24 January 2011
Firstly, i apologise for the lack of updates. Sudan has very strict internet access and my website was amongst those sites unnecessarily restricted. As such, I wasn’t able to update until we left Sudan. I did, however, write out a couple of entries which I’ve included below. At some point tomorrow, i’ll upload some photos.
I write this from the comfort of a “lodge”, alone in Gonder, while the guys are toughing it out through Ethiopia’s mountains in the most oppressive heat I’ve ever experienced, with minimal-to-no food or water and no local currency. Sadly, this last week’s intense riding has taken its toll on my body and mind with both having been broken. Yesterday’s ride from the border of Ethiopia in Meteme, up into the mountains, crushed me and resulted in me spending an unwanted amount of time last night on all fours as I continually emptied the contents of my stomach; unable to keep food or water down through absolute exhaustion.
Despite the last week’s riding, I barely slept last night and got this morning underway in almost utter silence. Trying not to be a complete and utter wet-mop of the group, I packed my camp up and gave it another shot on the bike- to no avail. I made it about 3 climbs (approx 10-15kms) and almost ended up back on all fours again- though this time I didn’t have anything to empty from my stomach. Defeated, we all agreed that it would be best if we flagged someone down and I got a lift to Gonder/Gondar, got some accommodation for everyone, and spent the rest of today resting up. I didn’t argue and 10 minutes later was sitting with about 14 other people (including one guy on my lap) in a minivan designed to carry no more than 7 people, driving through the mountain range that had just broken me. It was a bitter-sweet experience: being an overly proud person, I was struggling with the fact that I had been defeated, but also relishing in actually being able to appreciate and enjoy the surroundings from the non-existent comfort of an overcrowded minivan with a bunch of people who spoke no English.
The long and the short of this last week has been:
1- Upon our arrival into Khartoum approximately 1 week ago, the weather became ridiculously hot. The day following our departure from Khartoum, it was almost 50 degrees in the sun.
2- We’ve run out of sunscreen and are quite sunburnt. We’ve resorted to buying women’s lycra leggings, cutting the legs off and using them as sun shields arm shields.
3- The favourable northerly wind we’d come to love so much in our first 2 weeks of cycling became our worst enemy as we made an easterly push from Wad Madani to Al Qadarif in Sudan. Our speed reduced dramatically and the frankly easy cycling we’d come to enjoy went out the window as we gritted our teeth and, at times, cycled a little over walking pace
4- The Ethiopian border crossing was SO much easier than we imagined. Our get herded from office to office but to their credit, it was all quite efficient and expedient. We were done with the red-tape in less than 1hr and were free to drink beer (with Sudan being a dry country).
The cultural transition from Sudan into Ethiopia was immediate. Despite what I expected Sudan to be, it turned out to be a relatively developed country with immensely friendly, kind and generous people. Generally speaking, I can be pretty abrupt, rude and border on arrogant at times- my experience in Sudan may or may not have motivated me to change that- a little.
We’re in Gondar now for one, maybe two day’s rest (I hope 2) and I’m not sure I have the desire or motivation to leave bed, or the lodge. I have a lot of physical and emotional recuperation to go through. I don’t even plan to think about cycling for the next couple of days.
Also, i've uploaded some more youtube videos at www.youtube.com/justinvafrica
Firstly, i apologise for the lack of updates. Sudan has very strict internet access and my website was amongst those sites unnecessarily restricted. As such, I wasn’t able to update until we left Sudan. I did, however, write out a couple of entries which I’ve included below. At some point tomorrow, i’ll upload some photos.
I write this from the comfort of a “lodge”, alone in Gonder, while the guys are toughing it out through Ethiopia’s mountains in the most oppressive heat I’ve ever experienced, with minimal-to-no food or water and no local currency. Sadly, this last week’s intense riding has taken its toll on my body and mind with both having been broken. Yesterday’s ride from the border of Ethiopia in Meteme, up into the mountains, crushed me and resulted in me spending an unwanted amount of time last night on all fours as I continually emptied the contents of my stomach; unable to keep food or water down through absolute exhaustion.
Despite the last week’s riding, I barely slept last night and got this morning underway in almost utter silence. Trying not to be a complete and utter wet-mop of the group, I packed my camp up and gave it another shot on the bike- to no avail. I made it about 3 climbs (approx 10-15kms) and almost ended up back on all fours again- though this time I didn’t have anything to empty from my stomach. Defeated, we all agreed that it would be best if we flagged someone down and I got a lift to Gonder/Gondar, got some accommodation for everyone, and spent the rest of today resting up. I didn’t argue and 10 minutes later was sitting with about 14 other people (including one guy on my lap) in a minivan designed to carry no more than 7 people, driving through the mountain range that had just broken me. It was a bitter-sweet experience: being an overly proud person, I was struggling with the fact that I had been defeated, but also relishing in actually being able to appreciate and enjoy the surroundings from the non-existent comfort of an overcrowded minivan with a bunch of people who spoke no English.
The long and the short of this last week has been:
1- Upon our arrival into Khartoum approximately 1 week ago, the weather became ridiculously hot. The day following our departure from Khartoum, it was almost 50 degrees in the sun.
2- We’ve run out of sunscreen and are quite sunburnt. We’ve resorted to buying women’s lycra leggings, cutting the legs off and using them as sun shields arm shields.
3- The favourable northerly wind we’d come to love so much in our first 2 weeks of cycling became our worst enemy as we made an easterly push from Wad Madani to Al Qadarif in Sudan. Our speed reduced dramatically and the frankly easy cycling we’d come to enjoy went out the window as we gritted our teeth and, at times, cycled a little over walking pace
4- The Ethiopian border crossing was SO much easier than we imagined. Our get herded from office to office but to their credit, it was all quite efficient and expedient. We were done with the red-tape in less than 1hr and were free to drink beer (with Sudan being a dry country).
The cultural transition from Sudan into Ethiopia was immediate. Despite what I expected Sudan to be, it turned out to be a relatively developed country with immensely friendly, kind and generous people. Generally speaking, I can be pretty abrupt, rude and border on arrogant at times- my experience in Sudan may or may not have motivated me to change that- a little.
We’re in Gondar now for one, maybe two day’s rest (I hope 2) and I’m not sure I have the desire or motivation to leave bed, or the lodge. I have a lot of physical and emotional recuperation to go through. I don’t even plan to think about cycling for the next couple of days.
Also, i've uploaded some more youtube videos at www.youtube.com/justinvafrica
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