GREAT RIDES ETHIOPIA Ethiopia’s Few cyclists explore the oldest independent country in Africa. In March this year, Greg Woodford led a CTC Cycling Holidays tour there Rule 13b top!’ A tiny tuk-tuk had caught up with us as we cycled out of Awash in central Ethiopia. The policeman leaned out and ‘Swaved his gun at us. ‘You… stop!’ We stopped. You don’t argue with policemen armed with guns. We had arrived in Ethiopia in the small hours of Saturday and spent Sunday acclimatising to the heat and altitude. Addis Ababa, the capital, is 2,300 metres above sea level. Monday we spent travelling eastwards by bus to where the tour would start: Awash National Park. We had barely set off on Tuesday when the order came to stop. We pulled in at the side of the road, the heat beginning to build. ‘What’s the problem?’ ‘No cycling allowed. Rule 13b. Look.’ The policeman waved a rulebook. To cross a bridge Our hearts sank. We knew cycle that was banned to for miles. Tarmac in Ethiopia? This The route then rose up through a tours weren’t common in Ethiopia, cyclists, the group one road was recently laid as far as mountain range with passes higher put their bikes onto a but didn’t want to finish ours before flagged down lorry the Somali border. It was the only than 2,600m. The higher terrain we’d even begun. one; everything else was dirt track. made for great cycling as it was Half an hour later, the issue was Ethiopia is an ancient mountain cooler. The altitude meant that the solved. There was a bridge a mile fastness, an early Christian mosquitoes were below us too. ahead that cycles, for security Orthodox kingdom with thousands reasons, were not allowed to cross: of years of history and culture. It is Fresh coffee Rule 13b. Since cars and lorries could unusual in Africa in that it was never On our fourth night we stayed in cross, the policeman flagged down a truly colonised. It is still one of the a motel: small bungalows dotted lorry. We climbed on board with our poorest countries in the world. In around a courtyard with the bar/ bikes, thanked the driver on the far many areas, understandably, there is restaurant in the centre. We woke side of the bridge and set off again. no running water or electricity. early to see five different types This wasn’t the first time we had We were heading to the ancient of raptor sitting on poles within encountered Rule 13b. The night Muslim city of Harar and then on to the motel area. The birdwatchers before we had visited – by coach – camp on top of a mountain called scrabbled for cameras, long lenses the Awash National Park, a haven for Kondudu, which is home to wild and binoculars, while the rest of us birdlife and Oryx. We had planned horses. Its flat top, at 3,000m, is half a looked forward to breakfast: bread, to cycle through it. Rule 13b forbade kilometre by a kilometre across. honey, omelette and plenty of coffee. it: no cycling in national parks! On the way to Harar we passed Coffee in Ethiopia is a cultural through an amazing cratered icon and is fantastically good. The road east landscape. The road snaked its way The Ethiopians claim that coffee There were no further hitches. We past small volcanic cones, which originally came from the Kaffa cycled onwards, the road a smooth were surrounded by the rim of an region of Ethiopia. From there it ribbon of tarmac stretching ahead enormous crater a kilometre across. spread across the Persian Gulf with 28 CYCLE DECEMBER/JANUARY 2009-10 the Yemeni traders and throughout in this part of Ethiopia. White people the world via the Turkish Empire. on bikes – that was like an alien It’s served with ceremony. Women spaceship landing. Wherever we bring fresh green coffee beans went we felt like the Beckhams, with and roast them on small charcoal crowds of curious onlookers. burners in front of you. Sticks of The local markets were bright incense are inserted into these with strange fruits, spices, and burners, giving wonderful aromas. colourful clothing. People laughed The women then grind the roasted and bartered. Small children led beans and make the coffee in goats around and followed the slender coffee pots. You are offered foreigners. My wife Claire and I three cups from three different enjoyed buying some traditional coffee infusions. The second is cloth and incense with assistance supposed to be the best. from some giggling local girls. While we were treated with Market trends nothing but hospitality in Gursum, We cycled through Harar and off Rule 13b reared its head again. the beaten track into the more We could not cycle eastwards traditional Ethiopian villages such out of the town. Eastwards was The roads were mostly as Gursum, which was close to our unknown territory for tourists. The final destination, Mount Kondudu. local organiser spent two hours dirt tracks. Guests In Gursum we were warmly discussing the matter with the rode touring bikes or welcomed by the villagers, who put a local chiefs and phoning tourist sign up: ‘Welcome CPC’. Nearly! authorities in Addis and Harar. In mountain bikes White people and bikes were rare the end, they let us through. DECEMBER/JANUARY 2009-10 CYCLE 29 GREAT RIDES ETHIOPIA Fact File Ethiopia, African mountains DISTANCE: 50 miles per day on average TERRAIN: Beautiful and diverse. Much of our trip was on mountainous plateaux over 2,000m, although the cycling wasn’t too hard. CONDITIONS: in March, the weather was hot but not stifling – high 20s usually. TRAFFIC & TRAVEL: High levels near major towns, where we used our support bus. Otherwise virtually empty. One brand new tarmac road; otherwise dirt tracks. ACCOMMODATION: We mixed camping with pre-booked hotels. However, Ethiopia is very new to tourism. MAPS & GUIDES: A few large-scale maps of Ethiopia are available from Stanfords map shop (www.stanfords.co.uk). Lonely Planet’s Ethiopia & Eritrea Travel Guide (£16.99) is useful. GETTING THERE/BACK: Emirates, BMI and Ethiopian airlines fly direct from major UK cities to Addis Ababa. BIKES USED: Most guests rode rugged touring bikes, with a few on mountain bikes. FURTHER INFO: www.tourismethiopia.org. CTC CYCLING HOLIDAYS: Next year we’ll be running a new tour to the Bale National Park in Ethiopia – details will be on www.ctctours.co. uk in due course. Harar’s hyena men (Clockwise from top) and due to its isolation it has evolved sort of flat rubbery pancake. Injera Harar market. There From Gursum we rode to the base was a brewery in the culture and habits all of its own. Tiny comes on a huge platter and on top city too, despite it of the mountain and left the bikes being largely Muslim cobbled streets divide mud brick and of it are placed small portions of wat to climb up to the top. This was adobe buildings, many sky blue. (spicy stew). Kondudu mountain. the furthest from Addis and the The group camped A chief attraction was the hyena We reached Awash National Park closest to Somalia we were to come. on its flat top, which men – men who hand fed wild early enough to enjoy the sunset, offers superb views The people had changed too, with over the countryside hyenas on the outskirts of the city and picnicked under a huge starry different huts in the countryside below at night. Now a tourist event, it had sky. Next day we looked for wildlife. and different clothes. Here Muslims Tourism is still rare in evolved out of a need to keep the We saw small snakes, possibly pit this part of Ethiopia. At predominated and Ethiopian the town of Gursum, hyenas out of the town. We also paid vipers, as well as abundant birdlife Somalis made up a high percentage locals put up a banner: a visit to the brewery in Harar. While and a large crocodile. Despite the of the population. Strange beehive- Welcome CPC it is a largely Muslim area, excellent crocodile, we were assured by local shaped cloth covered huts replaced Harar is an ancient alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer is wildlife experts that it was okay to walled city. Its narrow the wattle and daub huts with roofs cobbled streets date brewed there. swim here. Some of us did. No limbs made of sticks that we were used to. back centuries were lost! After Mount Kondudu, we had Swimming with crocodiles Our last stop was Debre Zeit, a to turn back to Harar. This time we After Harar, we headed back towards town outside Addis that’s in the took a shorter route along a rough Awash National Park. On the way, centre of seven crater lakes. We track that dropped us down to we stopped at a Christian sanctuary stayed at ‘Dreamland Resort’, a 1,100m through a stunning gorge called Kulubi. It was built by Haile recently built hotel. We were the only that wended its way through groves Selassie, the Ethiopian Emperor, people in it, which felt odd, and in of mango trees. Lower down it was in memory of his father, Ras the morning the water was off. The suddenly very hot. Makonnen. Kulubi had developed area gets little rain anyway, and the Harar was gorgeous. We spent a into a massive centre for pilgrims rains had failed for years running. long afternoon and evening there. from all over Ethiopia.