Yoni Garry and I have a Whattsapp
group that is named "the shvil pensioners". Besides the
self-deprecating name and insight into the centrality the shvil has\had to our
friendship, we now indeed are shvil pensioners. But as we all know, life
doesn't end with becoming a pensioner. We have no shortage of plans. We
definitely won't be taking on any more grandiose 7 year walking projects, but
120 km shvil Golan, shvil HaMa'ayanot around Beit She'an, walking through
villages in the Galilee and regular excursions will definitely continue. More meals
together goes without saying. We have seeing Bruce Springsteen in Rome, jaunts
to Europe, big boys' reunions and much more to do together. I'm sure stuff will
come up that we haven't even remotely thought of. I'll try to blog as much of
it as I can. I enjoy the writing it up almost as much as the actual doing it (almost).
The shvil has given us so much, both
as individuals and as friends. Thank you to Yoni and Garry for putting up with
me and sharing this journey with me, as well, of course, for steering me/us in
the right direction when my sense of direction and left-right dyslexia would
have gotten us even more lost than we regularly did. The shvil has strengthened
our friendship in so many ways. We had some semi-permanent guests, namely
Tracey and Mark, who were fantastic companions and many one up guests who
fleetingly shared our shvil experience. Each and every one who walked with us
added to the sum total of our overall shvil adventure.
I am humbled by the positive response
and support my blog has received from many people. I wish to thank anyone who
has bothered to put up with my long-windedness and occasional bombasity to read
even one blog post from beginning to end, let alone those that have read all
the posts.
I feel the need to thank one person
in particular, who never actually walked the shvil with us but without him, we
probably would never had even gotten to the starting point. About 12 years ago
our friend Phil came on a visit to Israel. Yoni, Garry and I hadn't fallen out
but between young families and careers, didn't see each other as often as we
should have. Phil organized for us to walk together in the Golan Heights. The
die was set when on that hike we missed a turn off and got lost. And we
had fun. We also realized that we loved walking together and had too much in
common not to see each other regularly. I don't wish to sound melodramatic, but
that day changed the course of our lives. I owe Phil a debt that I will never
be able to repay.
A final word. Garry, Yoni and I are not
athletes (well Yoni and I, at least) and not particularly fit (ditto). When I
was younger and fitter (not convinced I was ever actually fitter) I would never
have dreamed that I would ever complete a one thousand km hike through Israel.
Maybe it's a bit of a cliché, but we proved to ourselves that there really is
nothing you can't achieve if you put your mind to it. I would encourage anyone
who regards our amazing journey as special, to go out and do their own amazing
journey. It's worth the effort.
Dear Paul
ReplyDeleteI read parts (2016) of the blog today, the first time. Congratulations to you, Garry, Yoni (and Mark) on your epic journey and huge joint achievement. It seems your journey was of the spirit even more than a physical feat. It is moving to emotionally read about and to feel your presences, long lost, in my life again. I celebrated remotely the strengthening of your old friendships. And what a journey, bonding also with the landscapes, with the people, present and historic. Beautiful. It would be great to catch up with you in Israel soon. I hope to be in Israel for a while next year.
Hugs
Greg Rose
Thanks Greg for your warm words.PLEASE look me up when you come to Israel. I would indeed like to renew our friendship.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot all your readers who came along on the shvil with you. Crying , laughing, some times jealous sometimes pleased we weren't there with you.
ReplyDeleteYou will all have to keep walking ,at least for your far flung friends' enjoyment if nothing else.
Kol Hakavod to you all a great achievement.
Shelley, I certainly acknowledged and thanked my readers. The blog has helped me develop a dormant writing skill that I never knew I had. If people hadn't have followed, commented and encouraged, it could be I wouldn't have continued with it. Though then again, it was cathartic and I always wrote for my own self satisfaction. The fact that others liked it was a (big) added bonus.
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I am doing the Israel Trail from north to south. Like you, I am older – 62 years old – and slightly less than fit. Like you, I am doing the trail in sections – 51 so far. I am reading your desert travel with great interest because I just did the same hike as you guys did on the Karbolet and like you, I chose to go down the Blue Trail of Nahal Mador. (I had read that the section of trail going down Nahal Efron is the hardest, scariest section of the whole trail and decided not to take any chances.) I plan to continue southward on the Israel Trail picking it up at the Mador Night Camp. I was looking through your blog and nowhere do I see any mention of the section of Israel Trail from the Mador Night Camp to Mitzpe Ramon. Did you do it? Did I miss something in your blog? Please write back to me at: yitzchakm2@gmail.com