So, I have safely arrived in Nairobbery. The city is pretty large with not a whole lot to see. People call it Nairobbery for a multitude of reasons:
1. It's very violent. You can't really go out at night. At all.
2. You pay a massive tourist tax. Everything is hugely expensive. It feels like robbery without the excitement.
Anyway, it was nice to be in a real city again. The people seem reasonably friendly. I didn't venture far from the campsite because I was exhausted from the previous week's events. I went to supermarket nearby to purchase some dairy products. I have been missing dairy a lot recently. There is really no milk to speak of farther north than Nairobi, and what is there is not pasturized. So, my meals consisted of yogurt, ice cream and coffee with a lot of milk. In fact, I ate 1L of chocolate yogurt with chocolate frosted flakes in it for lunch and a snack. I had a real craving. However, I have a main point of this post: Carnivore.
So, Carnivore restaurant. My dream come true. I was ready to stop the tour and just live at this place. It's heaven. It is a restaurant with a flat fee for dinner (about $30USD), and worth every penny. It's all-you-can-eat meat. And all sorts of different kinds of meat. A lot of people went to this place that night. I would guess 20 of us. I just don't think the staff knew what was coming. We had all just come off a 7 day stretch of riding in some hard dirt and were looking forward to a huge meal and some beers. I bet I turned them non-profit for the night. I ate more than 2kg of meat, and probably closer to 3kg. Easily. I ate all different kinds of meat that night. The list is as follows:
1. Ox testicle (very good, actually)
2. Ostrich meatballs
3. Camel steak
4. Lamb roast
5. Turkey
6. Chicken breast
7. Chicken liver
8. Beef steak
9. Pork spare ribs
10. Pork sausages
11. Crocodile
12. Lamb sausages
It was awesome. The waiters just come around with huge skewers of different meats and ask you if you want some. Of course I did. You know what's a bad idea on their part? Letting me loose into an all-you-can-eat spot after a week of riding and no real steak to speak of for two months. So, I did what any red-blooded bodybuilder would do. I got into an eating competition with somebody else (come on, what did you expect?) Myself and a guy named Scott ate ourselves stupid. The staff actually made an attempt at cutting us off the meat, which we would have none of. We did end up stopping the eating after almost 3 hours because the other 18 people were waiting to order desert. However, you guys will be proud, I maintain my "I can eat the most of anyone on the tour" status. If the Danimal was born with tear ducts, I would have cried tears of joy. When people speak of disaster as "a bull in a china shop", they have clearly not seen a Danimal in a buffet. I'm pretty sure kids were crying at the devastation I left behind. And I take pride in helping do some animal control in this country.
On a different note, my brakes arrived in Nairobi. I have to give a huge shout-out to Bushtukah for getting me these parts. The brakes are Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes, which is an upgrade from my previous set-up. They came with rotors, calipers, pads, mounting brackets, and even spare pads! I can not thank these guys enough for the parts sent over seas. It would be hard to finish a tour with no brakes, although sometimes I'm not going fast enough to need them. However, thanks again Bushtukah for hooking me up with these parts.
So, I keep promising pictures, which will most certainly be delivered, just not right now. I will post again later today, but I just wanted to write about Carnivore. To be honest, that's as far as my trip planning went and now I'm lost. However, apparently there are more animals to eat the farther south I go, so I will keep you all updated. Until then, here are some random stats.
Total distance: 5210km (5530 for the tour, due to my sick day and robbery convoy)
Total punctures: 16
Top speed to date: 76km/h
Types of animal eaten on tour: 10 (I had pigeon in Egypt)
Hours in the saddle: 240
Until next time,
Danimal
Friday, March 18, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
In light of the heavy previous post...
So, I know that was heavy for some people to read. But before that whole incident transpired, I decided to write a letter due to the difficulty of the ride that day. Here it is:
Dear Headwind,
I get it.
Sincerely,
Daniel
Dear Headwind,
I get it.
Sincerely,
Daniel
Daniel the Bullet Dodger.
So, this will be a long post, but worth reading.
9 March, 2011: Today started the same as any other day. I woke up early to get some coffee into me because yesterday had been 115km on some very tough dirt. I was a little groggy and tired, so I figured I would take the ride pretty easy. It was going to be a long ride anyway, somewhere around 160km. Anyway, after breakfast, I set off with Ruth (UK) to start the ride. It was slow going as there was a wicked headwind, but I knew it was going to be a long ride anyway. About 40km into the day, Ruth and I rolled up on 3 other riders, Peter, Christine and Kim. They stopped us in the road and said that they had seen a very aggressive man hurl a rock at Kendra, another rider. We figured we'd wait for a few more riders and cycle past as a group to avoid confrontation. Seemed like a good idea. So, as Pierre, a fellow Canadian rider rolled up on us, we explained the situation. He seemed to agree that riding in a group would be a good idea. So, we decided to pee in the woods first and then roll on. And then it hit the fan. In a big way. As the women strolled farther in the woods than the men (I was basically peeing on the road), there was a loud bang. My heart sank. I had heard that noise before. That was a gunshot. Unmistakeably a 7.62mm round. I looked back into the woods to see two men with rifles running out towards the road. Two more bangs. This was no accident. These rounds were directed at us. Thank god not aimed directly as us, but certainly in our direction. I looked into the woods to see Christine standing, with an AK47 pointed right in her face. Thankfully, she pushed the barrel aside as two more shots were fired. Then two more men appeared. So, we have a total of 4 men now, two with AK47s, two with HK G3s. The ladies then came running out of the woods followed by two of the men. More shots fired. As the confusion finally cleared into fearful understanding, I actually thought I was going to die. From where I was standing on the road, it looked to me like Christine had been shot in the face (thankfully she hadn't been).
So, this was now a clear robbery. More cyclists had heard the shots and turned around to go and notify the staff behind us about 600m. We could actually see them standing on the top of a hill, watching at a safe distance. Many of them had heard the 12 or so shots fired and wisely stayed away. Anyway, our attackers were yelling in Swahili, which I clearly do not understand. I was trying to communicate with them, my hands held over my head. They were having none of it. The ladies were sitting on the side of the highway, which was clearly not what they wanted, so they hit Christine in temple with the barrel of one of the AKs. She fell over, now bleeding out of her head. They hit Ruth as well, who was still wearing her helmet, so no damage. I was yelling to see if everyone was ok. Then I was motioned over my the main robber, who was wearing a traditional orange skirt and headdress, but no shirt. We shall refer to him as attacker 1 (original, I know). Anyway, he wanted my Camelbak, which I gladly gave him. He motioned for the other riders to hand over their bags as well. The attackers were clearly not pros as they were incredibly shaky and waving their weapons all over the place. I was worried about a slippery finger and someone taking a stray round. I continuously motioned that we did not understand and for them to calm down and point their weapons down. So, I collected a saddle bag from Pierre and my Camelbak and handed it to attacker 1. He started sorting it on the side of the road and then ran into the woods to meet two other attackers. The two guys in the woods sorted out everyone's bags while attacker 1 came back and started searching people. I had my camera in one of my jersey pockets, which I was NOT losing (it's not mine). So, I lay down on the road on top of my camera. I figured they weren't going to do a proper search of people anyway. I kept the others calm, instructing them to lay down and just cooperate. I yelled and checked to sure Christine was ok, despite her head wound. She was fine. They took a few energy bars from Peter and gave him a sharp barrel-prod despite being cooperative. The attackers continued to yell orders in Swahili, which I tried to understand, to no avail. Anyway, they kept us on the highway for about 30 minutes. In this time, not a single car passed. No other person came near, thankfully. Attacker 1 came back and gave Christine a sharp kick in the side as she was lying face down. She must have been in shock, because she doesn't remember it, nor does she remember how many of the robbers there were. So, attacker 1 and another guy kept sorting out our gear. Anyway, they made everyone lay down and then ran off in the bushes. I told everyone to sit tight for a minute and make sure they were gone. They were. Finally. I stood up and began to tend to Christine's head wound (Ian, you would be proud). Once her head was clean, I wandered into the woods to see what I could salvage of what they took.
Now this is where I get confused. They didn't take a lot. They took my wallet with about $40US worth of local currency, my old crappy MP3 player (sorry Simon, you can't have that), my BIQ knife (lots of sentimental value), my sunscreen, my pens and my hand sanitizer (which I hope they drink). However, they left my headlamp, medical kit, Camelbak bladder (although they took the water) and backpack. So, once I collected everyone's stuff with the help of Peter, I headed back to the road to check on Christine. She was ok, but very shaken up. Then Megan came cycling back from ahead of us, in tears. She told us Kendra had been shot. My heart sank again. That was totally plausible now, as we had just had been fired upon wildly. So, I hoped on my bike with everyone and we headed off to see Kendra. I had heard she had kept cycling, which gave me comfort that she had not been shot. You don't get hit with a 7.62 and keep cycling. You drop dead. Anyway, we headed to see her. I had begun to give directions as to what to do when we came upon Kendra, because I wasn't sure people would be able to deal with it. However, when we came to where she was supposed to be, she was gone. Apparently a car had picked her up and taken her to the local health centre. So, we headed off to the town about 8km away to see what was up. In the end, she had not been shot. The rock that had been hurled at her had connected, cut her back so she was bleeding and broken a rib.
So, in the end, everyone was fine. Christine has a cut on her head and Ruth is pretty shaken up, but we're all ok. Nobody got shot. And I made it out with my camera :). So, now I have to thank some people. First off: TDA staff. Their response to this incident was incredible. Our tour director got the military involved, drove all the cyclists to camp, arranged medical treatment and arranged armed escorts for everyone. It was great. We were allowed to use a satellite phone to call our families. I cannot commend them enough for what they did. It was incredibly helpful. I would also like to thank Daniel Pilliard for cycling back and telling the staff what was happening. Patrick Peeters for his relaying of information on Kendra's state.
Now, I hate to do this, but I was pressured into it. Matt Paradine insisted I mention myself. I know I'm a cocky ass and I love myself, but this is not normally what I do. He wanted me to mention that my actions saved lives that day. Boys, mom, dad, you would have been proud of me. He said I kept the whole situation calm, cool and collected. I was somewhat helpful in treating Christine's wound, and very helpful in keeping people from getting shot. Ruth has also said that if she is ever in a crisis, she wants me to be there. So, I'm sorry for mentioning myself, but Matt is insisting. I'll add that my military training was worth every miserable second of basic training. It was very helpful in keeping my panicked ass from breaking down.
So, in the end, everyone got out ok. Nobody lost anything really important and we carried on the next day with business as usual. Now I have an awesome story to tell everyone. Also, for anyone that ever worries about me, remember what I say: the Danimal can't die.
Until forever,
Danimal
9 March, 2011: Today started the same as any other day. I woke up early to get some coffee into me because yesterday had been 115km on some very tough dirt. I was a little groggy and tired, so I figured I would take the ride pretty easy. It was going to be a long ride anyway, somewhere around 160km. Anyway, after breakfast, I set off with Ruth (UK) to start the ride. It was slow going as there was a wicked headwind, but I knew it was going to be a long ride anyway. About 40km into the day, Ruth and I rolled up on 3 other riders, Peter, Christine and Kim. They stopped us in the road and said that they had seen a very aggressive man hurl a rock at Kendra, another rider. We figured we'd wait for a few more riders and cycle past as a group to avoid confrontation. Seemed like a good idea. So, as Pierre, a fellow Canadian rider rolled up on us, we explained the situation. He seemed to agree that riding in a group would be a good idea. So, we decided to pee in the woods first and then roll on. And then it hit the fan. In a big way. As the women strolled farther in the woods than the men (I was basically peeing on the road), there was a loud bang. My heart sank. I had heard that noise before. That was a gunshot. Unmistakeably a 7.62mm round. I looked back into the woods to see two men with rifles running out towards the road. Two more bangs. This was no accident. These rounds were directed at us. Thank god not aimed directly as us, but certainly in our direction. I looked into the woods to see Christine standing, with an AK47 pointed right in her face. Thankfully, she pushed the barrel aside as two more shots were fired. Then two more men appeared. So, we have a total of 4 men now, two with AK47s, two with HK G3s. The ladies then came running out of the woods followed by two of the men. More shots fired. As the confusion finally cleared into fearful understanding, I actually thought I was going to die. From where I was standing on the road, it looked to me like Christine had been shot in the face (thankfully she hadn't been).
So, this was now a clear robbery. More cyclists had heard the shots and turned around to go and notify the staff behind us about 600m. We could actually see them standing on the top of a hill, watching at a safe distance. Many of them had heard the 12 or so shots fired and wisely stayed away. Anyway, our attackers were yelling in Swahili, which I clearly do not understand. I was trying to communicate with them, my hands held over my head. They were having none of it. The ladies were sitting on the side of the highway, which was clearly not what they wanted, so they hit Christine in temple with the barrel of one of the AKs. She fell over, now bleeding out of her head. They hit Ruth as well, who was still wearing her helmet, so no damage. I was yelling to see if everyone was ok. Then I was motioned over my the main robber, who was wearing a traditional orange skirt and headdress, but no shirt. We shall refer to him as attacker 1 (original, I know). Anyway, he wanted my Camelbak, which I gladly gave him. He motioned for the other riders to hand over their bags as well. The attackers were clearly not pros as they were incredibly shaky and waving their weapons all over the place. I was worried about a slippery finger and someone taking a stray round. I continuously motioned that we did not understand and for them to calm down and point their weapons down. So, I collected a saddle bag from Pierre and my Camelbak and handed it to attacker 1. He started sorting it on the side of the road and then ran into the woods to meet two other attackers. The two guys in the woods sorted out everyone's bags while attacker 1 came back and started searching people. I had my camera in one of my jersey pockets, which I was NOT losing (it's not mine). So, I lay down on the road on top of my camera. I figured they weren't going to do a proper search of people anyway. I kept the others calm, instructing them to lay down and just cooperate. I yelled and checked to sure Christine was ok, despite her head wound. She was fine. They took a few energy bars from Peter and gave him a sharp barrel-prod despite being cooperative. The attackers continued to yell orders in Swahili, which I tried to understand, to no avail. Anyway, they kept us on the highway for about 30 minutes. In this time, not a single car passed. No other person came near, thankfully. Attacker 1 came back and gave Christine a sharp kick in the side as she was lying face down. She must have been in shock, because she doesn't remember it, nor does she remember how many of the robbers there were. So, attacker 1 and another guy kept sorting out our gear. Anyway, they made everyone lay down and then ran off in the bushes. I told everyone to sit tight for a minute and make sure they were gone. They were. Finally. I stood up and began to tend to Christine's head wound (Ian, you would be proud). Once her head was clean, I wandered into the woods to see what I could salvage of what they took.
Now this is where I get confused. They didn't take a lot. They took my wallet with about $40US worth of local currency, my old crappy MP3 player (sorry Simon, you can't have that), my BIQ knife (lots of sentimental value), my sunscreen, my pens and my hand sanitizer (which I hope they drink). However, they left my headlamp, medical kit, Camelbak bladder (although they took the water) and backpack. So, once I collected everyone's stuff with the help of Peter, I headed back to the road to check on Christine. She was ok, but very shaken up. Then Megan came cycling back from ahead of us, in tears. She told us Kendra had been shot. My heart sank again. That was totally plausible now, as we had just had been fired upon wildly. So, I hoped on my bike with everyone and we headed off to see Kendra. I had heard she had kept cycling, which gave me comfort that she had not been shot. You don't get hit with a 7.62 and keep cycling. You drop dead. Anyway, we headed to see her. I had begun to give directions as to what to do when we came upon Kendra, because I wasn't sure people would be able to deal with it. However, when we came to where she was supposed to be, she was gone. Apparently a car had picked her up and taken her to the local health centre. So, we headed off to the town about 8km away to see what was up. In the end, she had not been shot. The rock that had been hurled at her had connected, cut her back so she was bleeding and broken a rib.
So, in the end, everyone was fine. Christine has a cut on her head and Ruth is pretty shaken up, but we're all ok. Nobody got shot. And I made it out with my camera :). So, now I have to thank some people. First off: TDA staff. Their response to this incident was incredible. Our tour director got the military involved, drove all the cyclists to camp, arranged medical treatment and arranged armed escorts for everyone. It was great. We were allowed to use a satellite phone to call our families. I cannot commend them enough for what they did. It was incredibly helpful. I would also like to thank Daniel Pilliard for cycling back and telling the staff what was happening. Patrick Peeters for his relaying of information on Kendra's state.
Now, I hate to do this, but I was pressured into it. Matt Paradine insisted I mention myself. I know I'm a cocky ass and I love myself, but this is not normally what I do. He wanted me to mention that my actions saved lives that day. Boys, mom, dad, you would have been proud of me. He said I kept the whole situation calm, cool and collected. I was somewhat helpful in treating Christine's wound, and very helpful in keeping people from getting shot. Ruth has also said that if she is ever in a crisis, she wants me to be there. So, I'm sorry for mentioning myself, but Matt is insisting. I'll add that my military training was worth every miserable second of basic training. It was very helpful in keeping my panicked ass from breaking down.
So, in the end, everyone got out ok. Nobody lost anything really important and we carried on the next day with business as usual. Now I have an awesome story to tell everyone. Also, for anyone that ever worries about me, remember what I say: the Danimal can't die.
Until forever,
Danimal
Monday, March 7, 2011
Goodbye, Ethiopia!
Hello again everybody!
So, here I am in Marsabit, Kenya (read: nowhere). The group has just completed the most difficult section of the whole tour. And it was hard. Harder than I imagined. There were sections of road that you can't really call road. It was actually easier to ride off the road than on. There were lava rocks everywhere. The place looks like Mars. Black volcanic rocks sitting on top of red sand. It was really neat. After 9 hours on a bike, though, it gets a little tedious. Especially 3 days in a row. I have completed it, though. And I made it look good :P More on that in a bit.
So, my final rest day in Ethiopia was in a town called Arba Minch. Where there was nothing to do. There was a lot of wildlife, though. We camped at the edge of a cliff where baboons lived and they tromped though our camp every now and again. There were also these huge storks called Maribou storks, aka undertaker storks. Ther are huge! They stand about 1m tall and look like they're vultures wearing a suit, hence the undertaker storks. Anyway, this town was awful. The hotel had no water or electricity, despite being right beside two giant lakes and another hotel which had both. The service was terrible and the staff was very rude.
So, Ethiopia, what can I say? I will never, ever come back. The countryside is beautiful. Every piece of land is awesome. Just anything that speaks is very... well, annoying. Every service I had received was poor. Every interaction with anyone was miserable and mean-spirited (with the exception of 11... That's right, you can actually count the good times). And every single person you passed on the road either threw rocks at you or tried to push a stick through your spokes or push you off your bike. In fact, in the last days, we actually had a rider pushed off his bike by a passer-by. I'm sorry to say, the people here are very unfriendly. And as I said before, I hate to generalize. I give everyone a fair chance. But when it comes down to changing a flat on the side of the road and people are trying to steal things out of your bag, I draw the line. In fact, the last week of riding in Ethiopia, we had all had enough. Once the rocks were thrown, we dismounted and gave chase (exactly the opposite of our tour directions). The people scatter when they realize you are a person and not just a vehicle. Usually, the locals would run so fast, they would literally run out of their shoes. So, what to do? Take the shoes and give them to someone down the road. I know some people are reading this thinking "That's so terrible, I would never do that!" Guess what? You would. I thought that when I started cycling in the country. Then you receive 2 weeks of rocks and other projectiles (ranging from sugar cane to cow dung) and your opinion changes. I'm living proof. Anyway, I'm glad to be gone, never to return. You, you, you, you, you, money, money, money, money!!! Good riddance.
So, finally I crossed into Kenya. The border crossing on the Ethiopian side was tedious. The border is closed from 1300-1500. Well, in Ethiopian time, that's actually 1145-1515. So, I sat around waiting to be cleared out. Finally I was, and into Kenya. The in-processing for Kenya took 10 minutes. It was wonderful. The whole atmosphere changed just as quickly as when I entered the country. Everyone was happy again. So, we camped our first night and then set off on the hardest section of the tour. The terrain was miserable. 3 days of dirt, deep sand, large rocks, uphills, everything you could imagine, combined into one road. But it was a blast. It was thrilling to know that I had just conquered the demon. The 9 hours or so per day on a bike was tedious, but it builds character (right dad)? You spend most of the time off your saddle anyway, trying to control your bike. I am ready to try bull riding after these roads! You bounce around these giant lava rocks in the sweltering heat trying to ignore the pain in your hands, arms, head, bum and teeth. At least you can rest when you get to camp after most of the day going 8 or 9 km/h. You can't really understand until you see pictures, which I will not post now because it takes years. Anyway, I did pretty well. I came in all 3 days in the front of the pack (after the racers of course).
So, now I start a 5 day stretch into Nairobi. It will be easier than the dirt "roads" of previous days, but my body is hurting anyway. Nairobi is supposed to be a town where you can buy most things you get in the West. My list includes protein bars, tire tubes and levers, steak and a laundrymat. My sleeping bag is beginning to smell really, really bad, even after spraying it with alcohol. Bushtukah has been kind enough to donate a full wheelset and brakes for my bike, which is good, because this distance is not easy on the parts. This is greatly appreciated by myself, as all of these parts are failing as we speak. The parts are being shipped to Nairobi, where I can finally replace my worn bearings. Thanks again, Bushtukah. But no thank you DHL. My brakes alone are costing $400 to ship over.
Anyway, I have a broken bike to clean and a sore bum to pad. So, thanks everyone. I hope this installment was slightly more humourous than prior entries. "Are you not entertained?!?!" (Voiced from Gladiator) So, I leave you all with some stats.
Total distance: 4700km
Total climbing in Ethiopia: 20,380m
Showers to date: 5
Falls off my bike: 3 (No injuries. It doesn't hurt when you fall going 5-10km/h)
Time spent on saddle to date: 210 hrs.
Time spent being awesome: 211 hrs.
Until next time,
Danimal
So, here I am in Marsabit, Kenya (read: nowhere). The group has just completed the most difficult section of the whole tour. And it was hard. Harder than I imagined. There were sections of road that you can't really call road. It was actually easier to ride off the road than on. There were lava rocks everywhere. The place looks like Mars. Black volcanic rocks sitting on top of red sand. It was really neat. After 9 hours on a bike, though, it gets a little tedious. Especially 3 days in a row. I have completed it, though. And I made it look good :P More on that in a bit.
So, my final rest day in Ethiopia was in a town called Arba Minch. Where there was nothing to do. There was a lot of wildlife, though. We camped at the edge of a cliff where baboons lived and they tromped though our camp every now and again. There were also these huge storks called Maribou storks, aka undertaker storks. Ther are huge! They stand about 1m tall and look like they're vultures wearing a suit, hence the undertaker storks. Anyway, this town was awful. The hotel had no water or electricity, despite being right beside two giant lakes and another hotel which had both. The service was terrible and the staff was very rude.
So, Ethiopia, what can I say? I will never, ever come back. The countryside is beautiful. Every piece of land is awesome. Just anything that speaks is very... well, annoying. Every service I had received was poor. Every interaction with anyone was miserable and mean-spirited (with the exception of 11... That's right, you can actually count the good times). And every single person you passed on the road either threw rocks at you or tried to push a stick through your spokes or push you off your bike. In fact, in the last days, we actually had a rider pushed off his bike by a passer-by. I'm sorry to say, the people here are very unfriendly. And as I said before, I hate to generalize. I give everyone a fair chance. But when it comes down to changing a flat on the side of the road and people are trying to steal things out of your bag, I draw the line. In fact, the last week of riding in Ethiopia, we had all had enough. Once the rocks were thrown, we dismounted and gave chase (exactly the opposite of our tour directions). The people scatter when they realize you are a person and not just a vehicle. Usually, the locals would run so fast, they would literally run out of their shoes. So, what to do? Take the shoes and give them to someone down the road. I know some people are reading this thinking "That's so terrible, I would never do that!" Guess what? You would. I thought that when I started cycling in the country. Then you receive 2 weeks of rocks and other projectiles (ranging from sugar cane to cow dung) and your opinion changes. I'm living proof. Anyway, I'm glad to be gone, never to return. You, you, you, you, you, money, money, money, money!!! Good riddance.
So, finally I crossed into Kenya. The border crossing on the Ethiopian side was tedious. The border is closed from 1300-1500. Well, in Ethiopian time, that's actually 1145-1515. So, I sat around waiting to be cleared out. Finally I was, and into Kenya. The in-processing for Kenya took 10 minutes. It was wonderful. The whole atmosphere changed just as quickly as when I entered the country. Everyone was happy again. So, we camped our first night and then set off on the hardest section of the tour. The terrain was miserable. 3 days of dirt, deep sand, large rocks, uphills, everything you could imagine, combined into one road. But it was a blast. It was thrilling to know that I had just conquered the demon. The 9 hours or so per day on a bike was tedious, but it builds character (right dad)? You spend most of the time off your saddle anyway, trying to control your bike. I am ready to try bull riding after these roads! You bounce around these giant lava rocks in the sweltering heat trying to ignore the pain in your hands, arms, head, bum and teeth. At least you can rest when you get to camp after most of the day going 8 or 9 km/h. You can't really understand until you see pictures, which I will not post now because it takes years. Anyway, I did pretty well. I came in all 3 days in the front of the pack (after the racers of course).
So, now I start a 5 day stretch into Nairobi. It will be easier than the dirt "roads" of previous days, but my body is hurting anyway. Nairobi is supposed to be a town where you can buy most things you get in the West. My list includes protein bars, tire tubes and levers, steak and a laundrymat. My sleeping bag is beginning to smell really, really bad, even after spraying it with alcohol. Bushtukah has been kind enough to donate a full wheelset and brakes for my bike, which is good, because this distance is not easy on the parts. This is greatly appreciated by myself, as all of these parts are failing as we speak. The parts are being shipped to Nairobi, where I can finally replace my worn bearings. Thanks again, Bushtukah. But no thank you DHL. My brakes alone are costing $400 to ship over.
Anyway, I have a broken bike to clean and a sore bum to pad. So, thanks everyone. I hope this installment was slightly more humourous than prior entries. "Are you not entertained?!?!" (Voiced from Gladiator) So, I leave you all with some stats.
Total distance: 4700km
Total climbing in Ethiopia: 20,380m
Showers to date: 5
Falls off my bike: 3 (No injuries. It doesn't hurt when you fall going 5-10km/h)
Time spent on saddle to date: 210 hrs.
Time spent being awesome: 211 hrs.
Until next time,
Danimal
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Some more pictures from Sudan/Ethiopia
A delicious juice mix (orange, pineapple, avocado, raspberry, guava).
Me on one of the hills in Ethiopia (Mark, notice the shirt. It is the most comfy piece of clothing I have. It breathes so nicely. Thank you very much, I wear it all the time.)
Myself and Ryan on the edge of the Blue Nile Gorge
Some mechanics putting bearings on a piston on the side of the road.
A house with a small child in a village we stayed in.
The edge of the Gorge.
Me doing what I do best at the edge of the Gorge. I have lost a lot of weight (as you might be able to tell). I sort of expected this to happen, and it is. Everyone is slimming down. The cardio is excessive to say the least. I'm still eating the most of anyone on the tour, but it's not maintaining my muscle mass. For the best, actually, cause I hate carrying that up the hills. For example of what I ate today on my day off:
4 slices toast
1 beef/egg omelet
2 large bread rolls
1.5 double patty, triple bun burgers (think larger than an Extreme burger at Summerhays)
1 plate french fries
1 whole, large pizza with chicken, beef, eggs, cheese and veggies.
1 energy bar
5 scoops chocolate ice cream (finally!!!)
Can't remember the rest, but again, I'll repost as soon as I get a chance and can label these photos properly.
The Blue Nile Gorge (of death)
Hello everyone! I've reached Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia. I'm glad to say that my perception of Ethiopia has been changing, the closer I got to the city. The people have been much friendlier and more welcoming. The stone throwing has continued, but all the riders have learned to deal with it. We have also developed some techniques for avoiding any sort of projectile, ranging from stones to cow dung. I'm still dealing with constant requests for money and "You you you" yelling from the kids, but it's all in good fun.
My odometer reads over 3600km now! It blows my mind how fast we're covering ground here. But there are a few large obstacles that constantly sit in my way... The hills. Always uphill. You wake up, you go uphill. You eat lunch, then go uphill. There are these things called false flats, where it looks like you're going down, but really it's up. So, even the downhills are uphills! I can say that I am becoming a decent climber, though. I have not walked up any hills since before Gonder. Even the Blue Nile Gorge I climbed all on my bike. That was a hard day. It started with a 50km cycle through rolling hills to lunch. After lunch, we had a beautiful 1300m downhill. My brakes got a lot of use because you basically have to keep them on, or you lose control and go off the cliff. The Gorge is beautiful, though. It's like the Grand Canyon, only way more awesome because it's in Africa. I stopped to take a few pictures, but it's hard to capture the magnitude of this thing with photos. Anyway, as you're going down, you're thinking "Crap, I have to go back up this thing". Once you're at the bottom, you stop and take some pictures and prepare for the climb to come. Now, the climb is tough. Really, really tough. Imagine cycling out of the Grand Canyon. It's a 1500m climb within 20km of switch backs. I unofficially timed myself, and did ok. I climbed in about 2hrs, 10 mins. That's 50 minutes behind the first place racer, but actually way ahead of many of the other cyclists. Not too bad for a first climb! And I didn't die! Although, for about 2 hours, I felt like I was going to. My big goal for the climb was to not walk up any section, which I achieved. I averaged less than 10km/h for most of the climb, which is silly, cause I can walk up it at about 6. It can get a little discouraging as you finally struggle to climb a section, only to turn a corner and see another, steeper switchback. And that process repeats itself, about 30 times. I am pretty used to climbing, now, though. We've been climbing up and down every day for a total of about 11,950m. That's higher than Everest! It's sure made the flats of Egypt look easy.
Now, there is not a whole lot of good story to tell since Bahir Dar. It's really been a beautiful ride through the hills, with a lot of scenery. Two days ago, we camped on the edge of the Gorge. It was breath-taking. You are cleaning your bike or eating (or both, if you're me) and you just look up and see this massive scar running through the earth! It's so incredible. The bugs haven't been bad, although we haven't really seen much wildlife. We did have a rider run into a cow, though. And I have seen some monkeys hanging around in a tree. One of the craziest things I saw were some mechanics changing bearings on their pistons right on the side of the road. They just stopped their truck and started working! It's crazy! Also, there are people who carry such huge loads of straw or wood on their backs. It hurts me just to watch them walk!
My experience here just keeps getting better. I love looking around and seeing nothing that is familiar to me. The trees are neat, the birds are neat, the whole countryside is awesome! Also, when it comes to the riders, the bike is a great equalizer. It doesn't matter what job you have or how much money you have. You are now the same as every other rider, and everyone is leveled. Only skill on the bike matters. Everyone seems to be getting along pretty well, although there is a big gap left by Adrian. Ryan and I are constantly making jokes with reference to him to try and relive the memories. Mad Dog, if you read this, you are missed, buddy.
Anyway, I'll post some pics. I'm sorry I couldn't have put some more humour in for you guys, but climbing is really not that funny. It's like a stair master for 6 hours a day. Only you can't turn the power down. And there are no water fountains. Or women on the treadmill in front of you to gawk at. However, there will be some good stuff on the next dirt section and when I do a safari, which I have signed up for. (1.5 days of camping).
Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement! I hope I keep you entertained!
Danimal
My odometer reads over 3600km now! It blows my mind how fast we're covering ground here. But there are a few large obstacles that constantly sit in my way... The hills. Always uphill. You wake up, you go uphill. You eat lunch, then go uphill. There are these things called false flats, where it looks like you're going down, but really it's up. So, even the downhills are uphills! I can say that I am becoming a decent climber, though. I have not walked up any hills since before Gonder. Even the Blue Nile Gorge I climbed all on my bike. That was a hard day. It started with a 50km cycle through rolling hills to lunch. After lunch, we had a beautiful 1300m downhill. My brakes got a lot of use because you basically have to keep them on, or you lose control and go off the cliff. The Gorge is beautiful, though. It's like the Grand Canyon, only way more awesome because it's in Africa. I stopped to take a few pictures, but it's hard to capture the magnitude of this thing with photos. Anyway, as you're going down, you're thinking "Crap, I have to go back up this thing". Once you're at the bottom, you stop and take some pictures and prepare for the climb to come. Now, the climb is tough. Really, really tough. Imagine cycling out of the Grand Canyon. It's a 1500m climb within 20km of switch backs. I unofficially timed myself, and did ok. I climbed in about 2hrs, 10 mins. That's 50 minutes behind the first place racer, but actually way ahead of many of the other cyclists. Not too bad for a first climb! And I didn't die! Although, for about 2 hours, I felt like I was going to. My big goal for the climb was to not walk up any section, which I achieved. I averaged less than 10km/h for most of the climb, which is silly, cause I can walk up it at about 6. It can get a little discouraging as you finally struggle to climb a section, only to turn a corner and see another, steeper switchback. And that process repeats itself, about 30 times. I am pretty used to climbing, now, though. We've been climbing up and down every day for a total of about 11,950m. That's higher than Everest! It's sure made the flats of Egypt look easy.
Now, there is not a whole lot of good story to tell since Bahir Dar. It's really been a beautiful ride through the hills, with a lot of scenery. Two days ago, we camped on the edge of the Gorge. It was breath-taking. You are cleaning your bike or eating (or both, if you're me) and you just look up and see this massive scar running through the earth! It's so incredible. The bugs haven't been bad, although we haven't really seen much wildlife. We did have a rider run into a cow, though. And I have seen some monkeys hanging around in a tree. One of the craziest things I saw were some mechanics changing bearings on their pistons right on the side of the road. They just stopped their truck and started working! It's crazy! Also, there are people who carry such huge loads of straw or wood on their backs. It hurts me just to watch them walk!
My experience here just keeps getting better. I love looking around and seeing nothing that is familiar to me. The trees are neat, the birds are neat, the whole countryside is awesome! Also, when it comes to the riders, the bike is a great equalizer. It doesn't matter what job you have or how much money you have. You are now the same as every other rider, and everyone is leveled. Only skill on the bike matters. Everyone seems to be getting along pretty well, although there is a big gap left by Adrian. Ryan and I are constantly making jokes with reference to him to try and relive the memories. Mad Dog, if you read this, you are missed, buddy.
Anyway, I'll post some pics. I'm sorry I couldn't have put some more humour in for you guys, but climbing is really not that funny. It's like a stair master for 6 hours a day. Only you can't turn the power down. And there are no water fountains. Or women on the treadmill in front of you to gawk at. However, there will be some good stuff on the next dirt section and when I do a safari, which I have signed up for. (1.5 days of camping).
Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement! I hope I keep you entertained!
Danimal
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
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.
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.
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