Saturday, 17th February, 2007

To: Bush Camp Ethiopia #4




Leigh Anne is BACK in action! The problem with being sick is that it's a real waste of time. That's all I can say. Felt like I was missing a lot of Ethiopia. But no problem - we are now back in full form! Yee haawww!

Today I bought 2 traditional Ethiopian stools on the side of the road. Super cool! Just like in that club in Bahir Dar. Carrying them on my bike was no easy task, but, as you can imagine, it created quite some entertainment for the mobs of on-lookers as I and an anonymous helper, tried to get those things attached to my bike. It reminds me of a time once, while cycling in France, when I was with Elizabeth and our bike panniers were loaded, and I wanted to stop and buy a (huge, admittedly) vase. She convinced me not to buy it by saying, "Have you lost your mind?! You can't carry that thing!" Well, fortunately, Elizabeth wasn't with me today because I now have 2 super cool Ethiopian stools to my name. Here is a picture of the stools on my bike. When I got to lunch, I took them off the bike and put them on the truck.

Sadly, the Ethiopian rock throwing children is not a complete myth. Pierre (from Quebec) got hit in the face today, just an inch from his eye. Very scary. I don't know what to say about it. It's strange. Why do they throw rocks? My strategy is: As I'm riding along, I look at the hands of the kids I'm coming up to. If there is a rock, I slow wwaaayyyy down, so that I can ride beside them as they walk/run, and talk with them. Asking all the questions they usually ask us. "What is your name?" "Where are you going?" Then, eventually, "What is that thing in your hand? What is that for?" And then they drop it. The strategy seems to work, but it makes for very, very slow going. Especially if the kids are just being let out of school. You come across a group of them about every 50 meters. You are basically not riding at all, but just riding next to the kids and talking with them, so that you can get them to drop the darn rocks! I was hit in the back just once, and that came out of nowhere - I didn't even see the kid who threw it. Alas.




Fortunately, many of the kids are also super wonderful. Even the rock throwers, if we think about it psychologically, I think they are just looking for attention. I think that's why the "slow down and talk with them - each and every one of them! - strategy" seems to work. Tonight, as we were eating dinner at our "bush camp" a whole group of children came around our camp and they were singing and dancing with enthusiasm! Funnily enough, when I looked over at them, one of my fellow biking friends (whose name will be withheld to protect the innocent) said, "Don't look, it'll just encourage them. Ignore them, or it'll get worse." I'm sorry, but I thought, get *worse*?! But this is beautiful! Mark (from Quebec) took a short video clip of it and told me he'd give me the file. Nice end to a good (and healthy!) day.




I am BACK in action!

(Am seeming to have problem with picture uploading - I may go try another internet cafe.)


------------ TODAY ------------- TOTAL
Cycled ----- 94 km (58 mi) ------- 2,219 km (1,379 mi)
Sagged ----- 56 km (35 mi) ------- 986 km (724 mi)
Total ------- 150 km (93 mi) ------ 3,205 km (2,103 mi)
In Saddle --- 5 hours 18 min ------- 133 hours 51 min
Ascended --- 2,976 feet ------------ 23,976 feet