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  • Armenia 18/4/2016
  • Baku, Azerbaijan
  • Georgia
  • 2-3/4/2016 Trabzon to Batumi, Georgia
    • 21-27/3/2016 Atakent to Trabzon >
      • 12-21/3/2016 Cide to Akakent >
        • 6-11/3/2016 Eregli to Cide
  • 26/2-4/3/2016 Istanbul to Eregli
    • Istanbul 15-25/2/2016 >
      • London 30/1-15/2/2016 >
        • Istanbul 19-30/1/2016
  • Proposed Journey East from Istanbul, March 2016
  • Sth Africa 6-19/1/2016
    • South Africa 6/12/2015 to 6/1/2016
  • Namibia 24/10-5/12/2015
    • Namibia 1/10/2015 to 23/10/2015
  • Zambia 7-30/9/2015
  • 21/8/2015 Malawi
  • 30/7-20/8/2015 Kigoma to Malawi Border
    • 21-30/7/2015 Tanzanian border to Kigoma, Lake Tanganyika >
      • 18-20/7/2015 Kigali to Tanzanian border >
        • 12-15/7/2015 Gisenyi to Kigali >
          • 10-11/7/2015 Rwandan border to Gisenyi
          • 15th June to 8th July Uganda
  • Last days in Kenya
    • 1-6/6/2015 Meru to Nyahururu >
      • 28-31/05/2015 Kenol to Meru >
        • 2011-16 Map >
          • 12-18/10/2014 Beausejour to St Laurent do Maroni >
            • 7-11/10/2014 St Georges to Beausejour, French Guiana >
              • 3-7/10/2014 Amapá, Brazil to St Georges, French Guiana >
                • 1-2/10/2014 Porto Grande to Amapá, AP >
                  • 26-29/9/2014 Macapá to Porto Grande >
                    • 16-23/9/2014 Almeirim to Macapá >
                      • 11-16/9/2014 Rurópolis to Almeirim, PA,BR >
                        • New Page
                        • 13/8-10/9/2014 Rurópolis, BR to Christchurch, NZ, return >
                          • 2-12/8/2014 Altamira to Ruropolis >
                            • 1-4/8/2014 Pacajá to Altamira, PA >
                              • 29/7-1/8/2014 Marabá to Pacajá, PA, BR230
        • 21-28/5/2015 Ongata to Kenol >
          • 5-21/5/2015 Iten to Ongata Rongai, Nairobi >
            • 2-6/5/2015 Kitale to Iten >
              • 1-2/5/2015 Lodwar to Kitale, Kenya >
                • Kenya: Omorate to Lodwar 20/04- 1/05/2015
  • 12-18/4/2015 Abra Minche to Omorate, Ethiopia
    • 3-10/4/2015 Waliso to Abra Minch >
      • 16-30/3/2015 Dese to Waliso, Ethiopia >
        • Ethiopia 9-16/3/2015 Me'kele to Dese >
          • 19/2-8/3/2015 Ethiopia
  • 25/1-18/2/2015 Sudan
  • 16-17 Luxor to Aswan
    • 8-15/1/2015 Asyut to Luxor >
      • 7-10/1/2015 Giza to Asyut
  • 1-6/1/2015 Cairo
    • Proposed passage Cairo to Cape Town Jan 2015 >
      • 21/10-12/11/2014 Suriname and Guyana
  • Updated Gear List
  • Rodovia Transamazônica
  • 21- 25/7/2014 Redencáo to Marabá, PA
    • Pará: 17-22/7/2014 Confresa, MT to Redencao, PA >
      • 9-13/7/2014 Nova Xavantina to Confreza, MT >
        • 3-4/7/2014 Barra do Garcas to Nova Xavantina >
          • 26-31/6/2014 Rondonópolis to Barra Do Garcas, MT >
            • 20-23/6/2014 Rio Verde, MS to Rondonópolis, MT >
              • 13-17/6/2014 Bonito to Rio Verde de Mato Grosso >
                • 9-11/6/2014 Jardim to Bonito MS, BR >
                  • 7-9/6/2014 Pedro Juan Caballero, PY to Jardim,BR >
                    • 9,10,11/5/2014 Remanso to Concepción onboard MV Osmar >
                      • 6-7/5/2014 Remanso,PY >
                        • 6/5/2014 Asunción to Remanso, PY >
                          • 27/4-2/5/2014 Foz do Iguaco, BR to Asunción, PY >
                            • 24-26/4/2014 Andresito to Puerto Iguazu >
                              • 19-21/4/2014 El Soberbio to San Antonio, AR >
                                • 16-17/4/2014 El Progreso to El Soberbio, AR >
                                  • 13-15/4/2014 Apóstoles to El Progreso >
                                    • 28/3-1/4/2014 Buenos Aires,AR to Paysandu, UY >
                                      • Profile Paysandu to Brazil
                                    • 9-12/4/2014 Tapebicuá to Apóstoles, AR >
                                      • 8/4/2013 Sawmill, north of Bonpland to 3km sth of Tapebicuá
                    • 28-30/5/2014 Concepción to Pedro Juan Caballero PY >
                      • 23-25/5/2014 Aquidaban back to Concepción >
                        • 16-20/5/2014 Tres Gigantes Estación Biologica >
                          • 14-16/5/2014 Vallemi to Bahia Negra on the Aquidaban >
                            • 13/5/2014 Bus trip Concepción to Vallemi
                    • 1-6/6/2014, Pedro Juan Caballero
  • 25/1/2014 USHUAIA
    • 23-24/1/2014 Rio Grande to Rio Lasifashaj >
      • 22-23/1/2013 Punta Arenas, CL to Rio Grande, AR >
        • 16-19/1/2014 Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas >
          • 14-15/1/2014 Torres Del Paine National Park, CL >
            • 8-12/1/2014 El Calafate to Puerto Natales >
              • 1-7/1/2013 Villa O'Higgins, CL to El Calafate, AR >
                • 27-31/12/2013 Cochrane to Villa O'Higgins >
                  • 19-26/12/2013 Coyhaique to Cochrane >
                    • 12-18/12/2013 Rio Santiago Bastia to Coyhaique >
                      • 6-12/12/2013 La Piedra del Gato to Mañihuales >
                        • 5-9/12/2013 Quellón to La Junta, CL >
                          • 29/11/2013 5/12/2013 Castro to Quellón, Chiloe, CL >
                            • 24/11/2013 Puerto Montt to Castro >
                              • 16-23/11/2013, San Martín, AR to Puerto Montt, CL >
                                • 9-14/11/2013 Temuco, CL to San Martín de los Andes, AR
                                • Cunco to Temuco and Santiago by bus
                                • Untitled
                                • 20,21/10/2013 Malargue to Los Frisos,AR
                                • 22-29/10/2013 Las Frisas, AR to Cunco,CL
  • 13/3/2012 Penonomé to Playa Gorgona
    • 14/3/2011 Playa Gorgona to Panama City
    • 15,16/3/2011 Panama City >
      • 14/4/2012, Shelter bay & Gatun Locks >
        • 15,16/4/2012 Canal transit >
          • 17/4/2012 Shelter Bay Marina onboard SV Bijou >
            • Feb 2014, An account of a road trip in New Zealand
          • 18,19/4/2012 Shelter Bay Marina
      • 17.../3/2012 Onboard SV Moondance, Brisas de Amador >
        • 25 March to 9 April, Gorgona, PC,Las Bresas >
          • 11/4/2012, Shelter Bay Marina,SV Bijou
          • 12/4/2012, Shelter Bay, and a bit of exploring
        • 11/3/2012 Las Lajas to Santiago >
          • 12/3/2012, Santiago to Penonomé
  • 7/4/2013 Bella Unión, UY to north of Bonpland, AR
    • 4-6/4/2014 Salto to Bella Unión, UY >
      • 2-3/4/2014 Termas de Guaviyú to Salto
  • Overnight Stop Map
    • 20-27/4/2012 Passage Portobelo to Santa Marta, Colombia
    • 28-29/2012 Santa Marta
  • Chile to Argentina (click on this header for an entry)
    • 6/9/2013 59km up the road camping
    • 7/9/2013 the corner to Paso Jama, Argentina
    • 8/9/2013 Paso Jama to adobe ruins on Salar de Olaroz
    • 9/9/2013 Ruins to south of Susques
    • 10/9/2013 Sth of Susques to bottom of range, camping >
      • 11/9/2013 bottom of the range to Purmamarca
      • 12/9/2013 Purmamarca to Lake campground near Salta >
        • 13,14/9/2013 Dique Cobre Corral to Salta,AR >
          • Salta south >
            • 17/9/2013 Quebrada De Las Conchas to Cafayate
      • 19/9/2013 Cafayate to 15km to Rio El Tesaro, camping >
        • 20/9/2013 Rio El Tesaro to Rio Belén, sth of Hualfin
      • 21/9/2013 Rio Belén to Belén >
        • 22/9/2013 Belén to a creek bed 42km sth
        • 23/9/2013 creek bed to 10km nth of Pituil
        • 25/9/2013 north of Pituil to Chilecito
        • 25-30/9/2013 Chilecito, AR
        • 1-7/10/2013 Chilecito to Caucete, AR >
          • 9-12/10/2013 Caucete to Tunuyán, AR
      • 13-15/10/2013 Caucete to San Rafael, AR >
        • 17/10/2013 San Rafael to Malargue, AR
  • Chile from 28/8/2013
    • 29/8/2013 Ascotán to Chiu Chiu
    • 30/8/2013 Chiu Chiu to Calama, CL
    • 31/8,1/9/2013 Calama to San Pedro de Atacama, CL
  • 20/7/2013 Titicaca area to Bolivian border
    • 20/7/2013 Sicuani to Santa Rosa >
      • 21/7/2013 Santa Rosa to Juliaca >
        • 22/7/2013 Juliaca to 6km past Huancané >
          • 23/2013 Huancané to Conima, camping >
            • 24/7/2013 near Conima, Peru to Puerto Acosta, Bolivia >
              • 25/7/2013 Puerto Acosta to Nth of Ancoraimes
  • 26/7/2013 Nth of Ancoraimes to Achacachi
    • 27/7/2013 Achacachi to Copacabana >
      • 28,29/7/2013 Copacabana BO, Kasani PE, Copa. BO
      • 30/7/2013 Copacabana, BO to Desaguadero, PE
      • 31/7/2013 Desaguadero, PE to El Alto, BO
      • 1,2/8/2013 El Alto to La Paz
      • 3,4,5/8/2013 La Paz
      • 8/08/2103 La Paz to Nth of Ayo Ayo, Camping
      • 9/8/2013 Nth of Ayo Ayo to south of Villa, camping >
        • 10/8/2013 Sth of Villa to just sth of Oruro, camping >
          • 11/8/2013 Sth of Ororo to Sth of Pazna, camping >
            • 12/8/2013 Sth of Poopo to Challapata >
              • 13,to17/8/2013 Challapata to Jirira 18-26/8 to Ollague,Chile
  • Peru 20/4/2013.....
    • 20-22/4/2013, Macará to Olmos, PE
    • 23-27/4/2013 Olmos to Chachapoyas,PE
    • 27/4/2013, Chachapoyas, PE
    • Chachapoyas to Cajamarca, PE >
      • 1/5/2013 Lejmebamba to Cerros de Calla-Calla >
        • 2/5/2013 Cerros de Calla-Calla to Balsas >
          • 3/4/2013 Balsas to a farm house overlooking Limon >
            • 4/5/2013 farm house campsite to south of Celendin >
              • 5,6/5/2013 Sth of Celendin to Cajamarca
    • 7/5/2013 Cajamarca to 9km before Cajabamba >
      • 8/5/2013, 9 km north of Cajabamba to Laguna Sousacocha >
        • 11/5/2013 Haumachuco to Trujillo
        • 9,10/5/2013 Laguna Sausacocha to Huamachuco
      • 18/5/2013 Lima
      • 23-25/5/2013 Trujillo to Caraz, PE >
        • 26,27/5/2013 Caraz to Huaraz, PE >
          • 28/5/2013 Huaraz to 34km south of Pachocoto,PE >
            • 29/5/2013 Farm 25km past Chacapoto to 12km on Huánuco Rd >
              • 30/5/2013,12km up Huanuco road to camp at 4600m >
                • 31/5/2013 near summit to La Union
    • 1/6/2013 Huánaco to camp near Acobamba >
      • 2,3/6/2013 Camping near Acobamba to Huánuco
    • 16/6/2013 Huancayo to Cuzco and Machu Picchu >
      • 16/6/2013 Huancayo to south of Mariscal Cáceres, camping >
        • 17/6/2013 sth Mariscal Cáceres 4km sthLa Esmeralda,camping >
          • 18/6/2013 Sth of La Esmaralda to Huanta >
            • 19/6/2013 Huanta to Ayacucho
  • 22/6/2013 Ayaucucho to top of pass before Ocros, 4200m
    • 23/6/2013 cerca la cumbre a 5km sur de Puente Pampas >
      • 23/6/2013 Sur de Puente Pampas a 5km este de Uripa >
        • 24/6/2013 above Uripa to Andahualas >
          • 25/6/2013 Andahuaylas to 10km below the summit >
            • 26/6/2013 near the summit to Puente Pachachaca >
              • 29/6/2013 Abancay to Curahuasi >
                • 30/6/2013 Curahuasi to a camp on the Rio Apurimac >
                  • 1/7/2013 Rio Apurimac to Izcuchaca >
                    • 2/7/2013 Izcuchaca and Cuzco >
                      • 4,5/7/2013 Izcuchaca to Cuzco >
                        • 9,10,11/7/2013 Cuzco to Machu Picchu >
                          • 11-16/7/2013 Cuzco >
                            • 17/7/2013 Cuzco to Quiquijana camping on el Rio Vilcanota
              • 27,28/6/2013 Puente Pachachaca to Abancay
  • 4/6/2013 Huánuco to just south of Huariaca
    • 5/6/2013 Huariaco to Cerro De Pasco >
      • 7,8/5/2013 Cerro De Pasco >
        • 8/6/2013 Cerro De Pasco to Junín >
          • 9/6/2013 Junín to 20km south of La Aroya, camping >
            • 10/6/2013 Sth of La Aroya to Huancayo
  • Medellín to Ushuaia, 2013 (april 2013 here,)
    • 31/1/13 Riosucio to Anserma >
      • 1/2/2013 Anserma to Cartago >
        • 6/12/2015 to 4/1/2016 South Africa
        • 2/2/2013 Cartago to Buga >
          • 3/2/2013 Buga all day >
            • 4,5/2/2013 Buga to Cali >
              • 6/2/2013 Cali to Piendamo
    • 27/1 Medellín to Bolombolo
    • 28/1 Bolombolo to La Pintada >
      • 29/1/13 La Pintada to Supia >
        • 30/1/13 Supía to Riosucio
      • 8/2/2013 Timbio to El Bordo >
        • 6/3/2013, San Clemente to Manta, EC >
          • 7/3/2013 Manta,EC all day >
            • 9/3/2013, Manta to Tena by bus >
              • 12,13,14,15 Tena to Limoncocha >
                • 16,17/3/2013 Manta >
                  • 18-23 Manta, Galapagos, Manta >
                    • 24,25/3/2013 Manta to Machalilla NP, EC >
                      • 26/3/2013 Machalillo NP to Machalillo >
                        • 27/3/2013 Machalilla to Puerto Lopez >
                          • 228,29,30/3/2013 Puerto Lopez, EC >
                            • Untitled
                            • 31/3/2013, Puerto Lopez to Ayungue, EC
      • 19/2/2013 Otavalo, Ecuador all day >
        • 20/2/2013 Otavalo to Sth of Otón, Ecuador >
          • 21/2/2013 Otón to Quito >
            • 22,23/2/2013 Quito, Hotel Húngaro >
              • 26/2/2013 Quito to Tandapi, EC
      • 27/2/2013 Tandapi to El Carmen, EC >
        • 28/2/2013, El Carmen to Pedernales, EC >
          • 2/3/2013 Pedernales to Tabuga >
            • 3/3/2013 Tabuga to Canoa >
              • 30/4/2012 Last day Santa Marta >
                • 1/5/2012 Santa Marta to Barranquilla
                • 2/5/2012 Barranquilla to Santa Veronica
                • 3/5/2012 Santa Veronica all day >
                  • 4-5/5/2012 Santa Veronica
              • 6-7/5/2012 Santa Veronica >
                • 8,9 &10/5/2012 Santa Veronica
              • 11/5/2012 Santa Veronica to Cartagena >
                • 12/5/2012 Cartagena all day >
                  • 13/5/2012 Cartagena to San Jacinto >
                    • 14/5/2012 San Jacinto to Sincelejo >
                      • 15/5/2012 Sincelejo to San Bernado >
                        • 16/5/2012 San Bernado to Puerto Escondido >
                          • 17,18/ 5 /2012, Puerto Escondido >
                            • 19/5/2012, Puerto Escondido to Planeta Rico >
                              • 20/5/2012 Planeta Rica to Caucasia >
                                • Untitled
                                • Untitled
                                • 21/5/2012, Caucasia to Tarazá >
                                  • 22/5/2012, Tarazá to Valdivia >
                                    • 23/5/2012, Valdivia to Yarumal >
                                      • 24/5/2012, Yarumal for the day >
                                        • 25/5/2012 Yarumal to Santa Rosa de Osos >
                                          • 26/5/2012, Santa Rosa de Osos >
                                            • 27/5/2012, Santa Rosa de Osos to Medellin >
                                              • 28/7 2011, Hannibal to Grafton
              • 5/3/2013, Canoa to San Clemente,EC
      • 9/2/2013 El Bordo to Tablon (April 2013 here) >
        • 1/4/2013 Ayungue to Salinas, EC >
          • 2/4/2013 Salinas to Posorjas,EC >
            • 3/4/2013 Posorja to San Carlos,EC >
              • 4/4/2013, San Carlos to Angas,EC >
                • 5/4/2013, Angas to Soldados, EC >
                  • 6/4/2013, Soldados to Cuenca >
                    • 7-9/4/2013, Cuenca, EC >
                      • 10-14/4/2013 Cuenca to Loja >
                        • 14-18/4/2013 Loja to Macará, EC >
                          • 7/2/2013 Piendamo to Timbio
      • 10,11/2/2013 Tablon to Chacahgui
      • 12/2/2013 Chachagui to Yucuanquer
      • 13,14,15/2/2013 Yucuanquer to Ipiales >
        • 16/2/2013 Ipiales to Bolivar, Ecuador >
          • 17/2/2013 Bolivar to nth of Ibarra, Ecuador >
            • 18/2/2013 Nth of Ibarra to Otavalo, Ecuador
    • Colombia 2012
  • Terrain Profiles
  • Nicaragua
  • Blog
  • Memphis to Venice, LA
  • Home and August entries
    • 8/8/2011 Sweetwater to Salida >
      • 9/8/2011 Salida to 3m North of Cripple Creek, CO >
        • 10/8/2011 Cripple Creek to Phantom Canyon >
          • 11/8/2011 Phantom Canyon to Pueblo >
            • 12/8/2011 Kansa to Warrensberg, MO >
              • 13/8/2011 Warrensberg to Clinton, MO >
                • 14/8/2011 Clinton to Sedalia >
                  • 15/8/2011 Sedalia to Tipton >
                    • 16/8/2011 Tipton all day >
                      • 17/8/2011 Tipton to Red Oak Park ,Lake of the Ozarks >
                        • 18/8/2011 Lake of the Ozarks all Day >
                          • 19/8/2011 Red Oak all day >
                            • 20/8/2011 Red Oak Park to Boonville >
                              • 21/8/2011 Boonville to Columbia >
                                • 22/8/2011 Columbia all day >
                                  • Untitled
                                  • 22/8/2011 Columbia to Portland >
                                    • 24/8/2011 Portland to Defiance >
                                      • 25/8/2011 Machens to Portage Des Sioux >
                                        • 26,27,28/8/2011Portage Des Sioux to Alton >
                                          • 29/8/2011 Alton to Columbia >
                                            • 30/8/2011 Columbia to Chester >
                                              • 31/8/2011 Chester to Grand Tower >
                                                • 1/9/2011 Grand Tower, IL to Wickliffe, KY >
                                                  • 2/9/2011 Wickliffe to Columbia, KY >
                                                    • 5/9/2011Tiptonville TN to Ripley TN
                                                    • Untitled
                                                    • 3-4/9/2011 Colmbus to Hickman, KY >
                                                      • 6/9/2011 Ripley Meeman- Shelby SP >
                                                        • Untitled
                                                        • 7/9/2011 Meeman-Shelby to Memphis
    • The proposed itinerary
    • A few words about the river
    • My Bike
    • Journal- Intro
    • Journal Entries late July early August >
      • 29/7/11 Grafton all day >
        • 30/7/2011 Grafton To Alton >
          • 31/7/11 Alton all day >
            • 1/8/2011 Alton all day >
              • 2,3/8/2011 Alton to Colarado Springs >
                • 3/8/2011 Colarado Springs >
                  • 4/8/2011, Colarado Springs >
                    • 5/8/2011 Colarado Springs Day 2
                  • 6/8/2011 Pueblo Dakota Springs >
                    • 7/8/2011 Dakota Hot Springs to Texas Creek >
                      • 7/8/2011 Dakota Hot springs to Texas Creek
    • The Gear list
  • Sydney to International Falls
    • IF to Northome >
      • Northome to Three Island Lake >
        • Three Island Lake to Itasca State Park >
          • Itasca Park full day 1 >
            • Itasca Park full day 2
  • Itasca to 4m north of Walker
    • 21/6/11 Walker to dare I say it Park Rapids
    • 22/6/11 Park Rapids all day >
      • 23/6/11 Park Rapids to sth of Walker
    • 24/6/11 Sth of Walker to Oak Haven Resort
    • 25/6/11 Oak Haven to Bena
    • 26/6/11 Bena for the day >
      • 27/6/11 Bena, from my tent to the shop and back
  • 28/6/11 Bena to Grand Rapids
  • 29/06/11 Grand Rapids to Pallisade
    • 30/06/11 Palisade to Crosby
    • 1/07/11 Crosby to Royalton
    • 2/07/2011 Royalton to St Cloud >
      • 3/07/2011 St Cloud to Monticello >
        • 4/7/2011 Monticello to Ham Lake >
          • Ham Lake all day >
            • 6/7/2011 Ham Lake to Prescott, WI >
              • 7/6/2011 Prescott to Pepin
          • 8/7/2011 Pepin to Perrot SP
    • 9/7/2011 Perrot SP to Wabasha, MN
  • 10/7/2011 Wabasha to Hastings
  • 16-17/1/2015 Luxor to Aswan
  • Zambia 7-30/9/2015
  • 11/7/2011 Hastings to Wabasha
    • 12/7/2011 Wabasha to Lansing,IA >
      • 13/7/2011 Lansing all day >
        • 14/7/2011 Lansing to Pikes Peak SP >
          • 15/7/2011 Pikes peak SP to Dubuque, IA >
            • 16/7/2011, Dubuque to Bellevue >
              • 17/7/2011, Pleasant Creek CG all day >
                • 18/7/2011, Pleasant Creek CG all day >
                  • 19/7/2011, Bellevue to Silvas, IL
          • 20/7/2011, Moline for the Day >
            • 21/7/2011, Moline to Loud Thunder Park >
              • 22/7/2011, Loud Thunder park to Keithsberg >
                • 23/07/2011, Keithbergs to Fort madison, IA >
                  • 24/7/2011, Fort Madison to Nauvoo
                • 25/7/2011, Nauvoo to Quincy >
                  • 26/7/2011 Quincy all day
    • Granada to Panama, Feb 27 >
      • 9, 10/3/2011 Servo to Playa Las Lajas
  • 8/5/2017 Tehran
Picture
Hamer people
To accommodate Pedros budget we shared my room for the second night.

It was a good compromise.

During the day yesterday, Pedro found another cheaper place. So he moved in there, leaving his bike and some gear in my spacious room.

The markets were visited to where garlic, eggs, bread and a lot of fruit was bought. A delicious scrambled egg mix was made back at the room and eatedn over a movie with a great honey sweetened coffee.

 

12/4/2015   Abra Minch to a campsite sth of Holte

D67, T5, Av13, Max48, 39,711, 4,709

Very warm and humid, high UV

 I was up early and headed up to the tourist hotel to check my Emails. Last night a roast chicken dinner was enjoyed here.

On the road, I needed petrol for my stove. None of the gas stations on the way out of town had regular. Most vehicles here use diesel. Nearing the edge of city limits I saw a tuk tuk parked. The guy disconnected his fuel line and filled my bottle for me.

The climb out of town was met by a very abrupt descent down into a valley below.

We stopped for a chat here.

Once down on the valley floor it was easy riding for miles. There were bees nests hanging in trees and Guinea fowl, taking to the air as they were scared.

Many Acacia trees were present. It was very African. We came to one spot where some vultures and Asreas (Amharic) were perched in trees. These birds are like the Australian Jabiru, really a large stalk.

The birds were quiet but kept their distance.

The valley floor was now tilled and was planted in new crops, mainly an Alfalfa type seedling that looked like corn. Maybe it was corn.

Tukuls were everywhere across the landscape. Some were for shelter and  for  others were homes, they had enclosed sides.

We followed the edge of Lake Chamo for some time. It was close to the road at only one point.

At the left turn off to Konso the road became gravel. The surface was fine by some standards.

Along here we came to a few villages, a restaurant was hard to find. Most places just sold beer and more beer.

In one village, some 80 kids must have followed us along the gravel road. It was absolute mayhem, they were running, screaming and touching the bikes. Pedro was putting his camera away on the move and fell off.

All the kids just scattered, bit were soon back again. From here, the country was still open with tilled paddocks under the new crop. Trees were scattered through the paddocks that had little squares bounded by soil mounds to trap any water. The soil was a fine alluvial sandy loam. Heavy rain would just wash it away. Some erosion seen in seasonal watercourse was extreme. Deep scars were carved in the deep soils.

We stopped for a met lunch in Holte, the place took a bit to find but was good value. They had just killed a cow.

The orthodox Christians are now eating meat big time.

We did not want to get to Konso so we started looking for a campsite. Between villages one was found down a track in the open land. Here we found a little shelter Tukul just big enough for both our tents,.

Before dinner I went wandering across the paddocks to explore.

This one tree was home to dozens of these giant millipedes. They are nocturnal and were congregating on the branches.

One would get a huge scare if one of the creatures turned up in your tent.

A storm cell could be heard off in the distance. The farmers have planted tis crop because it is the beginning of the wet season, they want rain, we don’t!!

It held off. We ate and were in bed by 2030.

Tonight rain would not bother us.

13/4/2015   Campsite sth of Holte to Konso

D38, T3, Av11.83, Max41, 39,749, 4,747

Very warm and humid

The campsite had been great, no one disturbed us all night. In the morning whilst I was up early, a teenager and his donkey came to gather some hay from one of the stacks. We said Salam, he greeted us and just watched us leaning against a tree from some time. Then he got about the task of loading his donkey with the dry straw.

Once packed, it was a fair way back up the gentle track between plots to the road.

No land is wasted, the track was just wide enough for the bikes and us pushing them.

Once on the road the gravel continued. The erosion was now devastating the land in the watercourses, they are all now dry though.

This alluvium has no  structure. Many kids we passed on the road are doing this traditional dance which involves crouching and opening the the knees. This done in an effort to get money.

Coming to a reasonable size stream. I rode down  to wash my shorts. Down here there were dozens of people washing, collecting water and bathing in the shallow brown waters. Once my shorts had dried out on the back of the bikwe some 20 km later. I changed into them out of my longer shorts. These ones allow my legs so much more freedom.

Whilst putting them on, I smelled them. Even though soap had been used they had a smell of treated sewerage. The rivers around these villages really are heavily polluted by all the human activity in their waters.

From here the asphalt commenced again. So did the harassing kids. They were grabbing the bikes and following us.

I stopped by a dry riverbed under a great shady tree. I yelled to Pedro as he came past ten minutes later. He had pulled a large thorn from his front tyre. By the time we had eaten, his tyre was flat. He repaired it. Punctures have almost been non existent for me since being in Africa. Unlike Sth America where 1 or more can occur in a single day for weeks on end.

We passed a small ochre coloured dam by the roadside, in and around this were dozens of kids. They saw me and all come running .I stopped to take a photo. A teenage girls started kicking my front wheel;. I gave her the firm word. These are the kids that annoy us the most they have bad intentions.

Pedro came along and the same thing happened he got off his bike and chased them.

Once this was repaired we had a slow climb before Konso. An obnoxious kid followed me for 3 km or more or more, he would not leave me alone

As we were both leaving him near the top of the hill. He had a stone in his hand.

He did not through it.

Once in Konso, the first two hotels had inflated prices. We soon found a pension to the left of the big roundabout then right then left again.

The people were friendly and honest with their prices. We showered. I bought 8 good mangoes for the road ahead and stocked up on soya meat, biscuits, noodles and loo paper. We went into town for lunch., Pedro went to an Injera place. In the hotel on the roundabout, they were seving meat dishes I opted for a 500 grams of beef bbq for 100 birr.

It was great. Other people celebrating the holiday again today gave me some goat.

Most people were drinking warm beer in the crowded garden type bar. I managed to find a half cold coke

 

The afternoon was spent boiling some eggs and just relaxing looking at the map and planning. The skies opened about 1800, the wet season is on us.

It was nice to be in a hotel.

The town has had no power for three days.

With our head torches on we negotiated the muddy streets down to town for a meal of Injera, I had bread for a change my lunchtime meat was with Injera.

I am writing this in my room tonight, using a candle as light.

This afternoon, whilst lying on my bed, a bed bug crawled up my arm. Pedro is sleeping on his bed in his tent. I have hung my mosquito net and will sleep on top of the bed clothes. Hopefully the one I spotted was a loner.

Tomorrow or in the middle of the night will tell!!

14/4/2015   Konso to Woito Police Stn camping

D74, T5, Av15.59, Max62, 39,882, 4,821

Very warm and humid, storms about, gravel road

Well last night was one to remember. I got up out of my tent on the floor to go to the loo with my headlight on. The outside of my tent was literally covered with bed bugs, hundreds of them. This was 0300 in the morning.

There was no way I was going back to sleep in this room. Till daylight I spent getting all my gear outside and checking it for bed bugs.

Come daylight, an inspection of the tent revealed hundreds of them hiding under the seams of the tent. The only way to get these out was to use a tooth brush.

Pedro too had been killing them since midnight.

The owner of the place really didn’t care or understand our situation. I told he should burn everything in the rooms. This was an infestation of plague proportions.

I had to go into town to buy some sole glue to patch up small holes in the mesh of my tent where they had entered.

We finally got away about 1000.

It was a steady climb from town. Gasoline for our stoves was bought 3 km up the hill from the village centre.

The climbing and descending continued for 4 hours. Then we finally saw the Omo Valley below us. From here it was a descent onto the valley floor.

It was very flat in the valley with low scrubby vegetation. On arrival at Wioto we ate a basic Injera and had a couple of drinks at the lodge. Their prices were inflated even for camping. On asking at the police station they kindly let us camp there the night.

 

 

 

15/4/2015 Woito Police Stn camping to a bush camp

D73, T10, Av13.82, Max25, 39,882, 4,894

Very warm and humid, wet night, gravel road

It was great to have had a night free of bed bugs. Some that had taken the trip with us were found.

It had rained much of the night and our tents needed drying in the morning. Once these were dry we headed off down the back road to Turmi.

It was gravel but relatively smooth riding on the tracks at the side of the road. The hamer peole were now a common sight on the road. With their colourful beads and the woman with their finely braided hair soaked in a red ochre.

 At one point on the road was a boy with a small bow and some arrows. We stopped to talk to him and fired a few arrows from the tightly strung bow. He was a very good shot. I don’t know what he used the arrows for, as they had empty rifle shells on the pointy end. They balanced the arrows well.

The road followed the range on our right side for most of the day. At one point we stopped under a tree for lunch I made the people who soon turned up a cup of hot chocolate. Not one of them liked it.

Many of the Hamer people now are wearing less clothing, it is common to see young children just naked with a few beads around their neck.

People are saying “photo photo”in an effort to get us to pay for photos.We arrived at the village of Avole and I had a meat lunch there. Pedro thpught it was to expensive and prepared his own lunch. Here we stocked up on water at the local well.

This town was very tourist orientated where photos were costing money, we took one distant shot.

From here a common sight was tribesmen on the road carrying rifles. Further on we were riding together and stopped to talk to some young guys on the road, one hd a rifle. I took a photo of Pedro talking to them. One said he wanted money, I told him I was taking a photo of Pedro. He said he wanted some money. I said I will delete the shot which I did and he checked. He did not believe me. In the end after much discussion they let us go on. It was all a bit dicey especially with a person in the group with a firearm, although he kept well out of the argument.

Nearing dark we decided to look for a camp, we waited till most people had bought their animals home. Most small herds have a few animals with bells. The bells are  not as musical as the Swiss cow bells but can be heard all through the low scrubby trees.

We found a camp well off the road and just as we were setting up the rain began to fall. Once in the tent I had biscuits for dinner and promptly fell asleep to the sound of rain and thunder.

  

 

 

16/4/2015  bush camp to Turmi

D47, T6, Av9.65, Max40, 39,942, 4,940

Very warm and humid, wet night, gravel road

Road impassable to cars, pushed some of the way

It had rained consistently much of the night, we had decided to get up very early and get out of here before the hamer people and their animals arrived.

We arose in the dark, within 15 minutes a man and his son just appeared out of the scruband the grey overcast sky. We greeted them. He was friendly and took an interest in all the gear we had, especially my tent bag. It could be of use to him.

We said goodbye and pushed our bikes to the road. All four tyres made it back puncture free, the place was full of thorny vegetation.

I had just rolled my soaking tent up and thrown it under a cargo net. We did not have breakfast. I had just biscuits for dinner inside my tent last night, Pedro had porridge.

Consequently within one hour I needed to stop to eat. Pedro said he would keep going slowly. Stopping on a piece of road slightly elevated, that caught a breeze. I hung the tent out very cautiously on the edges if a thorny tree.

My table mat was spread out on the road. First thing to do was boil the pot. Soon a man and his daughter turned up.

They were very inquisitive and just watched me. Another guy turned up. All were hamer people but not dressed in all the gear. They had the signature beads and haircuts though. The men cut their hair well back from their forehead.

Tey were nice people, I shared some porridge and bread with them. The single guy told me had a headache I gave him some paracetamol and Ibufren.

They all started laughing when I cleaned my teeth. They were each given a small blob of toothpaste.

We had a great half hour together. Once again, they took a liking to my tent bag, due to its usefulness.

I also had a small pill bottle I gave to one of the guys.

By the time I left my tent was dry.

The road had been flat for all the way so far. We then climbed into some foothills. Here the road deterriated unbelievably. There were screes of gravel and rocks at each gully where the road intersected it.

Many of these we had to push the bikes over. Yesterday we saw one 4x4, now we know why.

The road is impassable to any vehicle.

There were tribes people wandering about in river beds and just in the bush. Some gelada monkeys were seen at one huge riverbed that was crossed. All these watercourses had been carrying water last night.

Again we had to push the bikes up many inclines out f the creeks.

We stopped for a lunch of cabbage, pasta and soya meat before one big loose rock climb.

I use alot more water than Pedro, mine was getting low, not to mention the two unreal cups of tea I enjoyed over lunch.

One this road you will need 4-5 litres of water from Woito to Arvole, top up there at the well, but six litres would be minimum, it it hard work and really humid this time of year. The sweat just pours out.

Surface water is almost non existent in the quartz rocky terrain. On the tops of this range was surface water in ponds but it was heavily polluted by stock.

We just kept going up. Pushing, riding, resting, drinking but always loving the solitude and no vehicles. Every km or so there would be tribes people from the Hamer on the road with a goat or two or just walking along.

Once on the tops it was up and down, care had to be taken in the loose sand in places. I nearly came to grief in some loose spots. There were small sandy creek crossings in every depression. Most were wet only from the movement of water last night.

Soon a rolling descent commenced. The road was sandy but solid for the most part.

At one total washout, some guys we had meet were digging a crossing. I found a spot to push my bike over rocks off the rod a bit. They were really angry we did not use their crossing and demanded money.

They were employed by the government to do this.

Nearing Turmi I caught up to Pedro. He was parked at a wild flow of rich brown water flowing through a low area. This was the river Keske. There was no way we were going to get over this.

On the Turmi side there were traditionally dressed people with goods from the market today waiting to cross. The waters were receding all the time .

Some guys without clothes crossed to say hi.

Woman and men now are wearing skins wrapped around them and many women have exposed breasts. All have the braided hair dipped in a mud like lotion.

17/4/2015   Turmi to Dimeka, Evangada Pension

D30, T2, Av11.4, Max44, 39,972, 4,970

Rain storms most of the way gravel road

It was nice, to have been sleeping in a bed with no insects company. Breakfast was enjoyed with Angela from the UN and her driver and guide. I went down the road back to well to get some photos of the Hamer girls. They wanted 10 birr, I said that I would only pay them for a smile, we ended up chatting and a couple of good impromptu pics were snapped. This is the first time I have ever payed to take a photo.

These girls were rather unique and friendly.

 We left Turmi about 0900, not far down the gravel road the skies opened. Pedro stopped under a tree. I kept going. Having ridden in the tropics before. I know there is always sun just beyond the storm cell. Stopping is also a recipe to get cold. Sure enough 3 km down the road the sun was shining and it was as steamy as ever. We are now 5° from the equator down in Kenya.

The skies were a lovely tapestry of all shades of grey with little bits of blue here and there. There was always a storm cell somewhere in the vista. The landscape was now looking very African as imagined with flat topped, Acacia trees spread of to the horizon.

Arriving in Dimeka the rain was still gently falling. Here we ate a meat dish and found a hotel. Mine was 100 birr Pedro found one for 50 birr.

It was an afternoon to do some washing and relax. Some 2G net was available on ET Telecom so a few instagram pics were posted.

In the evening, my stomach felt pretty ordinary so I did not eat. Prices here are inflated but no ridiculously so.

Many Hamer women are in town asking for money. We are here because of the markets tomorrow and will have to backtrack to Turmi to get on the road to Omerate.

This to is a very touristy spot where people come to gaze at the tribes people in their traditional attire.

 

 

18/4/2015   Dimeka, Evangada Pension to a camp on the way to Omerate

D64, T4, Av14.81, Max44, 40,036, 5,034

Early shower then a great dry day

I got up early to get a few things done, like cleaning all my cutlery and pots in detergent.

I now have full on diarhea again, plenty of toilet paper has been bought.

My front panniers are taking in some water, I have large plastic bags inside them. Some holes were found these were subsequently patched with sole glue that I had bought in Konso also to patch holes in the tent.

We left our bikes in the motel rooms and visited the markets. It was fairly touristy. Angela from UNICEF was there, we had a chat and took a few pics. The short time spend with her hand her two colleagues was very enjoyable, she has a good sense of humour.

I had boiled eggs for the road to Omerate. It was such a different experience riding back without tropical downpours.

In Turmi we topped up on water at the well.

I am carrying nearly 11 litres so my bike was loaded down big time. I am now stopping for ablutions every 10km, it is a purging process. Breakfast of meat was forced down in Dimeka before leaving.

Leaving Turmi, the road was dirt for a few km then, became the sweet surface of new asphalt that the Chinese are still constructing to Omarate. This is all part of the infrastructure to do with the huge Gibe III dam, more on that later.

It was sheer pleasure riding on this road, few people and gently descending most of the way.

The Omo valley is huge, and covered in heavy low growing Acacias among other trees. Some small deer like antelope were seen prancing into the roadside bush.

We were very lucky the rain held out.

Nearing dark we pulled into a quarry site and set up camp there. It was clean, thorn free and not visible from the road.

Earlier on the road, I had been in the bushes going to the toilet as I was leaving a tribesman walked from the scrub, didn’t say hello and was carrying a rifle. As I rode off, I thought how terrible it would be to be shot in the back.

These people carry guns to protect their animals from rustlers and to maintain their grazing territory.

People not so friendly on this new road, ant hills, dam, smell of smoke with Hamer

19/4/2015   Quarry Camp to Omorate

D45, T3, Av16.12, Max33, 40,082, 5,079

Fine day

The camp had been great, nice and clean and no thorns with no disturbances. Once again I had been up all night shitting.

No rain had fallen and in the light breeze our tents were condensation free, only the footprints were slightly damp.

On the road, the riding was again a pleasure on the new asphalt. The Omo valley is truely a lovely place. Just a huge expanse of low growing Acacias. Tibes peoples were seen in many open areas.

We have been so lucky with the weather, again it was fine and quite mild.

The asphalt soon ran out as we neared the work zone. Soon we were riding on dirt again.

Nearing Omarate, a milestone of sorts was reahed for me. The distance around the world at the equator was reached, that of 40,075 km.

I marked the occasion with a pic taken by Pedro.

Some 8000km of this was on the Mississippi, 5000km here in Africa and 27k odd in South America.

We went straight to immigration in town and got stamped out of Ethiopia.

Got a few supplies. Had a meal of goat and changed our Birr the rate was 24 birr/ 100 shillings, better than in Addis.

Some touts were telling us they could take us over the river in a boat for 150birr.

There was a brand new bridge, that was part of the road construction. People were walking over this. We headed that way and the local policeman, not a very nice man would not let us pass.

We waited. In the meantime I went down to the river and had a good wash.

This cop was not going to let us over. He wanted money, we were not going to pay.

He showed us some documents that we assumed were needed.

So we headed back to the admin building but being Sunday it was closed.

We had to wait till tomorrow, We looked for a camp on the road we had come in on. This country was so flat and featureless just the slightest rain would reduce it to impassable sticky mud.

We had to find a better camp.

Some implement compounds were seen leaving town. Asking at one of these, the owner said we could stay there.

He was a great guy, who was doing well from the road works. He had a motel full of Chinese engineers and a restaurant feeding the workers. We ate a great goat soup here and set up our tents nearby.

Again, the rain held off.

I cashed in an Ethiopian Telecom scratch card to pay for my meal and a couple of $1US bills to buy drinks.
The Omo river Dam.  Gibe III
The Omo River is a lifeline for 500,000 indigenous people living in eastern Africa.
If completed, Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam will regulate and reduce the Omo River’s
flow, increasing hunger and fueling conflict throughout the basin. The dam could push
Kenya’s Lake Turkana – the world’s largest desert lake – toward ecological collapse.
Opposition to the project in Ethiopia has been muted by the government, but in Kenya,
Lake Turkana communities have been steadfast in their opposition to the project,
sparking legal action and an international debate. Given the project’s massive social and
environmental impacts, Gibe III Dam should be stopped immediately.
Fast Facts: Gibe III Dam
Location 300 km (190 miles) southwest of Addis Ababa, on the Omo River
Cost €1.55 billion (at current exchange rate, about US$2.11 billion). Project costs have
increased 11% since 2006.
Dam Design
Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) gravity dam
243 meters (787 feet) tall – the tallest dam in Africa
Reservoir
Storage capacity: 11.75 billion m3 (415 billion ft3)
Surface: 211 km2 (84 miles2) Length: 151 km (94 miles)
Transmission Line A 65-km-long (40 mile) 400 KV transmission line; a new substation will be built.
Electricity
1,870 MW (6,500 GWh/yr), more than doubling the country’s current installed
capacity.
Original Timeline 2006: Construction began 2011: First power 2012: Fully completed
peoples at great risk. At least 100,000 people depend on food
cultivated in the river’s flooded banks, a practice known as
flood-retreat cultivation. The river’s harvest helps support
an additional 100,000 people through local trading practices
between farmers and herders. This traditional food system is
crucial for these communities because they live in one of the
poorest, most remote parts of Ethiopia and have long been
politically marginalized. The flood also supports the renewal
of grazing lands for herders, and signals migratory fish species
to begin spawning.
A questionable artificial flood has been designed by the dam’s
planners as a way to restore some water to the dam-stressed
system. The artificial flood would last only 10 days, failing
to mimic the natural flood’s gradual build-up over several
months. This truncated 10-day flood would not reach all the
areas now nurtured by annual flooding, and would fall far
short of supporting current agricultural productivity. Experts
believe the artificial flood would fail to maintain the local
ecology, livelihoods and economy.
There is also concern that the artificial flood may not be
maintained. In a hydrology study on the dam commissioned
by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Kenyan hydrologist
Dr. Sean Avery notes, “What assurance is there that the
releases will be sustained given the conflict of interest with
power generation? There are concerns that there is past
experience that any ecological flow rules may be disregarded
to suit other more pressing national needs. For instance, an
environmental audit of the Gibe I project, undertaken by
Ethiopian professionals, reported that although compensation
flow releases had been stipulated for that scheme, no compensation
flows were being released.”
Draining Kenya’s Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake, receives up to
90% of its water from the Omo River. For 300,000 people
living near it, Lake Turkana is their best defense against hunger
and conflict.
Gibe III Dam (which will be Africa’s tallest) will reduce the
available river flow to Lake Turkana in several important
ways. First, the lake will be particularly vulnerable during
the filling of dam’s reservoir, which is expected to take several
years.
According to the AfDB hydrology study, “The water volume
to fill Gibe III reservoir would deprive the lake of 85%
of its normal annual inflow in one year… The potential
impact on the lake is significant. The filling of the dam has
the potential to dry up the most productive fishing area of
the lake.”
After the dam is built, Lake Turkana will remain vulnerable
to reduced Omo River flows. The AfDB study notes that
the reservoir will “forever capture” sediment transported by
the river, leading to downstream erosion, changes in water
quality, and reduced water tables. Studies of the reservoir
area have been insufficient to determine seepage losses,
though one independent study by the African Resources
Working Group suggests that 50-75% of impounded water
could be lost through porous ground. Much water will
also evaporate from the reservoir. Finally, the government
of Ethiopia intends to take water for large-scale irrigation
schemes throughout the Omo Valley. “None of these
impacts have been quantified” in project documents, says
Dr. Avery. Ref: International Rivers


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