Bob's Blog

The Flies of Ethiopia

“Which is better—to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?” (Piggy) —William Golding, Lord of the Flies

Ethiopia was tough, expecting a challenging time with the poverty, the mountains and the stone throwing children, the endured hardships vastly outweighed what I expected. The enthusiasm felt after moving from the emptiness of the Sudan and its constricted society, to the youthful, vibrant freedom of Ethiopia, did not last long. After a rather fraught encounter over a camping site and its payment, I was put on the back foot, both cautious and unforgiving of the Ethiopians.

As apposed to the Arab world where there would always be the calm and sensibility of an elder to resolve a sticky situation, Ethiopia seemed empty of anybody over the age of 25. The children ran amuck. I often thought of the novel 'the lord of the flies' and the conflicting impulses towards civilisation and the rules it is bound by for the greater good, in contrast to the 'will to power' and battle of the individual to take control... the later seemingly taking precedence when a Faranji (Westerner) rolled past on his bicycle.

In the capital, Addis Ababa, I was planning my route onward. The notorious badlands of northern Kenya loomed large, with news that only a few weeks earlier part of the contingent cycling the Tour d'Afrique (a huge clique of cyclists that cycle Cairo to Cape Town every year) had been attacked along the main route, gunshots fired and spears thrown, they took everything, bikes included (although somehow they managed to get it all back). Wanting to cycle every possible mile I could, the news of the attack was of obvious concern.

In Addis, I also heard tales of motorbikers' having their bikes shot to pieces and a Japanese cyclist left in nothing but his boxer shorts! In contact with a cyclist a month or so ahead of me, I learnt of a 'safer' route that would take me to Kenya via the western side of Ethiopia and via Lake Turkana. This route was mostly off-road, deep sand and rocks, only for the toughest four wheel drive, never to be attempted in the rainy season (according to the Lonely Planet). Unfortunately for me, the rainy season had just kicked in, meaning I was rather anxious to plan for all eventualities and gather as much info as I could.

Heading off the main route south, past the birthplace of Rastafarianism, the attitude was definitely not to the tune of Bob Marley. The usual shouts of Faranji and stone throwing became a lot more menacing. Ethiopia is a crowded country and cycling along the roads is barely ever a solitary experience. This stretch was filled with people, at first I shrugged off the banter off as the usual, but after the adults were swinging their hands and shouting, the game was definitely changing. Animal excrement was thrown at me, a young woman spat at me, people blocked my path and were generally very obnoxious. I wondered how long I could last along this route. Bob Marley's 'Three little birds... singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true' this was most definitely not, and their message to me was abundantly clear! At least it was a paved route I thought, just put the miles in and get through it, just keep your cool. Luckily the menace dissipated and the 'usual' calm returned to the people. It was only later that I read in the guidebook that this area was particularly known for its hostility.

Heading on, whilst the animosity receded, my temper had not and I was surely arriving at the end of my tether. Reaching the town of Arba Minch, set on the stunning lake Champ, the usual Ethiopian bigotry towards tourists and white people was reaching its peak 'you are tourist so you have to pay more'- almost for any item, in the shops or restaurants. So because of the colour of my skin, I was singled out, racism I told them, illegal in Britain, arguments a many. Anyhow I indulged their petty tourism industry and went on a boat trip to the 'crocodile market', a stretch of the lake teeming with crocodiles sunning themselves on the shores, hippos escaping the sun, submerged in the water and and a fantastic array of birdlife, a serenity that belied the nearby 'tourist market' and the clamour for their cash.

The flies of Ethiopia were nearly just a memory, the upcoming trials of the wilderness, the tribal people, the rains, the lions, lack of water and bandits would be a piece of cake!