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13th - 22nd March 2002

Cycle to the Summit Part 13 - Northern Ethiopia

Toby Hammond
2006-06-25 19:53:22

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road we had come in on we were back on a familiar rutted stony track. Swarms of demanding kids spoilt an otherwise pleasant day with varied terrain, not to mention our first experience of stone throwing. Thankfully it is only the younger kids who throw stones and we are assured that they do not mean harm but are just desperate to interact with us in someway. This is not easy to understand when you are the recipient. Finding a quiet lunch spot was very difficult. Even if we dashed for the bushes when no one was looking, scores of children would soon come running from all directions to just stand and stare in silence.

21st March 2002 - Enfrans to Werota 56km

More parkland landscape was enjoyed with the occasional pass to climb. Great volcanic plumes were very memorable and I longed for some climbing equipment and my volcanology friends to lecture me on their finer features. We passed many poor looking peasant farmers dressed in rags but the desperation of their plight was most evident in their eyes. We met a German couple in an old Mercedes saloon travelling in the opposite direction from Cape Town. I will be intrigued to know how they get on because I do not remember seeing any two-wheel drive cars between Sudan and Gonder. It was my day to get punctures. I got six in rapid succession but half of these may have been caused though my dodgy repair technique, not checking the tyre for thorns thoroughly enough.

22nd March 2002 - Werota to Bahir Dar 60km

We enjoyed another enjoyable days cycling with great scenery, never knowing what to expect over the next hill or around the next corner. We were equally surprised to arrive sooner than expected at our destination, Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana where we had promised ourselves a few days rest. The town was constructed mainly from the usual drab African concrete structures but was transformed by the tree lined 'boulevards'. The plentiful vegetation and cool air off the lake helps give the place a chilled out atmosphere. There are plenty of students strolling around the streets and streams of Chinese bicycles old and new. The town was a pleasant retreat from the dusty, spartan villages we were accustomed to, and the accommodation provided by Ralph and Sarah was positively luxurious and greatly appreciated.