 PM.

I met my gang back at the apartment and after a quick lunch of peanut butter and honey on pita, we headed out to the Old City.  I won't detail our travels from this point today as it reminds me of how much walking in this city hurt my legs and feet.  But the sites we saw, did make it worth the effort. Needless to say, we have all been sleeping well afterwards.

I include a picture of BJ trying on shoes that might actually fit him.

Departure from Golan and Masada

After an amazing but brief time in the Golan Heights, we packed up the van after breakfast and left at 8 am for the Dead Sea. We had cycled in the Hula Valley, driven to Har ben Tal high up above Syria and Lebanon, and driven up and down the mountainous roads past the Nimrod's Castle. We had enjoyed our stay at the picturesque Hagoshrim resort. The weather had been ideal - about 23-28C with clear blue skies and little wind.

John and I have improved our packing skills to the point that we can get everything but one medium sport bag into the rear of the van. Our timing for travelling this day was perfect as it was too windy to ride.  In fact, there was so much debris on the roads from tree branches, leaves and dirt, that it would have been hazardous. We did see many cyclists on the road though, fighting the wind and trying to avoid the road debris.  It seems Saturday is the day for road cyclists.

Our drive was interesting - travelling south through the desert of rough, course gravel mountains with winding roads, Bedouin camps, and small Arab villages along the way. We reached our destination of Masada along the Dead Sea - 320 metres below sea level.  It was noon when we arrived, in the heat of the day ( 32C). However we braved the elements and made the climb on the Snake Path, on foot up this steep mountain of over  340 metres in about 35 minutes. Naomi, our historian now, gave us detailed background on the amazing biblical story of the Jewish rebels who held off  the Roman army for 3 years. We spent a few hours walking through the ruins of Herod's palace and identified the Roman bath houses, the rebels' synagogues, storehouses, water cisterns and living quarters on  the top of the mountain.

We descended back down the mountain on foot and drove on to Jerusalem arriving just at nightfall (around 5PM), found our rental apartment, and then waited for the owner to let us in  The apartment in an old section of Jerusalem not far from the old city is spacious, comfortable and newly renovated.  It will work out well for all four of us for the week. We unpacked, went out for supper, did a brief grocery shopping and hit the sack. Tomorrow I go to work in the dental clinic.

Last day in the Golan

We are staying at  Hagoshrim, a very beautiful "guest house" in the far north of the Golan Heights.  It seems to be a very popular resort for Israelis.  It is a large complex with many lodgings in various small buildings, a sports complex with indoor and outdoor pools, and grassed areas with patio furniture for lounging, a waterfall and scenic foot paths.  Most importantly, it has a great restaurant, serving buffet style, many delicious foods.  

What a great day today!  Had another amazing  (typical Israeli hotel) breakfast with lots of great selection.  BJ was in heaven. After a leisurely breakfast, we headed out for a "recovery" ride in the Hula Valley, starting right outside the resort.  We still had some moderate hills to climb, but for the most part the ride was flat.  And so was Ann's tire... again!  .....Except for a wrong turn that led us up a long hill climb

The weather was perfect, and the scenery was beautiful... majestic mountain ranges in the background and fields of orange groves, apple orchards, corn, cotton, and more on both sides of the road.  This is a very fertile valley - once swamp land that had been drained in the 1800's
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After a 60 km ride, we headed out by car to Har Ben Tal ...an important military site high up in the Golan (over 1100 metres above sea level.  It overlooks Syria and Lebanon and was strategic in keeping the Syrians from invading Israel in both the '67 and '73 wars.  To get to this area we had to climb (by car) over mountain ranges at dizzying heights and tight switchbacks, but with amazing vistas.  Even the climb to the top of Har Ben Tal was awesome, and to think I did it on bike two years ago!

We had time to squeeze in a drive to Nimrod's Castle, an abandoned Moslem castle ruin high up in the mountain range not far from our resort.  Unfortunately, the site was closed for the day, so we couldn't get in.  We stopped nearby for some local apples to munch on and headed back to our resort and now await dinner.

Tomorrow we drive down to the Dead Sea and Masada before going to Jerusalem.

Check out the picture album now added. You can bring it up full screen as well.

Last day in the Galilee

Once again, we got up at 5 am to begin our cycling for the morning.  It’s great to be able to put in a good ride before 11am as it gives us a long day ahead for touring and relaxing.

This morning we started from our home base at 6 am after another breakfast of peanut butter and jam.  It’s basically enough to keep us fueled for our riding as long as we have granola bars,energy drink and gels during the ride.   This was going to be a tough bike ride around the upper western shores of the Kinneret.  There is a tricky technical descent near the start that goes for almost 8 km  and because we would return the same way you guessed it.. a tough climb (over 500 m vertical total)  However, Naomi and Ann were up to the challenge.   John and I planned a challenging 500 metre ascent over 12 km up a mountain road - an offshoot of the planned bike route.  Naomi and Ann would continue on the flat section heading towards Tiberias for about 15 km and John and I would do the climb and return back down hoping to hook up with to girls for the return climb to Verid HaGalil. 

When John and I got to the top of our climb, we called the girls on our cell phone, only to find out that Ann had flatted about 5 km from where we left them and they could not change the inner tube. It had taken us about 45 minutes to climb to the top but only took 14 minutes to return to the bottom. John wasn’t happy about having a delay to go get the girls and possibly miss his pancake breakfast (the resort serves breakfast from 8 am until 11).  However we reached the girls in no time, changed the inner tube and got us all rolling again.

I led the group back until we reached the climb when Naomi began to slow considerably.  She just needed to go at her own pace.  She told me to go ahead and get the van if  she couldn’t get back up.  I chugged up what seemed like endless climbs under a very hot sun, but got back in good time - I was tired, sweaty and shaky.  But I had instructions from BJ to go to the dining room and make sure that we would get our pancakes and eggs after I retrieved our group.  I changed my bike shoes for sandals and was just about to get the van when John and Ann returned and  then Naomi just a few minutes later!   They did amazing!

After a  quick shower, mostly  more to cool my body down  I hustled to the dining room, followed closely by Naomi - BJ and Ann were already there. We were so hungry and thirsty, that we kept shoving food into our mouths and guzzling water, grapefruit drink and chocolate milk.

We had time for a short catnap before we had to pack up, check out and depart for our next destination – Hagoshrim in the Golan (not more than a hour away). 

More about that next entry.

Ride around Sea of Galilee

As planned, we got up early  (5 am). John and Ann came to our cabin for a makeshift "breakfast" - we smeared peanut butter and jam on pita and washed it down with milk and orange juice.  We packed the bikes into the van (easier without luggage) and drove into Tiberius, parked and were ready to set off when John's front tire blew.When he removed it, it was apparent that it had opened at a seam, most likely from the heat buildup on the rims when we were braking during the steep descents on the Carmel.

Today, the temperature was a comfortable 25C and no humidity with light winds. We had a most pleasurable ride around the western part of the Sea of Galilee, the scenery beautiful with spectacular  tan mountain ranges to the west and tropical vegetations such as cacti, brightly coloured Azalia bushes and large high palms on the sides of the road..  We turned back after 35 km as planned and returned back to the van. I decided that I would do the climb back up on the eastern side where we had driven the night before. John would have joined me but breakfast was more important.

The climb back up was tough but good except I missed the turn off to Vered Hagalil and went too far.  I did more climbing than necessary, but we have a two cell phone system and I called Naomi so she could check the map and locate where I ended up so I could return easily.  Interestingly, when she had driven the group back, she also missed the turn.

After a brief rest, we did a drive from the top of HaGalil to the west to inspect the top part of the western route around the lake. This would be our next ride.  We drove up a long climb that goes into the Golan with the most spectacular vistas, and then returned back down to the lake where we could find a beach for Ann. It was her request for a swim in the Sea of Galilee.

This is winter in Israel and the beach areas (as are outdoor pools are officially closed but we found a beach where there were a few people playing in the surf (strong winds were blowing up the waves) and there were two guys kite-surfing.

We set up the painters drop sheet on the beach as a blanket and I lay down for a little shut-eye. Naomi and John were content to sit and read and Ann went into the water for a swim close to shore. It was fortunate she did, as a woman who went out just far enough to get pulled under by a dangerous undertow was struggling to get out and Ann was close by to hear her screaming.  Ann tried to rescue her but the undertow was too strong and that is when John ran out to help them both.  A great rescue! What luck for that woman that Ann wanted to swim and that we chose that beach.

That evening we drove back to Tiberius for a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant called Decks right on the water and then back "home" to get ready for another adventure the next day.

Touring day - no riding!

Today was much too hot to ride - temperature hovering around 39-40C!  Rather than struggle in the heat, we opted to sight-see and drive some of the rides I had planned.  We visited  two historical sites with Roman ruins - Zippori and Bet She'an.  Naomi and I have been to these sites before but never spent as much time there as now - most amazing.  You can Google these sites for information.  We ruled out a route I had planned and decided to check out a route around the Kinneret.

We drove directly to Tiberius for dinner at a local restaurant. The food was delicious.  The town is on Lake Kinneret and is 200 metres below sea level.  Driving back to Vered HaGalil in daytime is challenging enough with tight switchbacks and steep climbs ( over 300 metres above sea level).  But driving in the dark was scary.  I planned on doing this climb on bike the next day as I have done it before and was up for the challenge. Anticipating hot weather,  we decided that we would rise really early in the morning (at 5), grab some peanut butter and jam on pita, some yogurt and milk (breakfast isn't ready until 8), drive back to Tiberius and cycle from there around the lake on the western side where the roads are less busy and the terrain fairly flat for a good distance.  At about 35 km, we would return back the way we came and head back to Vered HaGalil so John didn't miss his pancake breakfast.

Departure from Tel Aviv

Todays adventures started with an early morning preparation for departure.  Around 7 am, John and I took our luggage down to the van to see how we could work out the loading.  The idea was to pack the luggage on the bottom of the rear cargo area (the third row  of seats lie flat into the floor), and then layer the bikes horizontally (with wheels and pedals off) on top of the luggage.  ARGGG!!.   We knew we were in trouble when we saw that the luggage pretty much filled the space!  It's a good thing John is an engineer - he thought  that we should pack as many suitcases/duffle bags on the second row seat where he and Ann would sit. Then, we could put a single row of the larger suitcases in the rear just behind his seat leaving the rest of the cargo area for bikes.  Boy, were we nervous - what if this did't work?   We decided to eat first before working things out.

After we had breakfast, we brought the bikes down and layered them with wheels in between the bikes and on top like a chocolate layer cake.  It worked! We could even put a few small bags in the rear area as well.  With that arrangement, there was still room for a few toothbrushes!

For those who don't know the big fellow ( 6'6" , about 240 lbs) you understand why we call John "Big John" or BJ.  Now, imagine him squeezed in the passenger seat behind Naomi and I  (she needs to be up front to navigate) with bags piled to the roof and petit Ann on the other side. I have to say that John and Anne are the perfect travelling companions - not only do they NOT complain when things get challenging, but they really make the best of things!  And, on that note, there were more to come.

The drive out of Tel Aviv was perplexing - rush hour traffic with cars honking at each other, motor bikes and scooters darting in between cars and weaving in front and, us, unfamiliar with the routes.  However, Naomi did a brilliant job as navigator and we eventually got to our destination at the top of the Carmel Mountain near Haifa.  We were in a tiny Druze village, with a Turkish bazaar type street - open air stalls set up with unusual collections of furniture, appliances, and assortments of small items.  We parked in a designated "parking lot" behind the main street - the lot manned by a woman and her young son, collecting 15 shekels at a broken down booth.

Next challenge: unloading all our gear, reassembling the bikes and loading all the luggage back into the rear cargo area and covering the stuff with a thin paint tarp I brought from home. The plan was to ride down the mountain into Haifa and then  leave the girls in town while BJ and  I rode back up to the van and return to Haifa to pick up the girls.  The route was only 26 km - top to bottom.

If we were at the top of the mountain, why did we have 3 major steep climbs at the start?  The girls were NOT happy! It's one thing to ride steep climbs (which they are capable of doing), but without a warm up (did I mention that the temperature was around 36 C)  However, the girls toughed it out and we descended into Carmel Centre - a suburb of  Haifa. This area is still pretty high up above Haifa port, but because of our late start and hot weather, we decided this was far enough (only 18 km). The girls were willing to attempt the climb back up after lunch.

We stopped at a nice sandwich shop with outdoor patio and watched while a small airplane loaded with water, dive-bombed a forest fire in the valley just below. There were smoke and ashes filling the air in the valley and fire truck sirens wailing in the streets around us. Apparently, the hot dry conditions initiate fires in these areas.  We ate inside in the cool, unsmoky restaurant. After lunch, we cycled a short distance down to view the famous and most beautiful Bahai gardens and the Haifa harbour in the background.

Turned out that, with the exception of one very long winding climb going back up the Carmel,  the route down was much harder than the climb.  Both Ann and Naomi did exceeding well all the way back to the van.  We reloaded our gear back into the van, Naomi and I replotted our route to our night's destination above the Sea of Galilee and we took off.  We noticed two more forest fires burning in the valleys.
We arrived around 6 PM at Verid HaGalil, unpacked, and went for a well earned supper. Our accommodations are pretty and comfortable cabins overlooking the Sea of Galilea (Lake Kinneret as it is know in Israel) . Most importantly, the beds are comfortable and showers excellent.

I assembled our bikes and we washed out our bike clothes and hung them outside to dry (probably within an hour) before hitting the sack.

First day on bikes in Tel Aviv

I had assembled our bikes last night..after a good night's sleep. . John finished getting Ann and his bikes assembled  today.
We weren't disappointed with the typical  sumptuous  Israeli breakfast at our hotel( don't need lunch)

Right after breakfast, we set off by bike along the boardwalk towards Jaffa harbour. This is leisurely cruising as the terrain is flat although we had to watch out for deep seams in the slate stones that can grab the tires. It was a sunny hot humid day with no wind to keep us from sweating like crazy and the ocean looked awfully tempting for a refreshing dip.
Our touring was easy and fun until Naomi had a rather serious mechanical with her rear dérailleur  that caused her to tumble off her bike.  She was not hurt, but her bike didn't seem too good.  I dashed back to our hotel to get some tools to fix what I thought was a bent derailleur hanger.  But that was not the only problem, as we found out from a bike shop not far away.  She needed a new rear dérailleur. The bike mechanic at the shop realigned the bent bike part (at no charge) and found a bike shop about 20 minutes away (by bike) who would have the required part.  He set up the dérailleur so Naomi could ride and with a little bit of confusion finding the shop in the downtown district, we had part replaced and the bike adjusted properly .
We had left John and Ann back at the hotel while we did all this - they had lunch and a nap and were perfectly refreshed to go down to the beach for a swim with us when we returned.

A late night supper and long walk completed the evening and tomorrow we head for Haifa.

Now arrived in Tel Aviv

We are here!!  Arrived in Israel after 5:30PM Israel time.  Our plane ride of 10 1/2 hrs in knee- crunching seats in economy seemed to "fly" by rather quickly.  Good movies to  watch on touch- screen monitors at our seats provided adequate distractions when not napping.


I met a patient of mine as we were about to go thru customs at Ben Gurion airport. He was on our flight and was going to be at a conference in Tel  Aviv this week.. As we were picking up our luggage, we met several Torontonians who had been on the Alyn bike ride with us two years ago.  They were going to do the Beit Halochem charity ride starting in Tel Aviv going to Eilat.


I sort of  anticipated a problem with our rental van being too small.  The van will be ok with bikes assembled, but we needed to get a taxi to transport John, Ann, and the rest of our luggage to the hotel while Naomi and I squeezed in all 4 bike boxes into the van. It was fortuitous though, as we could follow the taxi directly to the hotel rather than navigate by map ourselves. As it was, the hotel, being small and inconspicuous, would have been difficult to locate with a tiny entrance and signage.


It was no small challenge to maneuver the van in the underground parking garage with space for about 12 small vehicles.  The hotel is close to the boardwalk but just off the hotel strip with all the big luxury hotels.  Our hotel is more than satisfactory.  Modest European 2 star style with a single phone-booth size elevator that reminded me of our hotel in Rome , the rooms are clean, small but adequate with good bathroom shower, little fridge in bedroom and more importantly, air-conditioning.  The double bed is firm and comfortable.


We had a late supper on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean at an outdoor restaurant last night.  The food was delicious and more than enough for even "Big" John.  We hit the sack late but slept well and today we begin our adventures.

Almost packed and ready

Just about all packed...can you see a bike buried in all the other clothes and stuff? Should be interesting so see how much we are charged for overweight luggage at Air Canada.

Naomi picked up cell phones we will use in Israel and John has arranged for a large van airport service to pick us up at 8 PM tomorrow. Just some final things to pack away, finish work today, and we're ready!

Richard's ride

Once again (7th time), my wife (Naomi) and I are off to Israel where we will combine a cycling "mission" in the north with my volunteering at the DVI (Dental Volunteers in Israel) clinic in Jerusalem. Preceding my working at the clinic, we are taking another cycling couple from Newmarket- John & Ann (who have never been to Israel) on a tour of the north of Israel. I have called our cycling tour "Richard's ride" and have been raising money in Toronto for the clinic. To this point, I have raised almost $3200.00.

The clinic has become very important to me: raising money from Toronto, recruiting dental volunteers, and doing dentistry for children in need at the clinic. Please check out the clinic at the web site www.dental-dvi.org.il.

The purpose of this blog is to record our experiences from start to finish.

Tuesday, Oct 13, 2009

I have packed Naomi's bike in a hard case (after removing wheels, saddle and handlebars) for safe transport on the plane and loaded the box with her helmet, bike shoes, bike tools and as much clothing as possible. Air Canada will charge us $50.00 for each bike to and from Israel. I want to minimize the amount of clothes, etc we take, but it may be difficult to get Naomi to pack all her stuff in a small suitcase. I still need to final tune the bike I will take before I disassemble it for packing.

I'm hoping that the van we are renting in Israel will accommodate the four of us, our bike boxes and luggage at least from the airport to our hotel in Tel Aviv. We will assemble the bikes and leave the bike boxes at the hotel during our stay and pick them up before our departure (we are returning to Tel Aviv for two nights after Jerusalem).

I have more or less finalized our cycling/touring itinerary, using previous ride routes and interesting sites I want to see. I am waiting to hear from a cycling tour guide from Israel for his advice on our cycling tour.