Every morning before we set off we’ve been doing a few gentle stretches to get ourselves warmed up before getting into the saddle. This morning Charlie takes over leading the stretches. Charlie is a reformed alcoholic – quite self-deprecating and good fun, but actually very able – who has a lot of experience in fitness training. As we finish he tells us to reach behind our heads and give ourselves a pat on the back: this will be his hallmark.
Now we’re off along the Dead Sea shore. We all stop less than a mile later to marvel at the view of the Qumran landscape.
In these cliffs, fifty years ago, an Arab shepherd boy chased his goat into a cave, and found ancient pottery jars. They turned out to have 2,000 year old scrolls in them. The Dead Sea Scrolls include texts that were written for the Qumran sect (possibly Essene), and parts of the Hebrew Bible. Suddenly we had texts of the Old Testament that were 1,000 years older than the oldest manuscripts then available. What is astonishing is how little had changed in a thousand years of copying – Biblical scholars took copying very seriously.
On we went, as the day grew hotter and drier. Down here, more than 400 metres below sea level, there is not much rainfall, and the salty air is very dry. The road took a steep upward stretch (the ‘Killer Hill’, veterans of the bike ride called it), and it was a hard pull up. We were grateful for our ‘angel of the van’ – Sivan, who drove the refreshments van and stopped to give us water and fruit at regular intervals.
Finally we came downhill into the oasis at Ein Gedi. Here there is a lot of green, thanks to a wadi that carries fresh water from the vicinity of Bethlehem all the way down to the shore. Ein Gedi has been a resort for some time, and there are lifeguards and showers by the shore itself. We change and walk down for a dip in the warm, salty waters of the Dead Sea.
I’m in the centre of the picture, with the baseball cap. On the right is a rescue boat for anyone who gets into difficulties. We are very buoyant in this water, but it’s lovely to float in!
Once out of the water, it’s time for a cold shower and then on to lunch in the local restaurant. It was delicious, just what we hungry cyclists needed, and afterwards we set off once more, heading South into a strong, dry wind, towards the fortress of Massada.
No comments:
Post a Comment