Created on Sunday, 18 February 2007 13:39

Ethiopia is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, covering 1.127.127 km2 or 435.071 sq mi, and has an estimated population of 75 million. It is the third most populous African nation. The capitol, Addis Ababa, is surrounded by extended and fertile mountains.  Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations of the world and also the second oldest Christian nation having maintained its Christian character since the 4th century AD. Within Ethiopia is a massive highland complex of mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley. The great diversity of terrain determines wide variation in climate, soils, natural vegetation, and settlement patterns. It also has a large number of endemic species: the Gelada Baboon, the Walia Ibex and the Ethiopian wolf (or Simien fox). The Ibex and the wolf (critically endangered) live in the high mountains above 2500 m.
Notwithstanding recent famine the country has a very young and explosive growing population.

Feb.13 We pitched our camp just of the main road in a field with cows, just before a town called Verota which is about 20km past the larger town of Addis Zemen. Both just east of Lake Tana. We had a truly fantastic cycling day from the former Ethiopian capital town Gonder where we enjoyed two hard earned days of rest, either camping or in the Goha Hotel perched on a 2470m cliff overlooking the town. I took the luxury option of a single room, away from noise, grime and city smells! Well situated to visit the various historic sites and market if so desired. The city of Gonder was founded in 1635, by King Fasilidas and served as the imperial capital for 250 years. The city is best known for its 17th-century castles, palaces, and the fantastically decorated church of Debre Birhan Selassie. Gonder today is one of Ethiopia's largest and most impressive cities, with a friendly, almost small-town mood.
The road today was all immaculate asphalt, weaving its way through a beautiful hilly landscape. Two cols of 2500m had to be climbed with a fast downhill as a reward, ending with a flat stretch of 20km before arriving at the finish. Due to the altitude of 2000m we are at, the air is cool with temperatures ranging from 17 degrees C in the morning to 35 just after noon. In the evening you have to wear warm clothes.

Since we left the Sudan/Ethiopian border-town of Metema last Friday (Feb. 9) we have been steadily going upwards from about 900m to the Ethiopian highland. The two days it took us to get to Gonder were amongst the hardest we have had so far on this trip. Over bad gravel and stone roads with several major cols to climb each day. 

This made for long, dusty and tiring days. I had paced myself well the last days in Sudan because of a minor stomach problem in Hasa Heisa, and this paid off now. Where most of the group is struggling with digestive system irregularities I feel good and strong. The landscape improves with each kilometre we are further in Ethiopia, Hills, rock faces, trees, grasses, maintained farm fields, there is a lot to see as we cycle along.

In the little towns or groups of huts we pass, we make frequent "coke stops" and replenish our water supply with bottled water, a must to survive the day. The people are friendly and helpful, but have a tendency to crowd you which is not always pleasant. The children are often begging and trying to grab things from you or your bike. In the past few days several cycle computers, pumps, saddlebag contents have been stolen from the bikes during the coke stops. 

Wednesday February 14, a short ride of 60km over nice hilly country between 1700 and 1900m altitude. I feel good and race with the tandem team, and finish in front of the hotel a few seconds ahead of them in 6th place. The tandem, ridden by Kenyans Joash (seeing eyes) and Douglas (blinded by the bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi), is a good cycling partner for me. They go slow up the hills so "Musee" (old man in Swahili), as Douglas calls me, can keep up, and very fast on the flat and downhill where I can sit in their wheel and draft along at speeds I cannot dream of achieving alone.

We speed through a really beautiful landscape of hills, trees and forests, farm fields, here and there lush green valleys, all at just under 2000m altitude. The altitude doesn't seem to bother us, gaining in altitude daily over the past week we probably acclimatized well. The afternoon is spent on the usual self- and bike maintenance. We plan for the next day to visit the monasteries on some islands in Lake Tana and the Blue Nile Falls. And of course, for the Valentine's party tonight. We have to appear as something with a "P". The two healthy Dutch join forces with Gunther from Belgium to form the "PPP" or "Pedaleurs Protest Party". We Dutch/Flemish feel we have to be against something, although "what" is still uncertain and needs to be determined later.

Feb.15 Well, my optimism re. not having any gastro-intestinal problems was misplaced! On our day of rest in Bahar Dar in the Dib Anbessa hotel I got hit with something that really made me sick. (No not the party or too much beer). From just after midnight to about noon on Thursday my body had voided itself of everything. Feeling just awful I started the recuperation effort by drinking OHR spiced water (against dehydration) as much as I could hold down, and eating digestive cookies I had purchased the previous day. A difficult process I can tell you. At about 5:00 pm I finally got out of bed, showered, shaved and started to move around the hotel. I managed five spoons of a risotto dish for dinner, a banana later on was a better choice. After packing for the next day, assuming I would feel better and could ride, I went back to bed to recuperate further.

Feb.16-17 This morning I got up feeling OK and could even eat the porridge served so I decided to start normally with {joomplu:647 right}the due to illness reduced group of racers at 8:00 am. All day long I stayed again with the tandem who were taking it also very easy and finished the 160km ride still feeling good and not tired. Only when eating I have to take it slowly as my stomach seems rather sensitive. Our maximum altitude today was 2722m and as we gained altitude the countryside becomes more lush, more trees and forests, and greener fields. Via Debre Markos we arrived at the next bush camp, exhausted, after a heavy 149km day of cycling with many steep ascents and descents. I'm feeling better again and my stomach is nearly back to normal.
Let me tell you a bit about the people and children we see and encounter on our daily rides and campsites.
The children seem to be everywhere and appear as by magic from the fields as we come cycling along. Many times they are well behaved and just curious, but unfortunately too often they are a real nuisance. First of all the little buggers come running, at great speed, out of the fields where they keep watch on the cows, sheep and goats, onto the road often creating a real hazard especially on the down hills when our speed is high. But usually they have positioned themselves strategically on the up hills where our speed is low and yell "you, you, you" at you, which has a distinct unpleasant sound to it. I have been told by the few Ethiopians who ride with us that it is considered very rude to address people in this manner in Ethiopia. Then, they ask "wherarryougo", to which we respond "Addis Ababa" after having greeted them first with a wave of the hand and the proper "salaam". Often this is as far as the communication goes, and you ride on. But, more frequently than not, they run with and beg for money in a really annoying way. Many times they throw stones and sticks at you. One of the riders got hit by a stone today on a fast down hill, which made a small, profusely bleeding, cut to the side of his left eye. He said he was lucky to regain his balance as he sped down because, momentarily, he was very disoriented by the impact. The last 5km to the campsite were like running the gauntlet, and I resolved to never give another cent for aid to Ethiopia so huge was the annoyance. How different are the adults!
The roads are full of people walking, mostly carrying loads and bags, or herding cows to the market. They appear very friendly and respond to our greetings in a similar fashion, smiling, often enough with a bob of their head, and frequently we get cheers of encouragement. However, they too create a hazard on the road. 

People wander all over the road without looking left or right, and this resulted today finally in two crashes with pedestrians. One I was involved in. I was riding in the wheel of the tandem at a good clip (50k/h) downhill. We continuously ring a cycling bell and I make a whooping sound that carries quite far. The combination works as people move to the side of the road in time. Once in a while, people seem to find the other side of the road more attractive, and jump across to their preferred side. Today an elderly man did the same. Without looking and not heeding the warning calls of his fellow travellers, he walked right into our path. The tandem could not avoid hitting him and crashed into him. Fortunately, I could move to the left in time. Big consternation, tens of people crowding around the hurt man, my first concern was Joash and the (blind) Douglas. Luckily, their bodily damage amounted to some road rash, which I could clean and disinfect, and bruised muscles. The tandem I could fix quick enough. The old man was carried to a NGO pick-up truck that had stopped, and they brought him to a clinic. Later we heard that he too had no severe injuries, just bruises.

To maintain a bit of privacy at our camp the area is roped off with an orange rope. This works well as the locals respect this boundary, even if they have to be reminded once in a while to stay behind the rope. Nothing we do misses their attention and is lively discussed. Tonight we had a group of children who started singing and chanting songs. A little kid led in song and the others would repeat the words and melody, clapping their hands, and moving and dancing rhythmically. Quite a show, that changed my mind about giving aid to Ethiopia when needed. After sundown the people leave for their homes and at sunrise, when we wrap up our camp, they appear again for more looking at the strange ways of white people.

Feb.18 Overnight we had a tremendous thunderstorm and steady rain throughout the night. Since we camped in a clay soil field we all were, within no time, walking around with huge clumps of clay on our feet. 

Very difficult to take off your cycling shoes and cleats. We started with a short run of 13km to where the down hill into the gorge begins and the asphalt surface ends. Down 19 km, with a drop of 1000m, to the bridge over the deep gorge of the Blue Nile, then 21km up, to 1200m, over the most terrible road surface you can imagine. Due to last night's rain we enjoyed truly fantastic vistas. Camp is right at the top of the gorge at a CPAR (Canadian Physicians Aid and Relief) compound. In the evening we had another thunderstorm and a torrential downpour. According to the people here, rain at this time of the year is quite uncommon!

In two more days, of relatively short rides of 90 and 120km, we shall arrive in Addis Ababa.

Created on Friday, 23 February 2007 13:40

Written by Jan Eisenloeffel

Feb.19-20 Day 38 and 39 were spent getting to Addis Ababa. They turned out to be two though days for most everyone due to a number of factors. It was not the road surface that made it though as most of the ride went over immaculate asphalt. Generally, we had not recovered from the heavy preceding days, specially the time trial up the 1200m of the Nile Gorge, from 1500m to 2700m, could still be felt in the legs. The altitude was probably a factor too, riding at about 2700m with a high of over 3000m. The most important factor though was the wind which was mostly against us both days.

However, the main impression left is the beautiful and rich landscape we rode through. Surprising to see at this altitude, and in the dry season, such rich farmlands, many trees and wooded areas, and lots of cattle in the fields. Not to forget the fantastic vistas from the higher areas. I even decided where to build a second home in Ethiopia if ever it would come to that. Only 80km away from Addis Ababa over a good road, on top of a flat hill just outside Debre Libanos overlooking a wide gorge of a tributary river flowing into the Blue Nile. The man who lives with his family in a number of thatched huts in front of where the house would stand, would welcome us as neighbours he told me in fairly good English! (Sophia has to think about this, ed.)

Feb.21 The world's third highest capital city, Addis Ababa (=beautiful flower) lies in the central highlands of Ethiopia at an altitude of 2400m. Throughout the year the weather is comfortable temperate, interrupted by the occasional downpour. Here we had our rest day. We were camping on the premises of the Guennet Hotel in a beautifully kept green garden with trees to give us shade. Much rest is not to be had on these days as all kind of necessary chores keep us busy for most of the time. A morning visit to the market was squeezed in to see the sights. Luckily, I found a photo shop so I could print the pictures I took of a family who, on a hot and difficult section of the road from Metema to Gonder, gave me shelter, shade and water to cool myself. I have to mail these to the address the grandson gave me of the secondary school he attends, this for lack of an address of the little hut by the side of the road where they live.

Feb.22 We left Addis Ababa in a convoy until we hit the outskirts of the city after 12km. The ride is at a slower than usual pace because most riders still have various health problems and don't feel 100%. I feel good and this makes the 98km section for me a leisure ride. The finish and the camp side were beautifully situated on a (cow dungy) meadow facing the lake at a small town called Koka. We arrived early and had all afternoon to enjoy the prematurely rest! Before dinner I cycled with our Ethiopian riders Addis and Mamush a kilometre further to Koka for a few draft beers in a café on the side of the road.

Feb.23 A flat section today, but the five fastest racers didn't feel like setting the pace so we cycled in an easy going tempo to the lunch break at 55km. I decided not to stop because I had a good breakfast and extra energy bars with me. After 15km the tandem team overtook me and together we cycled at a fast pace to the finish. Much to my dismay this was on a down hill and they beat me by a wheel length. We camped at Lake Langano, an Ethiopian style resort, in between the trees with view of the lake. After dinner I enjoyed a cup of coffee, which happens to be very good in Ethiopia, at a roofed over terrace while yet another gigantic thunderstorm was building up.

THE LAST DAYS IN ETHIOPIA.

Created on Wednesday, 28 February 2007 13:42

Written by Jan Eisenloeffel

Feb.24 Today was a difficult one, a lot of steep climbing and more over my "motor" didn't work. I could feel this already with the first climb, probably still tired from the day before and a disturbed night rest. I kept my own pace and to my satisfaction finished well before the tandem team. Yesterday we cycled through Shasemene, the village is worldwide famous for the Rasta movement and is "home" to Bob Marley who e.g. had his birthday concert here in February.

Feb.25 Another hard day. We had to do over the 2000m vertical and after lunch a 10km long ascent to an elevation of 2450m. Not only the vertical meters make it difficult, but also the steepness of the incline which is nearly always over 15%. The descents are just as steep and regularly at the rate of 60k/h or more. I survived the day and had a good rest at our camp past Agere Miryam (2200m).

Feb.26-28 The following days, due to gradual descents and less steep inclines, became easier. The landscape varies with the kind of soil. Red soil is grown over with luxuriance vegetation, but the sand/stone combination offers grandiose vistas. Even less people, whole stretches without a soul and no screaming kids.
Wow! What a peaceful feeling, you could hear nature again. We did see large herds of camels, cows, sheep and goats though. The camels (actually dromedary because they have 1 hump) are huge and look very good in comparison to the ones we saw in Egypt and Sudan. Worth knowing: the camel is here used for meat, milk and pack-animal and costs ca. Birr 4000 which is ca. US$ 500. We pay a lot more for a puppy! Three more days and we will be in the Marsabit Park, Kenya. Bad roads, high temperatures hence the name "meltdown madness" for this section of the tour.