"I want a refund of my $10 Live Aid Donation"

I'm in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. I never thought that I would miss the Sudan, but I do. Even though during the last few days of riding in Sudan the temperature has spiked. Road temperatures were above 124 degrees, and about 110 degrees in the shade. The sun feels so much stronger here. The good thing about riding is that you have a breeze; but as soon as you stop riding (for mechanical problems, or if there is a road-side truck stop for a coke) your skin feels like its roasting.
Ethiopia so far has not been as enjoyable as the Sudan. The biggest reason: the kids. They look adorable, but looks deceive. The kids here throw rocks--hard! They also try and ram sticks into riders' spokes as they pass through. The kids are truly menacing. Makes me regret $10 donation to Live Aid. The kids also are quite good at stealing. We have already lost a few cameras, bike speedometers and other items that kids have taken off the bikes while we have been riding on the climbs. The climbs have been difficult and amazing. According to one rider, the aggregate climbs we do in Ethiopia are more than twice that of Everest. The second biggest reason why Ethiopia has not been as enjoyable as Sudan: Illness. It seems that every day at least 10-15 riders become ill. Dehydration has become a problem, and each rider is learning how to appropriately hydrate. Too much fluid is not a good thing either, so we are all trying to strike the right balance in our body
Unlike the kids, the scenery in Ethiopia has been spectacular. The steep climbs may be tough, but they always reward with a bird's eye view of the landscape below. Sometimes the landscape makes you feel like you are at the Grand Canyon, and other times it looks as if you are in Switzerland. I really do think that I have become spoiled with the views. The climbs also reward with some kick ass down hills that are pure adrenaline (especially on dirt and gravel roads). There have been a few major wipeouts but no major injuries to date.
We have six more very tough days until we get to Addis Ababa. We will be taking a new route from Addis to the Border of Ethiopia and Kenya (the TDA decided to "challenge" the riders since we were not able to do Kenya, and so we will be taking even less paved roads). From the boarder we will be bussed back to Addis and from there I will fly to Kilimanjaro, which I'm 85% sure I will attempt, but still the idea of just vegging out on the island of Zanzibar seems tempting.
Keep on emailing me. I love the support.