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Update: Bahir Dar
Day 38
3rd December. 2001
Today we managed to get rid of Cisca, she flew off to
Lalibela to see the Ancient churches carved hewn from
the rock.
We have driven 587 miles from Addis Ababa and are
about to crack on to Gondar.
In Addis, I briefly visited the good Colonel one more
time. I handed over Penny and Narinder's passports,
and asked him to retrieve various weapons and a radio
that I had lent them. This was a sad final parting; I
wasn't even able to see them. I understood why we had
split, We all had jobs to go back to, Narinder and
Penny were trying to spend as long as possible without
getting a job again. They are and will remain close
and dear friends to me, but our trip was doomed. I
wish that I had the time to be able to enjoy every
small part of the countries we drove through. If they
read this, I wish them well.
I sent a final report, climbed into the truck and
puttered off to Dejen. At last, we were rolling with a
positive atmosphere. We were finally Sudan bound. We
were still unsure as to whether we were going to go to
Egypt or Chad, but we at least had visas for the
Sudan. We climbed out of Addis and drive along a 3200m
high plateau. After an hour, we descended 1200m into
the Blue Nile gorge. Down and down the earth road
twisted. Eventually we crossed that great river over a
shoddy, communist era concrete bridge; that was
guarded by the laziest filthiest soldiers in Ethiopia.
Their counterparts in the South would have been
ashamed of them.
The sun set and it grew cooler as we climbed up to
Dejen. Here we made a night halt. The following day we
left any form of Tarmac and crossed onto a dusty
murram track. This took us to Bahir Dar. Our truck was
old and dying, we were tired, dusty and had headaches.
The Land Rover needed more attention. No matter how
many times we fixed the exhaust, the road would shake
the down pipe loose and it would start to bubble. (It
turned out that this was because some African genius
had removed the middle support.) Stuart and I nearly
ended up shouting at each other over something small,
but we quickly realised that this was more due to how
we felt physically than anything else did. Within
minutes we were working side by side simultaneously
removing the carburetor and exhaust.
"That's the first barney in five weeks" said Stuart
that night.
"I wouldn't even call it that" I replied. "The Cloggy,
now that was a barney"
Stuart laughed. I was referring to two days previous
when I had told the lanky Dutchman to stick his Land
Rover up his arse. Anyone who travels will know that
people get ill and tempers fray, it is how people move
on and repair arguments that is important. I thought
that telling one Dutchman to get stuffed in 5 weeks
was quite impressive. We still have plans to meet in
Gondar, and travel to Khartoum. By this time, we'll
know if we get on and whether it is worth meeting
again.
You now find me writing these words by Lake Tana, the
source of the Blue Nile, sick to the stomach. I didn't
use a blanket last night so now I am ridden with
stomach cramps. I do not expect to find a working
computer in town so this will probably be sent by post
to my esteemed web site builder Gilo.
More my friends from the road to Khartoum.......
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