Ethiopia Well not much new and exciting happened … or at least that is what it feels like. I did loose my EFI (Every Fucking Inch) Status – came down with a Flu/Viral Infection and still feel a little under the weather. I therefore got to travel on the back-up trucks for three and a half days … also something new/different and pleasant in it's own way. We have also had a noticeable drop in the temperatures … and two nights of long and plentiful rain showers – one morning woke to a soggy/muddy/clay field we were camping in, the next we managed to find a hall/auditorium where many of us camped in to keep dry.
We did the Blue Nile Gorge!!! Unbelievable!!! I got back onto the bike to do this TOUGH ride and promptly felt like real shit that afternoon … and took off the two days following it.
The hills have been tough (got to over 3000m), the children along the road a real pain in the backside … blocking the road, stealing stuff out of pannier bags while cycling along, hitting us with sticks, throwing stones – poor Pierre got one shot into his face – and constant begging and screaming along the side and in the middle of the road. The people at the café's, campsite and in the villages, where one stops, are real friendly. And best of all is the beauty of the country – absolutely fabulous, I recon the most beautiful country in the world! Hills, mountains, greenery, flat plateaus, progressively more vegetated as we go south and beautiful people when there are not too many children around.
our Bike Boy, Dean ... taking a snooze
We arrived in Addis Ababa yesterday (Tuesday). We did nothing much in the afternoon, had a good nights sleep and headed off to the Sheraton this morning (with Sarah, Rachel, Darrel, Elaine) for a well deserved and absolutely delicious breakfast. Had a little look around town and busy updating some stuff here for you guys. Off to the market this afternoon … taking an organized tour as the place is apparently huge and hectic … the largest market on the continent.
Loosing my EFI
Hell, I though I would me depressed and miffed when I lost my EFI Status. But, I don't really mind at all. I'm more irritated that I've missed some absolutely fabulous hill climbs … aagghh! On the other hand I've missed some really irritating kids along the road … yeeha!
The morning we left Bahar Dar I felt a bit down and flat … and I could sense I was not too strong. Most people left quite early but I was dawdling and had to leave with the racers … who all disappeared over the next rise straight after the convoy out of town ended. My tiredness soon changed to exhaustion and real sore legs. At lunch I contemplated getting a lift with the lunch truck … but decided I should give it a go on the road a little further. At 90km I had no strength left, aching legs … sore throat, swollen glands and simply felt like shit! Duncan called the sweep vehicle and I managed to get a lift thru to the camp site.
donkeys absolutely everywhere, for everything
I rested on the truck the next day … but had to do the Blue Nile Gorge the following day! Subsequently I felt like a dog that afternoon and decided to rest up the next two days and hopefully be as strong as a bull when we leave Addis … mmh … not too likely as we leave tomorrow morning and I'm still feeling a bit shitty.
This little viral/flu infection seems to be doing the rounds – several of us can't shake our sore throats … and the whole of Addis is apparently out of throat lozenges! The stomach bug around the camp seems to have settled for the time being … at one stage a good 50% of the group were down with the stomach bug. And you can just imagine the flatulence at night and the state of some of the toilets …
Janet eventually got an X-ray of her wrist … she apparently has a fracture … from falling back in Dongola. She is currently sitting at the orthopedic surgeons office getting a cast put together. She will be able to ride – but only the flat, tarred roads. We have had numerous cuts and bruises … one nasty day where three cyclists (including the tandem) went plowing into locals that crowd the road.
All our little ailments definitely seem to be taking longer to heal than usual … obviously our bodies are quite run down by now and the healing processes are not that great. Most of our little cuts and bruises are also getting slightly septic and inflamed … probably also due to being run down, lowered immunity and obviously some unfamiliar air quality affecting the bodies' reactions.
The episodes of butt chafe, boils and other nether region inflictions seem to have abated quite well – ever since Elaine (our special nurse) gave us a good talk on the needs for cream and how to treat afflicted butts … thank god it was not a show and tell!. I can't believe so many cyclists were NOT using any chafe cream!! I've religiously applied since day one. My little sores are more or less totally healed … been using some antibiotic cream which has worked very well. Not sure what exactly it was … but hey I'm sitting comfortably again so who really cares.
Some of the cyclists have been suffering along on their cycles with poor guts, illness or sores and adamant not to give up EFI … good for you! But I'm not keen to torture myself on the road … and rather wish to enjoy the trip … every second of the way.
The Blue Nile Gorge
Simply awesome!!
13km to the Gorge from our mud paddy … and as you approach you simply notice that there doesn't seem to be a real horizon in the distance …
We then descended 18km of dirt and mud roads – dropping a total of 1300m … yeeha!!
We waited at the bottom and the racers and others who wanted to participate enjoyed a time trial up the other side … 19km climbing up 1350m!!! Although not feeling 100%, I could not miss this fun. I paced myself and stopped for numerous pictures, views and to catch my breath … and had a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Well done to Chris for blasting up in 1h39. I had a good ride and managed the ride in 2h35.
Just two kilometers into the start of the Gorge from the Northern side – where we approached – two trucks had crashed or broken down. This caused a nightmare traffic jam of huge trucks in the mud in both directions!! The jam and the cooler weather and rain all helped make it a more pleasant day for us … there was relatively little traffic, less dust from the traffic due to the moist ground and less heat than usual.
traffic jam on the Blue Nile Gorge.
I've deregistered as a racer
I've decided to deregister as a racer … basically cause I've not been racing. It makes no difference to the trip in any way – except that I don't get timed on a daily basis. For the last while I've been enjoying stopping regularly for coke stops and sights. I've also been riding slowly at the back with several other people who take their time and enjoy the ride ... so in essence the non-racers are the social riders and those that take home more of the trip.
I will also admit openly that there is no way in hell that I would ever have been able to challenge the top racers in our group … semi-pro cyclists to various degrees.
So here goes to leaving as early as I wish and to stopping as often as I want …!!
coke break with the locals
