I’m sitting in a resort hotel in the little town of Yabello surrounded by tents, overland trucks, cattle, sheep, goats and dogs while being stared at through a barbed wire fence by some Ethiopian children who speak loudly and push and shove each other to gain your attention. I want to laugh at them but as I have learnt from experience here in Ethiopia…that only serves to excite them a little more so I pop in my Ipod speakers and pretend that I haven’t seen them. (Thank God for mirrored sun glasses! They cannot see you staring at them) We have been in Ethiopia about 3 weeks now and in a couple of day’s time we are crossing the border into Kenya. The African Routes boys, Shanny and Miles are cringing and worrying about the trucks, truck springs, brackets and anything else that will shake loose because apparently it’s quite bumpy on the lava rock. The riders spent their morning doing laundry but there was also a rush on the 'off road' tires as the tarmac that we have enjoyed is slowly coming to an end as we get closer to the border. The road condition has deteriorated into a narrow bumpy pot holed route which has slowed everybody down and those without suspension on their bikes have stated that they didn’t realize they had muscles in their arms again. The crowds have thinned out dramatically which seems to have eased the frustrations of the riders and allowed them to relax a bit without the feeling that they are being watched all the time (which is pretty much what happens each day)! There is more a rural feel where we are at the moment…..less people, smaller villages, lots of cattle herders around, more traditional clothing and only the occasional ‘you, you’ and coke stops! Ethiopia has been like a rare gem, a jewel, a diamond, a pretty flower and a great adventure all rolled into one. The changing landscape, the mountains, the trees, the greenness of it all, the people, the coffees and the ride have all served to add to the richness of our experiences from Sudan. It is nothing like you expect it to be and then much more after that. The children are ever-present each day….naughty, cheeky with those ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ smiles that get the best of us. It’s hard not to enjoy hanging out with them. The people, warm and inviting most of the time, want all your money and sometimes even your bike! Some of us were lucky enough to spend evening time with a family who roasted their own coffee and served it up to us with a type of popcorn all in a thatched hut that they shared with cows, donkeys, goats and chickens. It is tradition here that when you are having coffee, you have 3 cups! As a result, for some of us, that night was a sleepless one. To save money they serve it with salt instead of sugar! That was a new one for the taste buds. The riders have developed ‘hill’ riding legs not by choice but by necessity and I don’t think they will forget their achievements in the Blue Nile Gorge. The bikes have taken a ‘hammering’ and with more to come in northern Kenya you can see riders scrambling for the attention of Dean, our bike mechanic. They still ride and pedal onwards, most of them knowing a little bit more about bike maintenance than they previously had. I think that most of them are hoping that the stories they have heard about the first part of Kenya are exaggerated and not true….the overland boys seem to be gearing up for long days of driving….maybe I should be taking a bit more gear in my bike bag after all? With a little under two days left here in Ethiopia, it was nice wandering around the market in Yabello, enjoying Enjura for lunch with some red wine, buying some brightly colored material and stocking up on toilet paper. Today we are in a bush camp with people surrounding us speaking Swahili, checking us out but more interested in Shanny’s negotiations to have them dig a toilet for us. The pick axes are out. The price has been confirmed. The women in their beautiful colored wraps and jewellery stand quietly watching us intently not willing to come closer and meet with us. Soon we’ll be at the border, getting new money, our passports stamped, learning some new words, seeing new people and working out how to navigate lava rock and big bumps!! For today we’re enjoying the music, the quiet, the shade of the trees and our time in Ethiopia.