Sectionally Experienced
Yann Robard recently returned home to Toronto after riding the Gorge section on the Tour d'Afrique from Khartoum to Addis. He has an exceptional eye for photography and you’ll find 192 superb images from his time in the Sudan and Ethiopia, which you can view individually or as a slideshow, here.
Yann summed up his “trip of a lifetime” as follows:
Skirted the political issues by a thin margin. Almost died of dehydration in 50 celsius under a punishing sun with no shade for miles. Peddled a retarded amount of kms. Climbed 7000 meters in 5 days in Ethiopia. Showered in a brothel (only service used). Got stoned countless times by kids throwing rocks in Ethiopia. Got stopped by the military for taking pictures of a bridge. Taught Sudanese kids the alphabet and the "pull my finger" trick (at least one of the two was somewhat educational). Pitched our tents on the patio of a hotel opting out of the use of their rooms. Heard stories of fellow cyclists hitting a cow and a sheep (at different times). Experienced another rider buy a goat from the locals and place it in his rear pannier through the use of inner tubes (not sure that passed animal cruelty laws). Met people more stubborn than I am (believe it or not they exist) who cycled despite their breakfasts "evacuating" their bodies on the side of the road. Stopped at endless "coke stops" to rehydrate, ate senseless amounts of food and still lost 20 pounds.
Take care, Yann
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Posted March 03, 2011 by Brian Hoeniger
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