Remember a Day

Wombosi on the barge

Addis Ababa 24.12.2011

I wish you all a merry Christmas.

Believe it or not, I made it to Addis in good time before Christmas. I arrived here already Thursday (22th) at noon, which means that I drove 2500 kilometers in four days. Wombosi has been a very good boy, so I could drive from dawn to well after dark every day.

Desert in Sudan

Jeremy eats breakfast in Wadi-Halfa

The "slum" in Wadi Halfa

Sunset x

The cars were clear of the customs on Sunday at noon, so we still had a half day of driving that Sunday. I went together with Jeremy, and got to ride his Africa-Twin (motorbike) a couple of kilometers. While looking for a place to camp, we got in trouble with the police, so it was late before we settled down that night. Still we lit a campfire, and talked well into the night.

The following morning we split up, and the rest of Sudan was solemnly driving. The border crossing was smoother than expected, even if I had to wait two hours for a cashier who was praying and eating. The Ethiopian side was very swift and free of charge!

Driving in Ethiopia was much slower than in Sudan. Sudan is an empty desert, while Ethiopia is full of Ethiopians, and they have plenty of donkeys and oxen.

Now I’m half the way, and of course it’s good to be with the family and the kids. On the other hand, as my trip will soon be over, I have to start thinking of what to do after Wombosi has come to Madagascar. Should I study, or should I continue the life on the road? To be honest, the latter appeals much more to me than the first.

Today is Christmas-Eve, and as usual, I’m not in a Christmas mood. This year I missed the “foreplay”, with advent and carols, so it’ll come down hard on me this time. The weather in the Ethiopian highland is blue skies and 20 degrees.

What is this?

Harvest

Enjoy your Christmas, wherever you celebrate it.