Day 33 - Feb 10

GREAT DAY! It was one of the better of all the cycling days.  The sun was shining, the sky was clear and blue, the wind for the first part was fair and the roads were good.  Conditions ideal for cycling.  We did 73 miles.  In Ethiopia you will always have hills.  Today we had a fabulous downhill to start followed of course with a climb.  The total climb for the day was just over 3.000 feet.  That much climbing in the past would seem a lot but now it just feels like a wee stretch of the legs.  The climbs were all under 8 percent grade and were long and gradual compared to the Epic Climb day.  So the spinning required didn't have me go down to the lowest gears.  The two significant downhills were a blast.  Didn't get to the speeds of the downhills of the other day but fun non the less.  They definitely put a wide smile across my face.  :)

The scenery was awesome.  I know I keep using that word but it just comes to mind when I see what I have seen.  Actually the word awesome is a bit trite for how beautiful the mountains, the hills, the valleys and fields are.  

Ethiopia is the most beautiful country so far.  It pays to be at the lead edge of the group because I had no problems at all with kids today.  Others in the group were not so lucky.  The ones farther back got hit with rocks and sticks.  That certainly is a very big downside that detracts greatly from the beauty of this country.  

We rode up from the valley and continued to climb.

This is a collection of kids that started accumulating when I stopped for a coke.

Laundry is still taken down to the river to be washed.  This lady was washing a sheet in the stream.  Can you imagine doing your laundry like this?

This beautify old tree just struck me while I was riding.  I just had to stop and take a picture.  It has to be hundreds of years old.  Just imagine what it has seen in its life.