Friday, February 27, 2004
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - I started out this bike tour secretly hoping that I would achieve what is called "EFI" or Every F--ing Inch. (No it is not the type of accronym that I would make up!) I figured that if I failed in my mission it would be because I was temporarily too sick to bike or my bike would have some sort of mechanical problems that would need to be fixed at camp. However, never did I think that I would get off my bike to be picked up in the truck because I was afraid to ride! However, that is exactly what happened. On our second day of travel from Bahir Dar to Addis, we started with an 18k climb (unpaved of course) and continued on to complete a 120k day. This may not sound like a lot of distance but the entire distance was unpaved with more climbing than descending. The surface was so bad that descending required one to pedal! To make matters worse the highlands of Ethiopia lived up to their unpleasant reputation that day. On the first climb we heard cheers of encouragement and several morning greetings. However, after this climb we headed into villages that seemed outwardly hostile. Throwing rocks is one thing but at the outskirts of one village kids even hit me canes that are used to herd cattle! The villagers of this particular town were persistant in following me and taunting me for money. Eventually responding with, "I have no job. I am student." actually worked! Then, less than three kilometers before the lunch truck I was followed by a man who refused to give up in his cries for money. Typically, only the children harass bikers. When we bike in small groups we tend to scan the horizon for potential rock throwers and stick wielders to determine how to best avoid confrontation. Typically, kids do not tend to be aggressive but it is best to be prepared. The most effective techniques are the "big hello wave" which tends to disarm the kids and the biking at kids at full speed technique. I had only been harassed by one adult before and the best approach had been to unclip one foot from my pedals so that I could stand firmly on the ground and not be knocked off my bike. After that I would give my angry yell. An angry outburst from a female tends to cause complete confusion. I tried this approach when this man became persistant, knowing that our security vechicle would soon be on it's way. Luckily, as soon as I unclipped my foot the security truck appeared. One armed guard even ran after this man as I continued to bike onward towards lunch. I was never in any real danger but all of the assualts of the day combined with the grueling climbing really broke down my reserves. It took me over 2 1/2 hours to ride the first 20k! At this rate, I (and the many others I met up with at the lunch truck) would never finish our total mileage before nightfall. After lunch I tried yet another new strategy, I waited for the last riders to depart so that I would have the security vehicle right behind me at all times. Unfortunately, the vehicle rode ahead for a few moments which allowed just enough time for our fellow rider Yuko to have her arm grabbed and a stick placed between her spokes. The assailant left shortly after this incident but I had already had enough. I didn't think that I would finish the distance for the day and I certainly wasn't having fun anymore. To make matters worse, my front fork was also out of air, again. When the lunch truck passed I jumped on, forgoing EFI for 38 kilometers!
I have to admit that I cried quite a bit that evening. I was upset and a bit angry that I no longer would achieve EFI, especially once I realized that the final terrain wasn't nearly as challenging as terrain that I rode in the morning which meant I could have completed the distance in time. I was also upset that I didn't complete the distance because I had allowed myself to be worn down and victimized by the harassment. However, my safety is more important than a silly goal! Isn't biking Africa enough!? At least now the personal pressure of the EFI goal is no longer. Do 38 kilometers really matter when I have biked nearly 3,800 kilometers from Cairo, Egypt to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!
Anyway, I feel as if I have been painting a rather dismal portrait of Ethiopia. Many of the people we have met have been friendly and the Highlands are known to be xenophobic. The last two days of riding before Addis Ababa were my favorite riding days (of the 34 completed tour riding days to date)! The roads were recently paved making the climbs enjoyable and at times there were even rolling hills. I even switched to riding with my slim, slick Fat Boy tires which means that I can almost pretend that I am on my road bike. One day I even finished shortly after the racers. (Okay the full truth is that they were exhausted from the previous day of descending and climbing the Blue Nile Gorge but so was I after a nine hour riding day!) One is also less of a target on paved roads since it is quite easy to simply switch sides of the road and/or speed up when one doesn't need to obsess about finding a rideable track. The kids in the area closer to Addis have also been much friendlier. I am also relieved that of the ten countries we are visiting only Ethiopia has a bad reputation from last year. We have only seven more riding days (all allegedly perfectly paved and hilly!) and one more rest day in Ethiopia before entering Kenya. Our guards in Ethiopia have also been the friendliest to date. They cheer me (and the other riders) on at the end of each day as I enter the campsite and after each major climb. The guards know me by name and have even offered me biscuits when I have taken a moment of rest next to their vehicle. One woman has even programmed the guards to drive her and her bike up all of the hills and then drop her off at each hilltop so she only has to ride the downhills and flats!
I apologize for not writing more interesting details but Ethiopia has been quite a riding challenge! In ten days of biking we have climbed
11,935 meters (39,156 feet)! Only two of these days were on paved roads! To make the situation even more challenging, we are typically riding at an altitude of 2,000 meters at all times! No wonder I have been too tired to do much more than set up my tent and eat dinner in the evenings. For this reason I canceled my trip to Lalibela. My body definitely needed the rest! For those of you betting that I would opt out for luxury at some point I am currently typing away at the luxury Sheraton in Addis Ababa. I already enjoyed a buffet here this morning as well as a leg and eye brow waxing at the nearby Hilton. On nearly every rest day I have upgraded to a hotel. However this Sheraton (as nice as it is) is definitely well out of my budget.
I hope to write something before Nairobi, Kenya (the 50 day riding mark!) but I am a bit skeptical. Our next rest day is in five days at a town called Yabello which is known to have electricity problems. It is not even much of a tourist destination which means there is probably not even a computer in town. I am hoping that I can at least get in a coffee ceremony! Five days after the Yabello rest day we will be in Marsabit, Kenya which has a game reserve but it is still in desolate Northern Kenya. There is only ONE town on my map between Moyale, Ethiopia and Marsabit, Kenya although that time frame covers three days of riding as well as the dreaded lava rock roads.
I miss everyone so please try and keep in touch even if I can't answer all emails due to horrendous connections and limited time!
I have to admit that I cried quite a bit that evening. I was upset and a bit angry that I no longer would achieve EFI, especially once I realized that the final terrain wasn't nearly as challenging as terrain that I rode in the morning which meant I could have completed the distance in time. I was also upset that I didn't complete the distance because I had allowed myself to be worn down and victimized by the harassment. However, my safety is more important than a silly goal! Isn't biking Africa enough!? At least now the personal pressure of the EFI goal is no longer. Do 38 kilometers really matter when I have biked nearly 3,800 kilometers from Cairo, Egypt to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!
Anyway, I feel as if I have been painting a rather dismal portrait of Ethiopia. Many of the people we have met have been friendly and the Highlands are known to be xenophobic. The last two days of riding before Addis Ababa were my favorite riding days (of the 34 completed tour riding days to date)! The roads were recently paved making the climbs enjoyable and at times there were even rolling hills. I even switched to riding with my slim, slick Fat Boy tires which means that I can almost pretend that I am on my road bike. One day I even finished shortly after the racers. (Okay the full truth is that they were exhausted from the previous day of descending and climbing the Blue Nile Gorge but so was I after a nine hour riding day!) One is also less of a target on paved roads since it is quite easy to simply switch sides of the road and/or speed up when one doesn't need to obsess about finding a rideable track. The kids in the area closer to Addis have also been much friendlier. I am also relieved that of the ten countries we are visiting only Ethiopia has a bad reputation from last year. We have only seven more riding days (all allegedly perfectly paved and hilly!) and one more rest day in Ethiopia before entering Kenya. Our guards in Ethiopia have also been the friendliest to date. They cheer me (and the other riders) on at the end of each day as I enter the campsite and after each major climb. The guards know me by name and have even offered me biscuits when I have taken a moment of rest next to their vehicle. One woman has even programmed the guards to drive her and her bike up all of the hills and then drop her off at each hilltop so she only has to ride the downhills and flats!
I apologize for not writing more interesting details but Ethiopia has been quite a riding challenge! In ten days of biking we have climbed
11,935 meters (39,156 feet)! Only two of these days were on paved roads! To make the situation even more challenging, we are typically riding at an altitude of 2,000 meters at all times! No wonder I have been too tired to do much more than set up my tent and eat dinner in the evenings. For this reason I canceled my trip to Lalibela. My body definitely needed the rest! For those of you betting that I would opt out for luxury at some point I am currently typing away at the luxury Sheraton in Addis Ababa. I already enjoyed a buffet here this morning as well as a leg and eye brow waxing at the nearby Hilton. On nearly every rest day I have upgraded to a hotel. However this Sheraton (as nice as it is) is definitely well out of my budget.
I hope to write something before Nairobi, Kenya (the 50 day riding mark!) but I am a bit skeptical. Our next rest day is in five days at a town called Yabello which is known to have electricity problems. It is not even much of a tourist destination which means there is probably not even a computer in town. I am hoping that I can at least get in a coffee ceremony! Five days after the Yabello rest day we will be in Marsabit, Kenya which has a game reserve but it is still in desolate Northern Kenya. There is only ONE town on my map between Moyale, Ethiopia and Marsabit, Kenya although that time frame covers three days of riding as well as the dreaded lava rock roads.
I miss everyone so please try and keep in touch even if I can't answer all emails due to horrendous connections and limited time!
Saturday, February 21, 2004
BAHIR DAR, ETHIOPIA - Leaving Sudan meant saying goodbye to the morning mosque music characterized by competing mosques (no matter what the village size) broadcasting morning prayers over loudspeakers around five each day. Prayer times of different mosques would overlap guaranteeing a long period of pre wake-up call music. The longest prayer time is allegedly mid-day or evening but I tend to disagree as I often seemed to miss those prayers during the course of the day.
Entering Ethiopia meant accustoming oneself with the sheer number of people (especially children), mountain cycling, and worsening road conditions. It is difficult to convey what hysteria we brought to Ethiopia. In Egypt and Sudan, not only did women and girls not ride bicycles, but also they remained covered as appropriate in these Muslim countries. Given these facts, I was already used to drawing attention (and often laughs) as a white female cyclist. However, in Ethiopia the attention was much more frenzied. In the afternoon we reached Ethiopia, our border campsite in Metema was roped off to keep out the throngs of people who just stood at the perimeter staring at us for hours until our police/military enforcement showed up. Entering the village of Metema to take a shower at one of the hotel/brothel/bars meant hearing a chorus of, “You! You! You!” from Ethiopian children. Foreigners, especially whites, are called “you” by children who typically run to catch a glimpse of the faranji (foreigners). Unlike Sudan, most children do not follow you with, “What is your name?” or “How are you?” or “Where are you from?” Sometimes no matter what you respond or do (wave or even shake their hand) they continue to scream, “You!” which of course prompts a steady stream of previously unseen kids to yell and run at you.
Ethiopian roads so far ranging from best to worst can be described as: continuous stretches lasting four kilometers or less of blissfully paved tar, rare hard-packed smoothish rock surfaces, dirt with many loose rocks and small sections of smooth dirt tracks, reddish soil which quickly turns thick and impassable (but only after staining you and your bike), and the worst most prevalent surface which resembles uneven cement that was covered with an infinite number of various sized jagged rocks before being left to dry. This final surface ensures a jarring ride even for those with full suspension bikes.
The terrain of Ethiopia is mountainous. Never is a full day of cycling spent on the flats. One is almost always either climbing or descending. The plateau of our first rest day in Gonder, Ethiopia was just over 2,000 meters while Ethiopia has several peaks of over 4,000 meters.
Now one must attempt to picture what it is like to climb 1,000 – 2,000 meters daily on jagged rock surfaces with groups of kids chasing after you while you spin away like a sitting duck at speeds dropping to seven kilometers per hour. I should probably add that these horrendous roads are also used by some large trucks and tankers which thankfully are forced to move ridiculously slow which allows one plenty of time to get out of the way. Unfortunately, these vehicles turn up clouds of dust (so bad that one can no longer see the road) and spew black clouds of exhaust into your face.
In spite of these challenges, the scenery of Ethiopia is magnificent. It is amazing that land so high in the mountains can be used for farming. One can always count on slowing or weaving for numerous goat and cow herd crossings despite the terrain and elevation. So far the kids have not been as horrible as they had been described by past Tour participants and a Dutch biker we met along the way who made sure to keep a wooden cane on his bike at all times. Some kids throw large rocks while others ask for, “Money! Money! Money!” or tell you a sob story which ends in a request for money, pens, Pepsi, or food. My bike tool was stolen from my saddle bag at some point and my worst encounter occurred while biking with Randy. Some kids with hook knives that are used for crops started demanding, “Money! Your clothing! Your bike!” We quickly fled the scene. One useful tactic is to pretend that you are a swerving out of control cyclist. However, the aggressive unfriendly kids are definitely in the minority. Many kids are gleeful when you simply return a wave or answer a chant of “You!” Thoughts of great Ethiopian marathon runners are never far from my mind as there is always one kid from each pack who runs with you for quite some distance.
I had looked forward to the Ethiopian cuisine that I love so much or the famous coffee ceremony but for my first few days in Ethiopia I was stricken with diarrhea and unable to partake in either. Now the entire country is in a 55 day fasting period prior to Easter which is forcing me to become a temporary vegan. With the exception of major tourist hotels, animal products (meat, cheese, and eggs) are not consumed.
Hopefully I will have time to write from Addis Ababa as I am making plane assisted detour on the next rest day to visit the rock churches of Lalibela.
Entering Ethiopia meant accustoming oneself with the sheer number of people (especially children), mountain cycling, and worsening road conditions. It is difficult to convey what hysteria we brought to Ethiopia. In Egypt and Sudan, not only did women and girls not ride bicycles, but also they remained covered as appropriate in these Muslim countries. Given these facts, I was already used to drawing attention (and often laughs) as a white female cyclist. However, in Ethiopia the attention was much more frenzied. In the afternoon we reached Ethiopia, our border campsite in Metema was roped off to keep out the throngs of people who just stood at the perimeter staring at us for hours until our police/military enforcement showed up. Entering the village of Metema to take a shower at one of the hotel/brothel/bars meant hearing a chorus of, “You! You! You!” from Ethiopian children. Foreigners, especially whites, are called “you” by children who typically run to catch a glimpse of the faranji (foreigners). Unlike Sudan, most children do not follow you with, “What is your name?” or “How are you?” or “Where are you from?” Sometimes no matter what you respond or do (wave or even shake their hand) they continue to scream, “You!” which of course prompts a steady stream of previously unseen kids to yell and run at you.
Ethiopian roads so far ranging from best to worst can be described as: continuous stretches lasting four kilometers or less of blissfully paved tar, rare hard-packed smoothish rock surfaces, dirt with many loose rocks and small sections of smooth dirt tracks, reddish soil which quickly turns thick and impassable (but only after staining you and your bike), and the worst most prevalent surface which resembles uneven cement that was covered with an infinite number of various sized jagged rocks before being left to dry. This final surface ensures a jarring ride even for those with full suspension bikes.
The terrain of Ethiopia is mountainous. Never is a full day of cycling spent on the flats. One is almost always either climbing or descending. The plateau of our first rest day in Gonder, Ethiopia was just over 2,000 meters while Ethiopia has several peaks of over 4,000 meters.
Now one must attempt to picture what it is like to climb 1,000 – 2,000 meters daily on jagged rock surfaces with groups of kids chasing after you while you spin away like a sitting duck at speeds dropping to seven kilometers per hour. I should probably add that these horrendous roads are also used by some large trucks and tankers which thankfully are forced to move ridiculously slow which allows one plenty of time to get out of the way. Unfortunately, these vehicles turn up clouds of dust (so bad that one can no longer see the road) and spew black clouds of exhaust into your face.
In spite of these challenges, the scenery of Ethiopia is magnificent. It is amazing that land so high in the mountains can be used for farming. One can always count on slowing or weaving for numerous goat and cow herd crossings despite the terrain and elevation. So far the kids have not been as horrible as they had been described by past Tour participants and a Dutch biker we met along the way who made sure to keep a wooden cane on his bike at all times. Some kids throw large rocks while others ask for, “Money! Money! Money!” or tell you a sob story which ends in a request for money, pens, Pepsi, or food. My bike tool was stolen from my saddle bag at some point and my worst encounter occurred while biking with Randy. Some kids with hook knives that are used for crops started demanding, “Money! Your clothing! Your bike!” We quickly fled the scene. One useful tactic is to pretend that you are a swerving out of control cyclist. However, the aggressive unfriendly kids are definitely in the minority. Many kids are gleeful when you simply return a wave or answer a chant of “You!” Thoughts of great Ethiopian marathon runners are never far from my mind as there is always one kid from each pack who runs with you for quite some distance.
I had looked forward to the Ethiopian cuisine that I love so much or the famous coffee ceremony but for my first few days in Ethiopia I was stricken with diarrhea and unable to partake in either. Now the entire country is in a 55 day fasting period prior to Easter which is forcing me to become a temporary vegan. With the exception of major tourist hotels, animal products (meat, cheese, and eggs) are not consumed.
Hopefully I will have time to write from Addis Ababa as I am making plane assisted detour on the next rest day to visit the rock churches of Lalibela.
Monday, February 09, 2004
When I first explained to people that I was biking the continent of Africa they often seemed surprised that I was starting in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt seems kind of separate, more Arabic and Middle Eastern. One thinks of pyramids, not wild animals.
Once we entered Sudan I felt as if a new tour had started as well. It was as if we were really entering the Africa of one's imagination. We left our Egyptian tour company Emeco and boarded a barge in Abu Simbel to cross Lake Nasser into Sudan. When I arrived at the Cairo airport I had to wait in a short line to buy stamps. The act of sticking the stamps into my passport turned them into a visa. In Sudan, we entered Wadi Halfa and sat on our barge. We continued to wait on our barge as the sun started to set. Our Sudanese cycling connection waiting on the dock handed us some paperwork to fill out including a photography permit. The permit allowed us to take photos of everything but military and police related personnel and buildings (including bridges) as well as poor people and poor communities. We filled out numerous forms about our passport and Sudanese visa (the visa alone had taken many of us two months to acquire!). It was completely dark by now and we continued to wait for the customs officials to meet us. Finally we were allowed to leave the barge that we had spent over 8 hours on (including transit time across Lake Nasser). Please note that I say barge not boat because this barge was made for hauling materials not people. It is not at all like riding the Staten Island Ferry where you can sit on seats, buy food, use the toilets, and even find shelter from the sun.
The customs process contined to drag on. We had to pay an additional $25 USD on top of the $150 that I already paid for the visa. First our bikes were cleared through customs. Then we each had to make a pile of our belongings on the dock which were then cleared and stamped through customs.
I don't know if I can emphasize enough how well paved the roads in Egypt were (if a bit too flat for my liking). As we left the customs building in Sudan, we got on our bikes (in the dark without street lights to guide us) to ride through the SAND to our campsite. I could not wait for this miserable experience to end. I was so happy not to be clipped in as the ground changed seamlessly from hard sand tracks to thick impassable sand. I guess we only biked five kilometers but it felt like forever! I really wished that I had a clue what tires I should be using and at what air pressure.
When we finally arrived at camp it was clear that one thing had definitely changed for the better. We were now travelling with an experienced overland tour company, African Routes. We were greeted at the campsite with bowls of warm soup which was our first warm meal of the day!
Since our customs process was still not finalized we would have a leisurely morning the next day while we waited for our passports to return. At that point my life became compacted into the "red box". Instead of dragging all of our overpacked belongings on and off the bus each morning and evening, we would now place our essentials into a red box that we would take on and off the bus ourselves. All of our other belongings would go onto the roof. My red box contains a tent, ThermaRest, sleeping bag, clothes to last the 5-7 period between "rest days", and various toiletries.
A rest day in Sudan meant access to running water and a respite from the often washboard sand tracks. Despite the challenge of all that riding on sand (I looked forward to the few days in Sudan of blisfully paved surfaces and roads that were impossible to get lost on) it was quite nice to be away from traffic while riding along the Nile villages. I loved the abodes with their colorful doors. Often the brightly dressed people would invite us in for tea or call us to stop so that they could talk with us.
Unfortunately there is not enough time to recall all of my Sudanese stories. I hope to have email access a week from now when I am in Gonder, Ethiopia. Hopefully as I move further South I will be able to keep in better contact with everyone.
Once we entered Sudan I felt as if a new tour had started as well. It was as if we were really entering the Africa of one's imagination. We left our Egyptian tour company Emeco and boarded a barge in Abu Simbel to cross Lake Nasser into Sudan. When I arrived at the Cairo airport I had to wait in a short line to buy stamps. The act of sticking the stamps into my passport turned them into a visa. In Sudan, we entered Wadi Halfa and sat on our barge. We continued to wait on our barge as the sun started to set. Our Sudanese cycling connection waiting on the dock handed us some paperwork to fill out including a photography permit. The permit allowed us to take photos of everything but military and police related personnel and buildings (including bridges) as well as poor people and poor communities. We filled out numerous forms about our passport and Sudanese visa (the visa alone had taken many of us two months to acquire!). It was completely dark by now and we continued to wait for the customs officials to meet us. Finally we were allowed to leave the barge that we had spent over 8 hours on (including transit time across Lake Nasser). Please note that I say barge not boat because this barge was made for hauling materials not people. It is not at all like riding the Staten Island Ferry where you can sit on seats, buy food, use the toilets, and even find shelter from the sun.
The customs process contined to drag on. We had to pay an additional $25 USD on top of the $150 that I already paid for the visa. First our bikes were cleared through customs. Then we each had to make a pile of our belongings on the dock which were then cleared and stamped through customs.
I don't know if I can emphasize enough how well paved the roads in Egypt were (if a bit too flat for my liking). As we left the customs building in Sudan, we got on our bikes (in the dark without street lights to guide us) to ride through the SAND to our campsite. I could not wait for this miserable experience to end. I was so happy not to be clipped in as the ground changed seamlessly from hard sand tracks to thick impassable sand. I guess we only biked five kilometers but it felt like forever! I really wished that I had a clue what tires I should be using and at what air pressure.
When we finally arrived at camp it was clear that one thing had definitely changed for the better. We were now travelling with an experienced overland tour company, African Routes. We were greeted at the campsite with bowls of warm soup which was our first warm meal of the day!
Since our customs process was still not finalized we would have a leisurely morning the next day while we waited for our passports to return. At that point my life became compacted into the "red box". Instead of dragging all of our overpacked belongings on and off the bus each morning and evening, we would now place our essentials into a red box that we would take on and off the bus ourselves. All of our other belongings would go onto the roof. My red box contains a tent, ThermaRest, sleeping bag, clothes to last the 5-7 period between "rest days", and various toiletries.
A rest day in Sudan meant access to running water and a respite from the often washboard sand tracks. Despite the challenge of all that riding on sand (I looked forward to the few days in Sudan of blisfully paved surfaces and roads that were impossible to get lost on) it was quite nice to be away from traffic while riding along the Nile villages. I loved the abodes with their colorful doors. Often the brightly dressed people would invite us in for tea or call us to stop so that they could talk with us.
Unfortunately there is not enough time to recall all of my Sudanese stories. I hope to have email access a week from now when I am in Gonder, Ethiopia. Hopefully as I move further South I will be able to keep in better contact with everyone.
