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14? Could This be the End PLEASE

So when I think back to what I put the most effort into purchasing, tires was definately it. I rode the tire/rim combination that I am running now, all year with NO FLATS. I thought my Unlucky 13 from the other day would have topped it off. On Yesterday's ride I was beginning to get sick so I wasn't at my best, plus we had rode the Blue Nile Gorge the day before so with several thousand meters of elevation gain this week already I am feeling a little under the weather. We rode a short 90km ride yesterday but with 1120m elevation gain, which made it feel a lot longer than the 90km it was. The last kilometer something was feeling really wrong with my tire. I asked the guy I was riding with to look at it and he said it looked okay. We rolled into camp and I got off my bike, layed it down and walked to get my stuff. I sat on my bag for a little while to regroup before going through the motions of setting up my stuff. When suddenly the camp was stopped in its tracks by a loud "BAM". It was a tire. This rarely happens so people were checking their bikes. Needless to say, it was my bike and the tube had blown up so hard again that it blew the tire off the rim, again. Paul the race director said he thought it was becoming a little dangerous and offered me his new Specialized Armadillo tires. I put them on after careful inspection of the rims, tubes and tires, but because of being sick today I didn't get to try them out. I hope I can ride the day after the rest day (23) and give them a whirl. The other difficult thing about this whole situation is that I have burned through all of my tubes and a lot of my patch kits already. I am looking into the possibility of getting some new things shipped to me in Nairobi, Kenya as my bike cannot run without tubes unfortunately.

The intercontinental hotel is exactly what I needed to cure myself. I didn't want to go initially, probably mostly because of how difficult it will be to leave here, but a good 20min HOT shower is exactly what I needed after a difficult day and night.

Thank you for all the messages of support and donations to the Suncatchers Project. Keep them rolling in!

The Ethiopian Flu strikes me down

February 21, this has been an incredibly long long day and I now find myself sitting in the swank lobby of the Intercontinental hotel in Addis Ababa. Today I lost "EFNT" (Every fabulous night in a tent) and "EFD" (Every fabulous day). I woke up last night at around 1am and had been struck down by the "Ethiopian flu" This thing is nasty and this is the sickest I have been in about 10 years. I spent the night over the squat toilet facing the most intense stomach cramping I have ever had. If this is what contractions feel like, you can be assured I will NEVER have a baby. I had a serious fever and was trying my best to sleep despite the hot cold chills. I could bearly make it out of my tent this morning let alone get on my bike. This was the first time of the whole trip I got up and dressed myself in something other than biking clothes and got my bike, through it on the lunch truck and opted for the back seat where I could lay down. Luckily I have made some very good friends and have an adopted mom and dad here (Geoff and Diane) and they helped me get settled. We drove the 65 brutal kilometers to lunch. At lunch I asked for the nurse to come see me and she gave me Buscopan (the magic little pill that stops stomach cramping) it took a long time to start working and lunch seemed to go on for ever. Smart choice not to ride, at lunch 20 riders also joined me on the lunch truck due to the difficulty of the morning ride. I finally got off the bus at 4pm, and Rick and Jenn loaded me up (somewhat reluctantly) to the intercontinental. $100 per night seemed crazy but now I am here I am very thankful to them. I hope to shake this thing tomorrow. I need to start riding again after Addis. I am still less than 200km short of completing the entire ride. The intensity of this thing is so real now. Every single day to ride 100+ km is nuts and so hard on your body. 5 weeks I have spent in my tent with cold showers and waking up to riding everyday. I hope the fever breaks tonight so I can get over this....and enjoy the hotel.

Blue Nile Gorge

It would be hard to find somewhere in the world that is more stunning or spectacular than the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia. This has been a long awaited riding day by most riders non the tour. We had a 49km ride to the edge of the Gorge, which was only recently (THANK YOU JAPAN!!) paved as of 2008. My hats go off to all the past tour riders that under took this ascent and descent on the unpaved roads of years past, as even the pavement challenged us. As we rolled over the edge, the views were incredible. It was a hairy 20km descent with children armed with rocks and “YOU YOU’s” and cattle and donkeys alike. Large trucks slowly chugging up the hill spewed their hot exhaust against already hot cycling bodies. The temperature was a dripping 39C. I needed to stop several times on the descent to give my hands a break from holding onto my break levers with all my might. Actually as we approached the bottom and the heavily armed bridge over the Blue Nile, I was thankful to begin the 22km ascent out of the gorge, just to give my upper body a break. I never thought I would say this, but I enjoyed the uphill more than the downhill on this section. The climb seemed endless as some of the riders chose to do the time trial up the other side. I opted out of this time trial, instead trying to take in the beauty of the day and the ride. I also think it would have been hard to push myself harder than I already was, as the altitude has been greatly affecting my speed on this section of the ride. I have been coming last or near to last of the riders that have not been on the trucks this last week. There are still several riders that are still suffering greatly with The “Ethiopian flu” ( diarrhea and vomiting), with several riders “bunny hopping” (as it has been termed) ahead to our next rest day in Addis Ababa several days ahead of our arrival there. Several other riders have opted to have a field trip (days off of riding) to Lalibela (a famous historical site here in Ethiopia). I either have been blessed with the immune system of an ox, or I am just taking my unluckiness with flat tires rather than sick guts. I think I would take the later based on the state of some of the riders.

Our stone throwing Ethiopian spectators continue to plague us. With one rider being stuck in the helmet, breaking her helmet and another rider receiving the first stone throwing stitches in his arm, riders are becoming more and more on the ready for our stone throwing spectators as we bike along. Yesterday I was actually punched very hard in the back while riding and another “sweet looking 10 year old girl, grabbed my butt while I was riding and I had to hit her to get her off… I guess you could say I may have been riding too slowly for these things to occur to me, which may be the truth but it is hard to go faster up these crazy hills. One rider was attacked with sticks and rocks while riding through several hundred school children on their way home from school yesterday! I was thinking how much energy it takes both physically and mentally to ride through Africa. I can only compare it to being in a parade, from the time you wake up in the morning until you arrive in camp. The problem is that you are in the parade whether you want to be or not and the spectators can be supportive and kind or angry and aggressive and at all times you need to be prepared to react to either. Instead of candy being thrown in this parade, it is rocks, from gravel size to rocks that you watch the children carry to the side of the road that are so big they can hardly manage them. It can be mentally exhausting. It seems the afternoons are harder than the mornings as the hundredth child comes screaming “you you you you you you” following you up a hill- sometimes walking faster than you can ride. Our local rider from Ethiopia had several spokes broken on his bike by the rock wielding children, so he went to the school and reported them so that they will be punished in front of others. Hopefully they begin to learn the consequences of their actions. Ahhhhh Ethiopia- what a joy! It is unfortunate because the country is stunning and the people generally amazing and hard workers. I have taken to noting the speed at which some of these children can run along side the bikes going uphill. I watch my odometer on my bike and have continuously noted children running along side the bike uphill for a serious length of time going 18km/hr, BAREFOOT! It is not surprising some of the best runners in the world come from this country.

Arriving at the top of the gorge today at 89km was a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment. It was like my climb of the Malahat highway on the island, only 1500m higher!!! I think it would have done me good to ride that a few more times before arriving, but it will seem like a breeze after today when I get home. For a number of riders, this was the most climbing they had ever done in one day. The views and breathtaking scenery and looks on the faces of the drivers passing us made every second worth it. I rode with Georgie and Mark (our sectional riders from the UK). Mark took the opportunity on the descent to propose to Georgie, despite vomiting all night and not feeling so well today. It was so great. It has been amazing to ride with Georgie and Mark this past week. They will be dear friends for years to come and I will be very sad to see them leave in Addis Ababa.

I decided today that everything is relative in difficulty. As I ride my bike up hill after hill after hill, women and men walk past piled high with hey and cow dung, or heavy clay pots of water. They plow the fields by hand and spend countless hours herding their cattle along side the scorching hot pavement roads. On one hill the other day a ten year old girl walked up the same hill I was riding carrying a full bag of cement on her head. The Ethiopian people are incredibly hard workers, it is very impressive and puts my life into perspective on a daily basis. What an amazing perspective of the world you can get from the saddle of a bicycle. I feel like I get to see the real Africa, far from the big cities and tourist areas. The everyday life that goes on. I am thankful everyday for this experience that I am fortunate enough to be having.

Unlucky 13

I should have known to beware after the twelfth flat tire that I had due to the fact that the 13th of anything is supposed to be bad luck. But my luck with flat tires has been absolutely atrocious so far this trip. It is not surprising for me to arrive at camp, having had one or more flat tires throughout the day. It has helped me to get extremely efficient at changing flat tires though which I guess is the positive in this situation.

The 13th flat happened so suddenly I really have to say this one took the cake. I had just left camp and was approximately 10km down the road chatting with Georgie about how much I liked the road that we were riding on as it was a good downhill grade. We decided to slow down to take a photo when BANG! A very loud noise of the tube popping, which in turn blew my tire off my rim and sent a small piece of the tire tube towards Georgie and it hit her arm. It was pretty scary because it brought me to a standstill pretty quickly and if I had of been going faster I definitely would have crashed. I didn’t even actually realize that the tire could come off the rim like that, ignorance is sometimes bliss I think. Unlucky 13, or maybe better yet, Lucky 13. I guess it depends on if you see the glass half full or half empty. I could have been injured but in fact, it just startled me.

Everybody Must Get Stoned

Rest Day-Bahir Dar, Ethiopia- A funky little town on Lake Tanna, the source of the Blue Nile. Palm trees and triple layered juices fill my belly with goodness and my body with the break that my body so desperately needs. The juices have truly changed my life and I will dream of these forever after leaving this country. They consist of Avocado juice, Mango Juice, Papaya Juice and Pineapple Juice Layered in a pint glass. This would cost you at least $20 to make on your own and they sell them for under a dollar. I have had three today, making my daily fruit intake probably in the neighborhood of 30 servings. I haven’t caught the “Ethiopian Flu” yet (Terrible diarrhea which everyone apparently comes down with here) but the juices might help guide me in that direction. Several riders have spent the last two days from Gondor on the bus with flu like symptoms and terrible GI issues. I must have taken my unluckiness in flat tires as I have not been sick yet…. Knock on wood. We have had a delightful two days of riding 117km followed by 61km today, our shortest day yet! We arrived in Bahir Dar at 10am so we almost have two days off! We are getting a lot of rest because we have a long 5 day stretch ahead of us including the famous Blue Nile Gorge, which for the racers will be a time trial, 20km down, 20km up… 10% grades…. We will arrive in Addis Ababa the third highest capital in the world on February 22 and then will be taking a one day shorter route to Northern Kenya due to our truck breaking down North of Gondor. They are having to get a new engine sent from Nairobi so plans have had to change a bit. Instead of riding through Arba Minch, we will ride through Yebello.

Ethiopia has taught us how to be quick witted while riding uphill in the altitude. At any moment in time, no matter where you are you can be ambused by several children. They begin by screaming “YOU YOU YOU YOU” Evidently the only English word they know. Sometimes it is followed by “MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY”… Then other times it is followed by “Where are you go” which we have learned means “Where are you from”… This is often followed by the children moving into the street, making it difficult to predict if you are going to be able to avoid them at the speeds we are biking. The children will have huge smiles on their faces, seeming excited to see you and just as you pass, you get the final treat…Large stones lobbed at you, your bike or anything they can hit. It is a lesson in patience, a lesson in understanding and an extremely frustrating stressful thing to add to the fact you are biking long distances in the heat uphill. I have been hit several times. They are extremely accurate. Being in Gondor the other day actually helped me to understand this phenomenon a little better, they do not reserve throwing rocks for foreigners alone. In fact… Everyone throws rocks at each other. I saw two men get into an argument at a store and as the other man walked away the first man picked up a stone and threw it at the back of the first man’s head knocking him out. I saw a small boy (under 10 years old) get into an argument with his mom and as he walked away he picked up a rock and threw it at her face. It is a learned behavior. In fact the times that adults see the children throw rocks at us as we ride by, they often pick up a rock and throw it at the kids, to “teach them a lesson?”. Pretty scary. The people are great when you are not riding by. We had several hundred “mountain people” surround our camp last night watching very intensely our every move… ready at any chance we were not looking to zip in and steal whatever is lying around. Theft is actually a big problem here and we lock up our bikes at night and put everything into our tents. Something we have not had to worry about in the past. So far I think riders have been pretty lucky. Not losing too many things. We have to continue to be on guard to protect our things though.

Everybody Must Get Stoned

Rest Day-Bahir Dar, Ethiopia- A funky little town on Lake Tanna, the source of the Blue Nile. Palm trees and triple layered juices fill my belly with goodness and my body with the break that my body so desperately needs. The juices have truly changed my life and I will dream of these forever after leaving this country. They consist of Avocado juice, Mango Juice, Papaya Juice and Pineapple Juice Layered in a pint glass. This would cost you at least $20 to make on your own and they sell them for under a dollar. I have had three today, making my daily fruit intake probably in the neighborhood of 30 servings. I haven’t caught the “Ethiopian Flu” yet (Terrible diarrhea which everyone apparently comes down with here) but the juices might help guide me in that direction. Several riders have spent the last two days from Gondor on the bus with flu like symptoms and terrible GI issues. I must have taken my unluckiness in flat tires as I have not been sick yet…. Knock on wood. We have had a delightful two days of riding 117km followed by 61km today, our shortest day yet! We arrived in Bahir Dar at 10am so we almost have two days off! We are getting a lot of rest because we have a long 5 day stretch ahead of us including the famous Blue Nile Gorge, which for the racers will be a time trial, 20km down, 20km up… 10% grades…. We will arrive in Addis Ababa the third highest capital in the world on February 22 and then will be taking a one day shorter route to Northern Kenya due to our truck breaking down North of Gondor. They are having to get a new engine sent from Nairobi so plans have had to change a bit. Instead of riding through Arba Minch, we will ride through Yebello.

Ethiopia has taught us how to be quick witted while riding uphill in the altitude. At any moment in time, no matter where you are you can be ambused by several children. They begin by screaming “YOU YOU YOU YOU” Evidently the only English word they know. Sometimes it is followed by “MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY”… Then other times it is followed by “Where are you go” which we have learned means “Where are you from”… This is often followed by the children moving into the street, making it difficult to predict if you are going to be able to avoid them at the speeds we are biking. The children will have huge smiles on their faces, seeming excited to see you and just as you pass, you get the final treat…Large stones lobbed at you, your bike or anything they can hit. It is a lesson in patience, a lesson in understanding and an extremely frustrating stressful thing to add to the fact you are biking long distances in the heat uphill. I have been hit several times. They are extremely accurate. Being in Gondor the other day actually helped me to understand this phenomenon a little better, they do not reserve throwing rocks for foreigners alone. In fact… Everyone throws rocks at each other. I saw two men get into an argument at a store and as the other man walked away the first man picked up a stone and threw it at the back of the first man’s head knocking him out. I saw a small boy (under 10 years old) get into an argument with his mom and as he walked away he picked up a rock and threw it at her face. It is a learned behavior. In fact the times that adults see the children throw rocks at us as we ride by, they often pick up a rock and throw it at the kids, to “teach them a lesson?”. Pretty scary. The people are great when you are not riding by. We had several hundred “mountain people” surround our camp last night watching very intensely our every move… ready at any chance we were not looking to zip in and steal whatever is lying around. Theft is actually a big problem here and we lock up our bikes at night and put everything into our tents. Something we have not had to worry about in the past. So far I think riders have been pretty lucky. Not losing too many things. We have to continue to be on guard to protect our things though.