Welcome to Eth op a (Oh, sorry, I blinked and someone stole the keys off the keyboard)

So, the title here is pretty self-explanatory. It's a funny thing. The minute we crossed from Sharia law-enforced Sudan into Christian Ethiopia, the thefts began. Literally. The tour was waiting at immigration at the border, not even 100m from Sudan, and a kid climbed into our truck and tried to steal all the rider's spare tires. Thankfully, one of the staff caught him and saved the tires. Life has changed now, let me tell you.

Generally, my first impressions are mixed. Let me start with the negative. Thefts... Thieves are everywhere. Any age, and gender, just anybody really. As soon as you stop cycling there is a crowd that gathers around you and you have to keep a very close eye on your stuff. People have had tools stolen, watches and even an IPod from a riders arm while he was riding! As for myself, I have my kit sorted out. I had a close call, though. I was climbing a hill (you'll hear about those next) very slowly and getting followed by some kids. When I turned around, they were going through my saddle bag and Camelbak looking for steal-able things. Thankfully, I'm pretty good with my kit and nothing was taken. The tour staff has taken to putting up a rope perimeter around camp to keep locals out when we arrive. It works for the most part, but again, a crowd gathers and people are looking for crimes of opportunity. It sounds like I am generalizing, and I wish I was, but this is the case. When I go to bed, I have to strip my bike of anything not bolted down. Pump, light, water bottle, computer, fender, helmet and gloves all come in the tent with me. The locals here are really not friendly. Everywhere you go, in any city or town, you get sneered at or stared down. It's a very unfriendly feeling. And while you're cycling along, people seem to know a few words of English. For example:

Local child: "You you you you you you you!"
Me: "Salam"
Local: "Where are you go?"
Me: "Addis Ababa"
Local: "Where are you go?"
Me: "Addis"
Local: "Give me money."
Me: "If I had money, I would be driving a car."
Local: *Throws rocks or sticks as I bike away*

That is generally how an interaction goes. Only with a lot more "You you you" and a lot more "Give me money". The rock throwing is not as bad as I expected. Their aim is terrible. We have had one girl get hit by  a horse whip, which thankfully did no damage. And it's every age from about 3 years old to teenagers. Some people have actually been hit by rocks and stopped to talk to the parents, which then throw rocks at the kids. You can see the vicious circle here. However, the closer we get to Addis Ababa, the more docile the people get. So, on to the terrain.

Now onto the positive part of the country. The terrain is tough. As soon as we crossed the border, we started climbing. And not small climbs either. We climb a total of about 1000m per day, with the highest being 2500m in one day just before we got to Gondor. And these hills are steep! Some are as sharp as 30 degrees. I have actually had to get off and walk a few sections for about 50m because I just couldn't pedal any faster. It is incredibly tough. The flipside is that the higher we go, the cooler is gets. This is a nice change from the 50 degrees in Sudan. It's usually about 25 at an altitude of 2000m, so it's pleasant. Also, the scenery is beautiful. I have never seen anything like this. The mountains are huge and there are cool trees and shrubs everywhere. The countryside is stunning. I have taken a ton of pictures here, but none of them do the place justice. It makes the tough climbs actually a lot of fun. Well, "fun".

So, we arrived in Gondor on the 11th, a rest stop where we actually had two consecutive rest days. This was nice after 8 days of hard riding. Everyone celebrated with a beer (or 5, depending on who you are) and some local food. I celebrated by getting food poisoning on the 12th and vomiting/shitting for the next day and a half. It was a blast. I slept for another 16 hours and was back to almost full form. My appetite still had not returned, but what can you do? It was a good thing too. There is not a whole lot to do in Gondor. There is an old church from the 17th century to see. But that's about it. I toured the market, but it was Sunday, so nothing was open. The hotel we stayed at was awesome, though. It's called the Goha Hotel Gondor and it sits in the middle of the city, perched high on a hill. You can see the whole city from the hotel, it's really beautiful. It's a little pricey as there is a 25% tax on everything for some reason. That includes a 10% service charge which was not deserved at all. The staff are super forgetful and you usually have to give your order 3 times for anyone to take notice. Then you get bills for 3 meals before you have even gotten your food. But you laugh it off anyway. I haven't slept in a hotel room yet, because I am far too cheap. Plus, you don't get what you pay for. The amenities are awful and I'm used to the tent anyway.

After Gondor, we had two days riding and ended up in a city called Bahir Dar. Now this is a cool town. The people here are very nice and there is a lot to do. I'm going to go and see some old monasteries and the Blue Nile falls today. Plus there is a huge market to browse and practice haggling. We're staying at a hotel again, but I am tenting. Again due to cheapness (what have you done to me dad?). The town is pretty crazy right now as I guess Ethiopia won some soccer match in the Africa Cup yesterday and the streets were packed. Also, we had a costume party at the hotel last night with the theme "Where are you go?" . I dressed normally with a roll of toilet paper and my shovel, cause I usually go to the bathroom, given my string of sickness. After Bahir Dar, we head off the the capital, Addis Ababa. It will take us 5 days to get there including the Blue Nile gorge. That is gonna be hard. There is a 1300m decent and 1500m climb all in the span of 25km. But I'm getting better at climbing, so it should be managable. The decents aren't bad. You get going pretty fast, but have to be on the brakes the whole time so you don't hit random kids or donkeys. I did get up to 70 on one hill, which is a huge thrill.

What else... Oh, the coffee is great here. Not nearly big enough, but very good. People say Ethiopia is the home of coffee. Also, dad, the total for the tour is 11, 995km. So, we are more than 25% done! So, as I sit here, chewing on my bag of locally grown and purchased khat, my spirits are still not downed. Despite the thefts, sickness and mechanical issues, I am loving this. This experience is a funny one. The days are long and gruelling, but the weeks fly by too fast. Unfortunately, the photos will have to wait until Addis Ababa. The computer here does not seem to register my SD card, so I can't upload. Anyway, I miss everyone and hopefully will talk to you all soon!

Some last statistics:
Mother nature: 2 (sickness), Danimal: 1
Total showers taken: 3Distance on odometer: Over 3000km
Things stolen from me: 0 (eat that, clever kids)
Top speed: 70km/h
Thrown objects that have connected: 3 (one rock in the dick, that was painful)
Average speed up hills: 9km/h
Average speed walking up hills: 6km/h
Average speed down hills: 50km/h

*edit* If you want some pro-style pictures from the tour, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/pletten  He is a Norwegian guy who takes awesome photos.