After the long day, I slept like a log and woke up refreshed to the sound of my phone alarm at 5.55am. I made wudu (ablution) and prayed the morning prayer which is referred to as the Fajr prayer. I subsequently got ready with lots of things to do. Breakfast was at 8, bike building at 9 and we would aim to leave at 9.30. Sounds easy on paper.
My roomate Graham asked me to wake him up at 7.30 if he wasn’t already awake. He was fast asleep when I knocked on his thin wood door but woke up slowly to get ready. We left for breakfast together at just after 8. The breakfast was Palestinian style with a large number of dishes including meze, hummus, bread, egg, and the infamous flaflel. The flaflel, bread and hummus combination reminded me of breakfast at my friends family house in Khalil (Hebron). Satisfyingly tasty with a touch of grease to keep the joints moving, underpinned by warm pitta emersed in home made hummus. In one word delicious and I somehow convinced my it would be the perfect fuel for cycling!
After a cup of coffee, I returned to my bedroom to ‘sort out’ my luggage. We needed a day bag and I struggled to see how I was going to fit everything in one small ruck sack. If you’re wondering why, it is because I have what seems a Mary Poppins style bag which I keep pulling out gadgets. Each gadget has wires, chargers and other accessories. I thought, let’s just take two bags.
I changed into my cycle gear and headed to reception with my bright yellow suitcase, my light grey and blue larg rucksack, a dark grey small rucksack and my cycling shoes. As I walked out of the lift, a few of the team who had brought their own bikes were in the final stages of their preparation which created a sense of panic in me as I didn’t want to be the last one.
I found my bike box and started to open locks and then the case. I needed to put my disk brakes back on first and then pump up the tyres. Al, one of the riders on trip who I had met in Birmingham for a ride kindly pumped up my tyres. I then removed the frame from the very tight straps and placed the wheels in the frame before screwing in the skewers. I then put the stem on and faced a number of issues as I felt there was too much play in the headset. After three goes with some help from Zuhair and Azim, I decided it was good enough for the ride. Finally I popped on the pedals and made my way to the start line.
It was a great feeling being part of the team and seeing everyone on their bikes with the MAP jersey and the oversized fluorescent yellow jackets was amazing. The journey was about to start, the dream of cycling through Palestine was going to come true and just before we started, I looked up to the Heavens and said thank you to God for giving me this opportunity and for allowing me to enter the blessed lands.
Off we go from Jenin to Jerusalem in 6 days. The first destination will be Nablus, a city I have always wanted to visit so I was doubly excited.
