day 14

Day 14 to Gonder.

Well we had a fun time of leaving our camp. We were camped about 100m off the road but it was incredibly soft and slippery, the rain of last night having wet the top surface properly. Any way they sent me first, thinking that I would hash it and they could rescue me, but it backfired and the opposite happened. It took about an hour to get the 2 bikes clear and onto the road. Our first gym session.
The ride up to Gonder was very different to anything we’ve had so far. There is lots of road construction taking place and about half the road was black top, the remainder good gravel. With some steep passes it gave us some fun riding.
Ethiopia is very different from the Sudan. There are people everywhere and they get quite in your face. Also there were thousands of head of cattle being herded along the ride. Together with donkey carts, people etc you have to be wide awake. Not many cars but a lot of big trucks. Judging from the debris along the road trucks crash regularly.
Temperatures have decreased and we spent most of the day between 25 and 30. It is quite a relief to escape what we had along the Nile.
We’re now in a small pension. Not much of a place but adequate. The water in town has been off for a few days so there has been considerable whining from our 2 intrepid campers. Mark keeps on about the mud on his R1000 Nike shoes from last night. Check pic.
We’ve got plans to go to Lake Tana tomorrow before heading north to the Simian Mountains.

Later. Jim