Where are you go?

This is one of the phrases we hear over and over on the people-filled roads of Ethiopia.  Less popular are the three year olds shouting "money" or "pen" in a whiny, demanding voice with an outstretched hand.  Least popular of all are the kids, young and old who throw stones at us.  Yes, Ethiopia is a trying, beautiful, vast and perplexing place to be.  It is the country we spend the longest amount of time in and everyone is feeling quite tested by the experience.  One of the riders told us that in the 1500s, the Portuguese were greeted by stone throwing Ethiopians when they travelled into this country.  Mind you, they may have been trying to invade or something, and we are not, but nevertheless, who are we to argue with centuries of Ethiopian tradition?  Wayne and I have been lucky so far with stone throwers but I have lost it a couple of times, getting off my bike and screeching at the little darlings.  They just laugh and run away but some days I just need to vent.  

Despite having to be constantly vigilant about what is coming next on the very busy roads - people everywhere, walking on the roads, along with donkeys, horses, donkey carts, crossing herds of cows and goats - there is always lots of action - there is still time to look around at this stunningly gorgeous country.  The rolling hills go on and on forever, like endless foothills.  We reached the highest point on the TDA a couple of days ago, at somewhere around 2500 metres, so surely that means it will all be downhill now?  That night and the next one were unbelievable cold!  We were a pathetic, shivering bunch huddled around the coffee urn at 630 in the morning at about plus 4, and none of us were prepared for the temperature having been lulled into thinking it was HOT there because of the afternoon temperature of plus 34 or so.  The other milestone we have reached is completing the second of the six sections.  

This last section was called The Gorge, the main feature of it being the descent, then climb out of the Blue Nile Gorge.  This was so beautiful to ride up to in the days leading up to Gorge day, it looked very much like the Grand Canyon, just a bit more spread out.  The descent into the Gorge took me about half an hour, riding the brakes all the way ( My brakes sound like a donkey braying when I brake, left right left right hee haw hee haw....hmm, do you think I have been out in the sun too much?).  Then it was over the massive concrete bridge, then the up started.  Oh yes, so did the time trial.  Yes, not only was there 20 kilometres of constant uphill, we were being timed!  Of course, the time trial was optional, but I was curious about how long it would take me.  I finished eighth of the women and Wayne finished tenth of the men, so that almost sounds like I beat him, right?  However, it took him just over 2 hours and me just a hair over 3.  It was a brutal test, but we got it done.

Yesterday we rolled into Addis Ababa, convoy-style and are enjoying a rest day at the very nice Addis Ababa Golf Course, complete with hotel rooms, a bar, dining room and green grass for those who are camping ( we are not).  In addition to still being EFI, I believe we are also EFH, as in Every Fabulous Hotel!  It is such a pleasure to be able to spread our filthy gear out, wash our clothes and selves, sort through things and kind of get reset for the next several days.  

More later, the hotel is hosting a welcome reception for us so I am off to check it out!

The photo is of a bus at the top of the hill above Addis, where we began the convoy down into the city.  The bus was packed with people, the goat was tied "safely" atop the bus and must have had a hair raising ride - those buses really move!