Riding For Rwanda Day 5
HEART OF HOLLAND RIDE - DAY FIVE- June 26, 2024
TRUE GRIT
(aka determination, perseverance, not giving up - steadfastness at a whole new level)
That kind of real grit could have been the name for one of us on our trip yesterday and for everything we’ve learned about some of the challenges the Dutch face.
The heat and a narrow country path next to a ditch got the better of one in our group She lost control and ended up falling off her bike into a ditch (not a canal but it was definitely full of water) A bit of a bruised ego and soaking wet - to the bone - she got back in the saddle and rode on. That took guts and determination - no it wasn't Doris - the one who fell is 80 years old!!!! Just an fyi it a very diverse group, it is for sure not the Ironman - the youngest rider is 47!
What a sobering day on so many levels.
We spent part of the morning at Kinderdijk (definitely a Kinder surprise) we literally absorbed everything we could at this unique beautiful UNESCO world heritage site which is home to 19 inhabited windmills errected in the late 1700s. These working mills are a testament to the ongoing importance of water management
More random facts:
The Netherlands is Home to 165 canals
26% of the country is 22 feet below sea level (and there is a constant threat that 59% of the country could end up under sea level if a huge storm hits - atmospheric rain - you know that term we are all becoming familiar with is not a term even used here
The Dutch are Smart, humble and genius Water Managers - dunes, dykes, dams, pump stations / known as the Delta Program keep their country on dry ground and help inform others as well (think Dubai)
Getting from Delft to Gouda via Rotterdam included cycling, waterbus and a ferry - it was a people moving day for sure (the Dutch are very good at moving their 17 million residents around)
There are 37,000 cycling paths in this country
The term for Dutch people - Dutchies
We found a new way to make a “cheese melt sandwich” bag your lunch early in the morning, stuff in your pannier and ride 50km in 30+ degree weather - will do it for you everytime
This is not a “tipping” culture - now that feels foreign
Sleep did not come easy in the belly of this non-air conditioned barge but we are waking up this morning just feeling grateful for a place to rest.
394km down toward our 1000km goal. More determined than ever. Being in a cycling culture does that.
Daily reminder that true grit, being innovative, facing reality head on, finding solutions, getting back in the saddle is a reality for the charities we are riding for (Wellspring and UMOJA) but it also made me think of the clients we serve at DO Philanthropy. You all have your own water lines to deal with
Off to learn everything there is to know about Gouda (gau-duh) cheese and then hitting the trail.
No 2 days alike.
