Round and round we go

Day Total: 61km
Total Time: 2:13
Avg. Speed: 27.1km/h

Song of the Day: The Beatles – Hard Day’s Night

Sleep was broken repeatedly with a litany of unusual sounds punctuating the anticipated silence of the deep of the night. Bus traffic early on from the nearby road set the tone early. The agonizing sounds of multiple riders being tortured by spells of vomiting carried us through the pre-dawn hours. Local shepherds and farmers marching to work accompanied by song completed the disruptions. Such is life on the tour…

Illness seems to have gripped the camp with roughly 50% of the riders being impacted. The morning pre-ride routines now seem to include a survey by all as to who is feeling well and who not as much. One rider described it as a form of Russian Roulette for him: “I wake up, put a round in the the gastric chamber and give it a spin.” If one is lucky, they are clear of the associated diarrhea and vomiting – at least for a day. I am told that this rampant illness is not altogether uncommon with the heat of the Sudan, general fatigue, and declining hygiene in Ethiopia being the likely culprits. For my part, I seem to have come out of the illness with the rest days in Gondor and looked forward to today’s riding day more as an “active recovery” day with only 61km of riding on the schedule.

I rolled out of camp with most of the other racers and we made good pace early on. A small climb at around 25km told me that I was still very fatigued. A bit of a surge at 30km reminded me that it would be better to concede some time today and take it easy than push hard and fall ill once more. So with little hesitation I sat up and set my own pace into the town of Bahir Dar. Arriving at 9:30am on the day preceding a rest day is effectively the same as having 2 rest days – a real blessing as I am still recovering.

My father opted for the hotel room which means I had a bed to sleep in for the rest day. The town is of medium size and rests on the shores of Lake Tahna. We spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and cooler temperatures while sampling (repeatedly) the prolific cafe culture that seems to exist here. Exquisite cafe machiato beverages were consumed alongside freshly blended juice drinks consisting of layers of mango, avocado, and pineapple. These were my favorite for sure, and my body seemed to appreciate the calories and vitamins.

A party is scheduled for later tonight. I’m not 100% clear on the reason, but I think most would agree it is sorely needed. Updates to follow.