Thirty-fifth stage

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‘Quando ghe nè più, ghe nè a mo!’, is a say from where I come from, which would translate something like when there is nothing left, there is still a lot.

If last night at five, while I was going forth and back from the toilet, somebody would have told me … you will do 94 km I would have laughed … I thought the stomach was a strong point of my poor body … instead some spicy food betrayed me … I had the lucidity to drink salts and to eat some dextrose sweets to have a bit of energy to start again … when the alarm went off at 6,56 I switch it off … I am finally sleeping well … for breakfast I manage to drink some tea in which I put as much sugar as possible and I eat three doughy Enervit cereal bars which Serena gave me in Nairobi and are getting finished …

On the way back from the last trip to the toilet, at 5,11 I receive a message from Giorgia, who says she has woken up with a craving for crackers Doria, myself too I would eat a packet crunchy and with the salt on top I think, neither me nor her will satisfy this craving … the food visions come often on this journey today in a mountain village there is a smell of goat … which made me crave goat cheese … the little one is moving a lot hopefully he will turn …

At the beginning you go down to 1800 meters of Finote Selam, where I stop to take a tea, the waiter, embodied by my guardian angel, brings me without me asking some focaccia bread, which I managed to eat very slowly. Then the uphill starts again slowly slowly until the 2536 of Kosober, a uphill of 13 kilometers is a living death. Immediately after Finote Selam I bought for 2 birr, a plastic bag with a dozen yellow lemons, small, bitter and juicy … at the end I will have only three left … they have a very thin skin I peel then with my teeth and hands and then I chew them in a mouth full … it seems to me that my body appreciates and needs it … as I write I am feeling a bit hungry … let’s hope for the best …

t35Today with energies next to zero I did not take many pictures, I never looked at the altitude, I stopped many times, to buy something to drink, to put oil on the chain, to eat lemons, to speak to people. In a typical mountain village there was a gathering of male farmers waiting for the distribution of fertilizer, I was thirsty and I wanted some water, a young guy went from hut shop to hut shop , at the end he managed to find only a Fanta pineapple, excellent for digestion, I left hime the change as a tip for all the effort he put … 22 kilometers from Kosober I stopped to lubrify the chain, as usual a circle was formed, with elders and younths asking me where I was coming from, where I am going, which nationality I am … tire, chain and paper (map) are also Aramaic words … These stops helped to start again with a smile …

Dembecha N 10° 55’ E 37° 48.333’ – Kosober N 10° 95’ E 36° 93.333

94 km

Trentacinquesima tappa

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Quando ghe nè più, ghe nè a mo!’, si dice dalle mie parti.

Se questa notte alle cinque, mentre facevo avanti indietro dal bagno, mi avessero detto … farai 94 km mi sarei messo a ridere … pensavo lo stomaco fosse il punto forte del mio scarso fisico … invece qualche cibo speziato mi ha tradito … ho avuto la lucidità di bere dei sali minerali e mangiare delle caramelle di destrosio per avere un minimo di energia per ripartire … quando la sveglia suona alle 6 e 56 la spengo … sto dormendo finalmente bene … a colazione riesco a bere un thè nel quale ci metto più zucchero possibile e mangio tre di quelle barrette pastose della Enervit che Serena mi aveva dato a Nairobi e stanno finendo …

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Thirty-fourth stage

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Today I liked myself!

At 70 km from departure I stopped at the FM International Hotel, where I knew there was a internet point, I ate a fantastic cake, with fresh avocado and mango juice and … two cappuccinos … when I was about to start off again a torrential storm rages … the waiter told me ‘it is better you stay here tonight …’ surely the place was very beautiful … also today I was not feeling too well … but for me 40 km more per day are important … Continua a leggere

Trentaquattresima tappa

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Oggi mi sono piaciuto!

A 70 km dalla partenza mi sono fermato all’Hotel FM International, dove sapevo esserci un internet point, ho mangiato una torta fantastica, con succo fresco di avocado e mango e … due cappuccini … quando stavo per ripartire si è scatenato un temporale torrenziale … il cameriere mi ha detto ‘è meglio che resti qui stanotte …’ … certo il posto era bellissimo … anche oggi non stavo benissimo … ma per me 40 km in più al giorno sono importanti … Continua a leggere

Thirty-second stage

What is this? Spriz … Is it for me? Actually no … but I drank it already …

Departure on a uphill!

Thanks to my two stingy colleagues who did not hide the 200 USD I had asked in the tires, and did not even let me know, I spent much of the morning trying to buy dollars which I will need in Sudan. Changing dollars into birr is very easy, you can do it at all the banks and hotels. Continua a leggere

Trentaduesima tappa

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Cos’è questo? Spriz … E’ per me? Veramente no … ma l’avevo già bevuto …

Partenza in salita!

Grazie al braccino corto delle mie due socie che non mi hanno infilato i 200 dollari che avevo chiesto nelle gomme, e non mi hanno nemmeno avvisato, ho passato buona parte della mattina a cercare di comprare dollari che mi serviranno in Sudan. Cambiare dollari in Birr è semplicissimo, si può fare in tutte le banche e alberghi. Continua a leggere

Addis Ababa – Bicycle maintenance

Today I am more tired than many other days when I cycle more than 8 hours!

I had to pick up the tires of the bicycle that the others are finished and Giorgia and Serena sent me from Lusaka …

Time 9,30 cargo airport of Addis Ababa, a tour between offices begins, which reminded me of an old Italian movie of the 60s …

Daring I head towards a warehouse, the boss looks at my documents, asks me questions on the trip and keeps me there ten minutes, to then tell me that first of all I have to go the custom. Here an officer opens asking me ‘the document which demonstrates that I am a tourist’, I explain that I am going to London by bicycle and when I crossed the border I was not given anything, nor was I asked to fill in anything. ‘Impossible, without that document you cannot go ahead’. I insist. He asks his secretary, a goose with a miniskirt and porn star red shoes, who speaks better English than him to explain to me. Continua a leggere

Addis Abeba – Manutenzione bici

Oggi sono più stanco di molti altri giorni dove ho pedalato più di 8 ore!

Dovevo ritirare le gomme delle bici che le altre sono finite e Giorgia e Serena mi hanno spedito da Lusaka …

Ore 9,30 aeroporto cargo di Addis Abeba, inizia un tour tra uffici, che mi ricorda un vecchio film italiano degli anni 60 …

Baldanzoso mi dirigo verso un magazzino, il capo guarda i miei documenti, mi fa domande sul viaggio e mi tiene li dieci minuti, per poi dirmi che prima di tutto devo andare alla dogana. Qui un funzionario esordisce chiedendomi ‘il documento che dimostra che sono un turista’, spiego che sto andando in bici a Londra e quando varcai il confine non mi diedero niente, ne chiesero di compilare niente. ‘Impossibile, senza questo documento non si può procedere’. Insisto. Chiede alla sua segretaria, un’ocona giuliva con minigonna e scarpe rosse da pornostar, che parla meglio inglese di lui di spiegarmi. Continua a leggere