Day 49 - Feb 26

Fabulous day of cycling!  We cycled 85 miles into a headwind and it still was fabulous.  The scenery and the weather and the feeling just all came together to make a great day.  

We are certainly getting out of Ethiopia.  We will be crossing the border tomorrow into Kenya.  But already the topography, the scenery and the people are changing.  The people have different features, and build than what is typical for Ethiopians.  They are also wearing more of tribal clothes, especially beaded neckwear.  The topography is more of rolling hills than the mountainous structures we have ridden through.  And the scenery has transitioned to arid but more of what you traditionally think of Africa.  One of the riders from Holland said he needed to stop and make the picture because this is what he thought Africa would look like.  And lastly the kids.  Today there were very few kids!  That was great.

We camped in a dust bowl from hell.  The wind whipped up the dust and it covered everything.  There was a fine layer inside the tent even though it was closed.  Then the rain came, a huge deluge of water.  It settled the dust so that it wasn't blowing around but then the dust bowl became a mud hell. Not sure which I prefer other than a different camp site.  But beggars (and that is certainly what I feel I have been religated to :) ) can't be choosers.  

This is a picture of the area I mentioned earlier but in no way represents the beautiful view that I saw but I put it here so I can describe the scene.  We came over a hill and were riding on a ridge when we came to this vista.  Out of the desert arid scenery we had been seeing was a fertile valley that stretched for miles.  It was so breathtaking I had to stop and just look for quite awhile....  It was one of those moments you just have to stop and wrap yourself in.  It was a... Holy cow I am in Africa!  moments.

Priceless!