Bahir Dar cycling

I spent my last day in Addis sorting paper work, then I left half my luggage and all of my food shopping at the VSO office so that it can be driven up to Gilgel in the college car in a couple of weeks when they come to collect Goran, the VSO volunteer who will be staying with me. This means I will only have to travel with one case and my backpack, which is a lot easier.

Getting from the hotel to the airport, the flight and transport at the other end to get to Judith's (VSO Volunteer) apartment went smoothly, with the exception of waiting for the flight. They were trying to get two different flights-worth of people through one gate (even though all the others were free,) and it was raining very hard and there was lighting. Just before we took off there was lightning which didn't give me much confidence. Anyway, we took off, and other than a few lurches in the turbulence, we made it.

Today, after French toast breakfast in our favourite hotel overlooking the lake, Judith and I went cycling. We crossed the Blue Nile River (which is very high now as it is the wet season) cycled along a dirt track, passed rich ferengi houses overlooking the river, up a steep hill with a very good view to where Haile Selassie's palace is. The guard was most off-put that we were walking along the driveway in the middle (no cars or traffic of any kind of course) but we have to keep to the side. We weren't allowed in as there was an official there, but I took a few photos. It wasn't that impressive really.

We cycled back on my hire bike (stuck in one top gear with one break rubbing – so a nightmare going up hills) to a monument to soldiers. It's a huge area with marble steps and when there are visiting officials, water cascades down to the river in large steps. The spire itself must be over 20m high. (See if you can find it on Google Earth. Find Lake Tana (the huge lake in Ethiopia) follow the river coming out of the South and a short way down on the East Bank (on the right) you should see the huge complex.

Here are the co-ordinates:

11d 36.138' N 37d 24.752' E

It must've cost millions of tax payers' money, but we leave it to you to make your mind up about that one – I mean, we do the same in the UK, spend thousands on sculptures in city centres using council tax that could go to schools.

I should be going back to Gilgel Beles in the next few days and will not know until then if I will have Internet access. Obviously if I do, I will add another entry.