CYCLE PALESTINE: CHAPTER 18 - GETTING OUT AGAIN

Own Bikes
 
On the way out through Tel Aviv, whatever the profiling may have been on the way in, they seemed to focus more on the people with their own bikes, who were delayed and checked much more thoroughly.
 
I obviously have an honest face, and went through without a single question (actually not so on a more recent trip to Palestine).
 
The Flight
 
We were on a British Airways flight from Tel Aviv to London, which was delayed by an hour specifically of the time it took for our group to get through.  We didn’t expect to be too popular for many reasons.
 
One of the more talkative cyclists had got chatting with the cabin crew, and later on we were given this card and four bottles of champagne.

Tea
 
In Palestine, and probably the whole of the Middle East, everywhere you go you get Liptons Black Tea teabags on a string.  It’s pretty awful.  What I desperately wanted was a proper cup of tea, which you can see here in the mug I brought back from Hebron (note the key symbol).

Memories of Palestine
 
I keep saying it, but it’s true ... I always supported Palestine because I hated injustice, but now I also support Palestine because I love Palestine.
 
It would be a bit strong to say it changed our lives, but it was certainly one of the most memorable things we’ll all have done.  
 
We still often do activities together (eg some of the cyclists came to the fundraising gig that we organised during Eurovision at the Amersham Arms), hold fundraising stalls, give talks etc.

Here with some MAP staff from the Ramallah office.