ETHIOPIA, COUNTRY OF CONTROVERSY
This country is more complex and challenging than any other I have previously been to. The group’s toll of problems ranges from (many) rocks thrown at us, canes stuck into our spokes, having been whipped, beaten, spat and urinated on…one rider even became the target of a portion of donkey dung. We have been warned that anything not bolted down will get lifted and indeed, countless things have been stolen within the first few days. Children run along the bikes and unzip bags or rip things off the backpack or the bike’s rack. Most of these actions seem unprovoked and most explanations I get from locals go along the line “you are white, you are rich, so it’s ok”.
Yet, I have had some fellow riders describe Ethiopians as warmer and more open people than either Egyptians or the hospitable Sudanese.
How can these to stark and opposing aspects be descriptive of the same people?
Many things offer themselves as potentially suitable explanation. For example, over 50% of the population are under the age of 20. We see children raising their younger siblings, while classical parent-child-relationships are not or only seldom seen. One of the first impressions of Ethiopia upon entering at Metema was how widespread the use of sticks and stones as disciplinary measure is. Grownups throw stones at children and children throw stones at other children. Sticks are carried by most male Ethiopians and are used not only for walking and handling livestock, but also on their peers. So it may not be surprising that some responses to our presence are of this kind. They are sometimes vicious with the intention to harm or other times harmless, being simply a misguided attempt to draw attention. Much of this risk can be diffused by our actions. Being alert helps. Smiling and waving, a warning glare, or in rare cases a shout are best means of prevention.
Sounds easy, yet it is everything but. Ethiopia is one of Africa’s most populated countries and it appears impossible to find a non-populated or agriculturally used spot. This leaves us riding stages very tense, trying to read body language and checking thousands of little hands for stones. Unfortunately, it also fosters certain hostility towards the general population and makes our duties as responsible travellers difficult. As Duncan, the Tour leader, points out, we are in a foreign country and we all function as ambassadors. Our actions affect the local’s attitude in the immediate and longer term. For example, throwing a stone back or retaliating will make life very difficult for other visitors, starting with the next rider behind. However, suppose you travel at 60kmh and are hit by a handful of large stones at close distance with nearly catastrophic outcome. Or you exchange greetings and smiles with a kid only to have a projectile thrown in your back once you pass. You will struggle to continue smiling and waving and greeting. However, these problems make it so much more important to continue to leave a positive impression in the villages and undermine the barrier between locals and foreigners, which skin colour and wealth seem to create.
Note that our problems are quite bicycle specific. Talking to a chap from the US embassy, he is surprised to hear of our encounters. Reflecting back, he realises how travelling in a Landcruiser through rural villages stones don’t really bother as much as on a bike. And once you stop, Ethiopians can become the loveliest people. In some places, the entire village will gather around you, eager to be of assistance or touch your bike. In Ethiopia you WILL attract attention. The question is of what kind. This is a very weird mixture, which takes getting used to.
TOUR D’AFRIQUE’S CURRENT STATUS
Due to the very unfortunate post-election events in Kenya, we will not be crossing the country. This is a big pity I find, since some of the best off-road as well as most challenging conditions were to be found in Northern Kenya. Instead, we rode up to Moyale (Ethiopian-Kenyan border town) and flew across Kenya to Arusha on the Tanzanian-Kenyan border.
Having been spared of sickness so far, going out of Ethiopia I finally caught a nasty Virus, causing heavy vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Keeping any amount of liquid or food in my stomach was almost impossible. In the past I have always been able to deal with the heat by drinking large amounts of water. This time any quantity larger than a small sip forced me to throw up. Instead, I had to resort to pouring water over my head and clothes to cool myself down in the burning sun.
One month ago I failed to finish the last 40km of a stage, effectively making me loose my EFI. Back then I promised myself to continue riding as if I had retained my EFI. This last day in Ethiopia really put that promise to the test. Sighting the finish flag after 90 km agony without giving in was a great feeling.
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