Ethiopia

There’s no other word to describe Ethiopia other than unique. It’s an amazing place and I really love it – it is everything Africa should be and the riding is suddenly challenging with unpaved rolling hills – big ones too. I spent 3 hours climbing up a hill the other day – thought I’d never reach the top!!!

There are rocks everywhere. And children everywhere. And the combination of children and rocks is not a happy one for the foreign cyclist. In one day I get hit twice – once on the shoulder, once on the leg – neither of them bruise though so I’m lucky. Mitch the Rockhopper also gets hit twice – once is a rebound off the road but the other one comes hard and fast right onto him – I don’t know where it hits and I keep pedaling so I’m out of the firing zone and he seems to still be going ok. That night whilst inspecting him I notice that his front wheel is turning stiffly – was wondering why I was pedaling so slow! The disc is pretty bent and I think its time for a replacement but I get Mark the bike doctor to take a look at him first before I perform his surgery – good thing I brought a spare disc! Otherwise Mitch is holding up to the challenges of Africa very well.

But the rock throwing children in Ethiopia is the price one pays to see the rest of the beautiful country. The hills are simply stunning. The culture is truly authentic. The way the people live in the villages is simple yet there is something so beautiful about it that I really can’t put it into words. I’m so frustrated my camera isn’t working!!! The children greet you as you pass “you-you-you – give me pen!” but I don’t have a pen for each Ethiopian child as there is simply so many of them. And the fruit juice here is incredible. They have these really awesome layered fruit juice – avocado, mango, papaya, guava – it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted!!!