(Ethiopia) Welcome to the hell, Ethiopia for cycling

As starting cycling into Ethiopia, I taste of the hell. I can’t understand why people bother cyclists so ever.

28th Sep 2013
It is just a nightmare to cycle in Ethiopia that people shout at me as YOU, chase me, surround me and throw stone (a few times) at me. The above photo looks fun, but the true thing is it does not. The most horrible thing is it is too hilly that I have to push my bike at the most of time, and then everything is going worse by people.

It is really hilly country.

It is pity that they are maybe only 10 years old, but their life looks too tough.

There are many local houses.

I don’t have a kickstand that I stand my bike at an electric pole to organize my luggage. Then one hundred people surround me. Oh…. Man………. Please…….. Stop it. I am not a monkey.

Ethiopian house is so unique.

The interesting thing is they pain at some part of house although they are too poor.

The population of Ethiopian is 80 million.

So there are many houses on the road, and especially I can see every child in every house. The scariest thing in the world is Ethiopian (African) children.

Because, they are really different. Six or Seven years old boy tries to throw a big water bottle stronly. It makes me scared that I shake my handlebar. But the thing is he was just pretending, but didn’t throw. Although it didn’t hit me, it is so dangerous that I could fall down. So I shout at him and turn my bicycle around to beat and teach a boy, but already he is gone. I can never catch African children that they are the best at running.

I am too nervous to set up tent that people will surround me. Fortunately I can sleep at the inside of church! It is so peaceful!

29th Sept 2013
The morning starts again and the hell starts as well.

It looks there is a big car accident.

It is too hilly. When I push my bike on the hill, children follow me so much all the time, and there is no way to get out of the hell.

It is a beautiful house with flowers.

I don’t have a kickstand anymore that I eat some snack on the bike. The scenery is pretty.

At the afternoon I find a good restaurant. One coffee, macchiato, is only for 30 cents. It is really awesome to tour in Coffee country.

The lunch is cheap as well that it is only 35 Birr ($2). It was really nice lunch, but local guys are flirting with disgusting way. When I have a second cup of coffee, I sit at the opposite place where I can’t see their face. Then the guy comes and says to me “I love you” with disgusting way. So I give him finger, but he keeps being around me. Later another guy comes and another guy comes. One of guys touches my shoulder, and it makes me too angry. Later I fight against three guys that we keep saying bad word at each other. Oh… Macho men…. I do hate it.

I feel so bad that I want to be alone. But it is not possible that children keep chasing me, and the men on a motor cycle keep shouting at me.

Around 2 pm there was heavy raining that I was wet. Around 4 pm there was another heavy raining. When I take shelter from the rain, children come to me and make fun of me. It makes me upset and angry again that I try to chase them away, but it is not possible. So I decide to cycle with heavy raining and start cycling. Then they shout at me “Fuck you” and throw water bottle and other things. What the hell this blood boys who are only around 10 years old are.
The only good thing to cycle with heavy raining is no more people around me. But they still keep watching me!!!!

All the time they love to look at me like this way. The picture looks fun, but reality is not good. I feel like I am a monkey in a zoo.

Horrible thing happened that I couldn’t use my brake, because it was worn out while it rains heavily. I stop my bike with my worn shoes. To cycle without brakes with heavy raining on the downhill takes more time than uphill. I try to move carefully and find one town.

The hotel is only ($4). I just lift mattress to make sure, but there are two cockroaches running. Ethiopia is famous for bedbugs that I set up my tent at the floor. I had been bitten a few times since South Africa that I am too scared of it. Ethiopia loves their culture music that they turn music loudly ever that I can hear their music which is from the restaurant. But it sounds like “You, You, You, You, You”. I’ve been heard YOU over thousands times by local people today that everything sounds like You.

30th Sept 2013
It is the photo for 20,000 km. I am afraid of the Ethiopian people that I don’t think I can take a picture of mine on the middle of the road. So I took photo earlier. Today I will cycle and hit 20,000 km! Yeah! Finally!

They build building with poor condition. Today also I am bothered too much. The most thing I am worried about is they push or kick or touch my bike while I cycle. So, I have to keep watch. When they close to my bike during cycling, then I shout at them to chase away. I can’t understand those kids. Do they have drugs since baby or what? They chew some leaf. I think it drives them crazy?

Around 2 pm, my new derailleur which I just bought three days ago is broken again. I can’t believe it that my ex one last two years.
I don’t think I can find a part of this one in a capital of Ethiopia. What can I do? Anyway I hitchhike to the big city.

The driver who gives me a ride says Hawassa, the next city, is a big city that I can find anything what I want. When we arrive at the bicycle shop in the city, I lose hope. It is just nothing that I can’t call it bicycle shop. I try to go to the capital, but the time is too late to catch any car. So I go to the hotel which costs only 150 Birr (8$). I have Ethiopian dinner in the night.

There is nothing which works well. Yeah.. Two years are long … But I don’t change many things. If I want to change many things, then it will cost $ 1,000~ 2,000.

1st Oct 2013
It is really cheap to have a meal in Ethiopia that I order breakfast, which I’ve never done before. I usually eat bread which I carry. But it is enough cheap that I can pay. Ethiopian love spicy that they put peppers on my breakfast eggs.
Around 10 am, I go out and try to hitchhike. But it is not easy.
It is interesting that Ethiopian guys hold their hand. I don’t think they are gay, but it is just their culture.

After two hours waiting, one small car stops and gives me a ride. He is so kind that I don’t feel any uncomfortable.
There is some ceremony on our way.

We have lunch on our way. Actually original menu is raw beef, but I ask to cook. I like Ethiopian culture and their food. Their food is so interesting ever!!!! Not to cycle is the best way to enjoy Ethiopia. If somebody ask me which African country is my favorite, I am gonna say South Africa and Ethiopia.

It is so peaceful at the inside of car that I don’t need worry about being harassed. But the road to the capital is quite flat.

The scenery is beautiful in Ethiopia.

We have a cup of coffee before getting into the city. Thanks to kind driver, I can arrive at host house in the capital of Ethiopia around 7:30 pm.
Could I buy parts of bicycle which I need in the capital? If I can’t find it, then what I can do? Oh.. I have no idea.
Why my lucky (my bicycle name is lucky) is broken often these days? Lucky doesn’t want to cycle or what?
My plan is to stay at host house for four days to take the rest and find the solution. Let me see what is gonna happen.