Articles in Ethiopia Bike Trip 1998-1999
001 – Sun Rhino Rims and Alpine Spokes
Preparing for Ethiopia 1 – Sun Rhino Rims and Alpine Spokes
I’d gone on three cycling trips before I decided to go to Ethiopia. The first was a short weekend trip when I was a teenager. I put a backpack on my back and rode down the St. Clair River from my hometown of Sarnia, Ontario in Canada. I learned on that trip why cyclists use …
002 – Rocky Mountain Route 66 & Arkel Overdesigns
Preparing for Ethiopia 2 – Rocky Mountain Route 66 & Arkel Overdesigns
I had my wheels. The next step was to find a stock bike with the frame I wanted. The guys at “Two Wheels” would strip it and “spec” it for me. But that was easier said than done. I spent days going over bikes and test riding them. Occasionally I thought I’d found the …
003 – My Marmot Peapod Tent
My Marmot Peapod Tent
I was just as picky when it came to picking out a tent. When I cycled in Canada and the US, I literally lived inside my tent and assumed I’d do the same in Ethiopia. So I wanted to pick the right tent. It made sense that for Africa, I’d want a tent that would be very cool and have lots of …
004 – Departure – Toronto International Airport
I’d planned my trip to Ethiopia for so long that when I finally left, it felt very dreamlike, as if I was only acting out the stages for flying to Africa. But there was no mistaking the reality of Terminal 3 at Toronto’s international airport. If it wasn’t real then who was that man who handed me a brochure and offered to “shrink-wrap” my luggage?
My …
005 – In Transit – Rome
I’d specifically requested an aisle seat, but when I boarded I found my seat already occupied. An elderly and rather fleshy Italian couple had sat in the first two seats, leaving the window seat open. They had barricaded themselves in with mountains of carry-on bags and were giving the evil eye to anyone coming down the aisle who even glanced in their direction. They glared …
006 – Arrival – Bole International Airport – Addis Ababa
It was 1:30 in the morning. My flight was the last of the day, perhaps the only flight of the day, and with my usual affinity for the tail end of any line-up I was the last one through customs and immigration. The airport was quiet enough to be spooky. It had a deserted, underused quality, like they’d opened it up and dusted it off …
007 – Heading Into Addis
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a city wake up so fast. One second the road was empty. The next it was chaos. The holes in my grand plan quickly became apparent.
I knew of course that I would stand out and attract attention, but I never anticipated the reaction I got. I drew crowds instantly. The shouts and yells and laughter rained down on me …
008 – The Palm Hotel
The front of the Palm was in fact a lively bar. Behind it was a dingy room with wobbly tables and equally wobbly chairs. They called it a restaurant, but it had none of the trappings of even a greasy spoon. Just outside the rear door to this room was a large trough where customers washed their hands before and after meals. The saddest and …