Wow. Very hard day. Can't exactly say "great", just very hard. Was happy to have done it. I ascended more today than on any other day on the trip, and spent more time in the saddle today than on any other day so far. Between 6:45 a.m., when I left camp, and 5:15 p.m., when arrived Yabelo, I spent 8 hours 43 min peddling! Yeeee gad! Didn't go unnoticed either. Rode with Rachel from lunch onward. When we arrived at the motel grounds in Yabelo, where we were to camp, I saw some of our friends sitting at a table. I just leaned my bike against a tree, said, "I'm going no further," and took a seat. They laughed and said, "Good job." Eva (from Netherlands) kindly offered me a coke and, more importantly, went to get the waiter to get it for me, so I wouldn't have to move.
After about 30 minutes, I'd regained enough engery (barely) to go deal with my tent and things. In fact, I tried to get a room in the motel, but it was already full. However, while trying to get the room a neat thing happened. A nice man walked into reception. It turns out, his name is (... oh, shoot, these Ethiopian names are so foreign to me and hard to remember, but I remember it means "light" in English - something like Bruha, or Boonpa, or Boonpu,...). Anyway, turns out he works for CARE-Ethiopia! My friends may remember that I used to work for CARE-Sudan. So, that commonality got us to chatting and next thing you know, he offered, "Sorry there are no rooms. After you organize your tent, if you would like to use my shower, you are welcome." Yippeeee! Great news! I said, "Thank you! Thank you!" and shook his hand. I wanted to hug and kiss him, but thought that might be going a bit too far.
Sadly, after setting my tent, bathing, and eating, I was already almost completely drained of energy (after today's ride). So, managed to sit and talk with "Light" for only half an hour. Asked him lots of questions about the people we saw today, whose facial features and dress is very different from what we've seen in other parts of Ethiopia. I told him these people were particularly friendly, the children didn't throw stones as I'd experienced in other parts of Ethiopia, and that I love the beautiful dresses and beads that the women wear. Fortunately, these were all the right things to say because in the end, he said that these people were members of his ethnic group. (I was a bit surprised by that because he seemed more light-skinned than the ones I was describing.) The people, he said, are called Oromo and they are different from the Amhara that predominate in NW Ethiopia and from whom the national language (Amharic) comes. Both Oromo and Amhara are ethnic groups. I asked, "Do you mean tribes?" He said, "No. Within the Oromo, there are many tribes. For example, I am Borana. That is, Oromo-Borana. There are many other tribes as well." O.k., I think I get it. It's like the Bantus have many tribes, e.g., Chewas, Baganda, etc.
Well, would have loved to talk with him for several hous, but was just to exhausted! Went to bed at 8:00!
And now I leave you with a random picture, taken one day in Sudan. It's at the lunch stop. That's Duncan, who injured his foot, and Elaine is nursing him.
--------------- TODAY -------------- TOTAL
Cycled -------- 123 km (77 mi) ------- 2,757 km (1,716 mi)
Sagged -------- 0 ---------------------- 1,264 km (897 mi)
Total ---------- 123 km (77 mi) ------- 4,021 km (2,613 mi)
In Saddle ----- 8 hours 43 min -------- 172 hours 51 min
Ascended ----- 3,655 feet ------------- 36,898 feet
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