'n Blikkie Coke was vir hom onbekend / He didn't know how to open a tin of Coke - another world.

Beginpunt: Bahir Dar

Eindpunt: Gonder

Afstand: 174 km

Gonder is my laaste afsaalpunt in Ethiopië. Vrydag ry ek terug vanaf Gonder tot by die eerste dorpie en daar, net na die brug, draai die pad weg Soedan toe. ‘n Grondpad. Blykbaar is die pad nie in ‘n goeie toestand nie.

Die stof van Vrydag is nie goeie nuus nie. Sedert gister gebruik ek antibiotika vir ‘n erge verkoue / sinus. Dit is baie vererger deur die stof van veral Maandag. Ek sal nou moet begin om my kopdoek oor my neus en mond te bind om die baie sand en stof uit te hou. Ek het begin koors kry en dadelik gewonder of dit malaria kan wees.

Ek het gister ‘n fout gemaak toe ek geskryf het ek het nog net twee ander motorfietsryer ontmoet. My eerste ontmoeting was natuurlik Ekke en Audrey Kok by die Malawimeer.

Gonder is soos die ander Ethiopiese stede / groot dorpe. Dis vol mense, diere en klippe. Ek is verstom dat mense so kan leef. Wat kos dit om ‘n plek netjies, skoon, te hou?

Ek weet ek het in die begin geskryf ek wil die andersheid kom leer ken. Dikwels verstaan ek egter nie die andersheid nie. Moet vroue nog steeds groot erdekruike met water op hul rug dra? Is daar nie ‘n alternatief nie?

Is daar nog mense op die aarde wat nie weet hoe om ‘n blikkie Coke oop te maak nie? Ja, daar is. In Ethiopië.

Vandat ek in Gonder aangekom het, is die krag hier af. Hier noem hulle dit “power shading”. Die Ethiopiërs vertel trots dis as gevolg van hul groeiende ekonomie.

Waar het ek dit al vroeër gehoor?

Groete uit ‘n oorvol Ethiopië!

Gonder is my last stop in Ethiopia. On Friday I retrace my route until I come to the first town south of here. There, just after the bridge, the road turns west to Sudan. A dirt track. I heard the track is not in a good condition.

The dust of Friday is not good news. Since yesterday I am taking antibiotics to fight a bad cold / sinusitis, aggravated by die dust and sand of Monday. I have to start wearing my bandana over my mouth and nose to keep out as much as possible sand and dust.

Due to the fever my first thoughts were that it could be malaria.

I made an error yesterday when I wrote that I had met only two other people on bike. The first people I met were Ekke and Audrey Kok, whom I met at Lake Malawi.

Gonder is like most other cities and towns in Ethiopia. It is packed with people, animals and stones. I am surprised that people can live like that. What does it take to clean up?

I know I wrote in the beginning that I was doing this tour to get acquainted with the unknown. I struggle now and then to understand the logic of many things. Must women still carry those big urns filled with water on their backs? Is there no, better, alternative?

Are there still people on this earth that do not know how to open a tin of coke? Yes, they are. They live in Ethiopia.

Since my arrival in Gonder there was electricity. Here they call it “power shading”. The Ethiopians tell with a lot of pride their electricity cuts are caused my the growth in their economy.

Why does that sound so familiar?

Regards from an filled to capacity Ethiopia!