Riding For Rwanda Day 2
HEART OF HOLLAND RIDE - DAY TWO - June 23, 2024
GREEN PASTURES. QUIET WATERS. RIGHT PATHS.
I read about those three things when I couldn't sleep before our 1st days ride (jet lag). All three were our first days ride experience.
Green flooded (still water) beautiful pastures awaited us as we road along. Rich with history we loved riding through Zaanse-Schans.
We took time to learn how to make a pair of clogs. I wondered about that genius moment when those first clogs were made from a block of wood. And we discovered the multiple purposes the windmills have historically played. I did not know that they were used to not only drain the water logged land, they were also sawmills, granaries and the place where the making of pigments for paint took place. Hmm.. Van Gogh, Rembrandt and so many others would have gotten their pigment from here. Beautiful. Fascinating! Ingenious and of course so practical.
We realized as the windmill blades majestically started to turn that we were probably going to be facing a real challenge. Headwinds. We should think about the implication before we set out as the only women in the group without an e-bike. The winds were strong. We encouraged the group to ride on without us. We would figure out the 'right path' - a GPS and more than a few uttered prayers would get us to Haarlem. It did.
As we rode through the magnificent Zuid-Kennermerland National Park, we remembered the story we had read to our children about a little boy who had put his finger in the dyke and ended up spending the entire night until the villagers arrived in the morning to relieve him. That little boy was dubbed the "Hero of Haarlem"
Day two was rich. 51km. A picnic lunch at the Dutch Water Defense Line fort, gracious country people ready to give instruction or teach us something new. What a beautiful day.
It made us think about what is/isn't important. How a new idea might just change everything. How the functional can also bear witness to the beautiful. How many little heroes there are in Rwanda. Sometimes we just need to let the headwinds slow us down so can learn, see and experience the richness of the moment.
What a privilege to ride for Wellspring and UMOJA. To be doing this to bring hope but to also remember that one life can make a difference. Thanks, Ray, for being one of those in our lives.
PS: we are surrendering our pride. E-bikes will be our new transport for the duration of the trip. Not going to lie. A little PTSD from my last venture.
