Moods of Future Joys: Around the World by Bike Part One: From England to South Africa by Alastair Humphreys

Author:Alastair Humphreys
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Eye Books
Published: 2015-05-01T06:00:00+00:00

The morning after the race we cycled out of town early, Rob riding my new bike from Specialized, and I on Rita. I was happy to leave my hovel, but the bedbugs were sad to see me go. Venus gleamed in the East, the mountain air was fresh and the sun had not quite risen as we freewheeled down the hillside in the yellow dawn light. Watching Rob ride ahead, the contrast amused me. His clothes were clean and intact, his bike swooshed silently, and he was whizzing along with enthusiasm. The sight of him highlighted my own physical and mental state. I tried to see Ethiopia through his eyes: yesterday he had been in London and now it was huts and men with spears and hunger and poverty and scorching heat and rutted roads. By coming so gradually to Africa from England – mile by mile, day by day, town by town – everything seemed quite normal to me. I needed to remind myself not to lose my wonder.

A steep, steep climb and our clothes darkened, soaked with sweat. At the top we lay in the shade and looked down to the shining disc of Lake Tana on the horizon, still a few days ride ahead. A pick-up truck full of soldiers swept by in a great balloon of dust. Casually hefting big guns by the armful, and looking tough in their fake RayBan shades, they had all shoved wads of pink toilet paper up their noses against the dust.

Even though we were riding in a pair, the children still mobbed us laughing, shouting, chasing, pulling our bikes, chucking stones. Village after village this went on and I would rant to Rob about how annoying they were. Rob was still in the phase of travelling where everything was exotic, so I felt like a real grumpy old sod. It seemed to me though that I got pelted by more stones than Rob did because he always rode ahead of me and so, after him, the children had time to prepare for my arrival. I raced ahead of Rob as we approached the next village and put my theory to the test. For additional spice I shouted and snarled at every kid that chased me. After the village I paused to admire my handiwork. Rob is the calmest, most decent person I know, so I was delighted to hear his shouts and swearing back in the village. If Rob was losing his temper then things must be maddening.

I challenged myself not to get mad at the kids. I failed. Exasperated, I told one lot, “Sudan children good, Ethiopia children bad.” They found this hilarious and chased me down the road shouting, “Ethiopia bad! Ethiopia bad!” Later when we camped behind a small hill and a small group of children discovered us, they just stared silently from a few metres away. They were shy, quiet and curious and I tried to reassure them with a smile. Everything we did or said seemed to them to be mesmerising.

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