Monday 16 December 2013

Happy families

Sunday 15th December

Today was again another rest day of frustrating Internet and pictures of Parrodactyls and mischievous Monkeys. I really wanted to get going tomorrow but my head was getting fuzzier and cold was increasing rather than clearing but the good thing was that unlike my nose, other areas of my body had stopped running!

So as one issue was fixed, another arose but I don't think my cold will last for weeks thankfully. It does make sense to rest as I'm not trying to break any records and in order to enjoy and get the most out of this ride, I really need to be in good form and not burn myself out. 

Today I managed to catch up with friends and family from home which really cheered me up and another evening of football meant that my day flew by pretty quickly without much to report. 

During a Skype conversation with my parents my mother told me how I had inspired her to give a couple of people a lift to the doctors as one was struggling to carry the other on the pavement. Im really proud of my mum as this is a really kind thing to do and something that you would not expect to happen (especially in England) and something that mum wouldn't of done previously.

I'm really pleased to hear how my ride and my experiences  on my ride are changing my family and friends for the better. I am so proud of my family especially for how they keep having to deal with me and my not so ordinary life. My friends from all over the world that are following me continue to be amazing as well and I really am blessed with the best support and love that anybody can wish for. I have certainly changed for the better during this ride and when I hear that others are doing good things as well, it makes all the hard struggles I've experienced on my own, completely worth it.

I finished my day with a meal for one that stayed a meal for one throughout. I'm making sure I give the restaurant no reason to undercook or wash anything that could cause more illness. This time I went with a cheese sandwich, if I go back to the same diet i had through France I figure I may make Kenya with no toilet troubles!

Handbags and the should be Glad oldbags

Saturday 14th December

I woke up feeling groggy, I don't get colds in England so how I've got one now is beyond me. It seems my body is breaking down bit by bit after weeks and weeks of torture so I've really got to take a step back and try and get back to normal again.

I spent the morning exploring the town and was expecting a lot of colour, music and pictures of Bob Marley, I was pretty disappointed. Shashemene is an average town that is no more colourful or friendly as the previous ones I've cycled through, previous ones have actually been much more appealing.

I almost witnessed a horrific accident at the beginning of my day. The taxis here are either mini vans or tuk tuks. The tuks tuks are safer as they max out at just 35mph but cost more. The mini vans are crammed with locals, very cheap but zip around the busy streets and I've seen at least 5 upside down in ditches on my travels through Ethiopia alone. As I walked up the hill towards the city centre I watched an elderly lady walking across the road towards me about 30m away. I've mentioned it before either on the blog or in person to Jonas, female Ethiopians are the least vigilant people I have ever experience. They never look where they're walking and they bump into you and look at you as if it was your fault. Today, I was justified with my claim but luckily the lady will live another day. As she blindly jogged across the road after a taxi, another taxi zipped around a tuk tuk but did very very well to swerve and skid just in front of the lady which knocked her handbag out of her hands about 10m down the road. Half a metre difference and I would've been first witness to a fatal accident for sure. Amazingly, the lady had the bare faced cheek to give the driver a look that could kill him! She never once looked both ways and ill say it again, the female headgear restricts their peripheral vision and I'm not surprised if the stats show that women are involved in more accidents.

After my brief disappointing wander I returned back to the hotel for recovery and Internet. Both of these may take time annoyingly as it took me 3 hours to update my blog which would normally take 5 minutes. (Patience is something that I have worked very VERY hard on to obtain) and my health is an ongoing battle.

In the evening, I sat alone for a romantic dinner for one. An Ethiopian couple walked over and asked if they could join me. I spoke to the lady briefly at breakfast and she was planning to go see a Saturday festival with her brother and invited me along. I was up for it but got sidetracked in the end (football was on) and it turned out I didn't miss much. She was also quite disappointed with the hype of what Shashemene offers but doesn't actually provide. Anyway, the two of them sat with me and the brother and I shared BBQ'd sheep that was freshly cut off the bone in front of us. We chatted for a while and then they left after paying for me. They said they didn't like seeing people alone and so that's why they came over to me! I wasn't complaining at all but I also wasn't quite full so I waited until they left and ordered a Spaghetti Bolognese. I didn't want them thinking I was a fatty but at the end of the day we shared a meal that I would normally have as a starter so I ended up the last person in the restaurant as the cleaners swept up around me.

I will stay at the hotel for another night after tonight and see if I'm fit enough to set sail Monday. If not, then its no biggy but I do want to get into Kenya before Christmas preferably!

Safeshemene

Friday 13th December

I woke up to the sound of another bird but luckily it wasn't cockadoodling right by head and the song was much more pleasant combined with the lake. As the sun started to cook me in my tent I unzipped the door to let the cool breeze in and rolled over for another hour. No night from hell last night and instead I was well rested. 

I had a wash in the lake and can't tell you whether the lake was fresh water or not as I rinsed off yesterday's sweat. I was too tired to do it yesterday and a lot of the time it is pointless when you can't wash your clothes as regularly as you like so I figure, if I'm just going to put my salt stained T-shirt back on then ill save the washing for when I have a decent shower.

I had a steep push to start the day and it wasn't a good sign that I still felt weak. The egg sandwich for breakfast probably should've been tripled but I figured I would be ok as I only had around 40km. I was wrong, and I was back in struggle mode after just 10 miles. The thought of every time I rotate the pedals meaning the closer I get to my goal was the only thing preventing me from stopping. 

As I got closer to Shashemene I turned the constant "you, you, you" from the locals as calls of encouragement and motored my way through the last few miles as if I was cycling towards the Champs- Elysees. Shashemene is well known for being the first Rastafarian dwelling in Ethiopia. The Jamaican accent was a sure sign that I was getting closer and I was on the look out for the Rift Valley Hotel.

I initially cycled past it and at a glance it looked a bit fancy for me compared to what I've been staying in so I was going to head on further into town. Then I had a change of thought and would just enquire the price and go from there. I was getting a bit sick of the standard room with a bed and a chair and despite the beds being surprisingly comfortable, the last couple of rooms seemed to have some lively sheets and the crawling feeling over my body that I initially tried to imagine was a new age massage technique didn't really ease my aches and pains.

By the time it took me to carry Nigel up the 10 steps to the reception I had already convinced myself I would stay one night. The outside courtyard area looked decent, nice looking bar with a nice restaurant and when he showed me my room that would set me back just £6.50 then I already had 2 nights stay in mind. As much as I am an "action" man and I enjoy a productive day, I think in this case it'll be good to get fully fit before what would be a pretty unenjoyable week getting across to Kenya if I don't ensure my body is in good condition.

The hotel do very well to simulate a tropical feel with lots of trees around the courtyard. The monkeys and the strange parrot-pterodactyl things (I've named them Parrodactyls) help give this illusion as well but the truth is you're just 50m from the concrete building site of Shashemene. I did enjoy sitting at the restaurant and eating in the courtyard as the monkeys and hawks provided good entertainment as they stole the food from unsuspecting locals. One monkey stole my tray of ketchup as I dived to save my bread but I didn't mind as I had finished my chips. Monkeys are basically muscles with teeth, the last thing I want is to be bit by one whilst diving to save some ketchup.

Despite the hotel facilities being average by most standards and the fact i had to pay extra to take away my food when i was staying 20ft from the restaurant table, I was still prepared to stay here until I felt fully fit, however long that took!

I did have the bonus of movies in English and football all day tomorrow which I will be making the most of. All in all it was a short day that dragged due to poor health and lack of energy. It would've been much more enjoyable if I was on form so I will aim not to have a repeat performance in the future.

I'm still alive though and I'm safe, that's the main thing.

Saturday 14 December 2013

Lakeside lagging

Thursday 12 December

Last night my fears became a reality. At stupid o'clock the rumblings of my stomach progressed to movements and I had to enter the lair of the toilet beast himself. The room was down a narrow brick alley way with no light. Two bricks served as a podium to stand on above a hole that polluted the atmosphere with gases that the eyes should not make direct contact with. Unfortunately this was impossible to avoid for the human above 5 foot that didn't want a face and head blanketed with a thick rug of cobwebs.

You had to duck and therefore you had to look down and take the brunt of the smell full in the Chevy Chase. I guess the pills make take some time to kick in I thought. I returned back to my room half the man I was when I left but at least the stomach had stopped rumbling.

To add to my terrible night, I was rudely awoken by a cockerel standing outside my door and making me aware of sunrise not just once, but once every 3 minutes for a good hour. I thought they just cockadoodled a few times? This guy didn't shut up and so to say I started the day in a bit of a bad mood is an understatement.

It's safe to say I was bad company for the majority of the day today. Tiredness, aching muscles, dehydration and lacking energy aren't the best qualities to possess when you're cycling across a mentally straining African country with a headwind and increasing heat. I tried very hard to snap out of it but had a few snaps instead at the unfortunate local that asked me "where you go?" Yes he only said it once, but that doesn't mean I've not heard it over a thousand times but he wouldn't of understand what I said anyway. If I could've, today I would've reset the whole of Ethiopian education and taught them how to say "hello" before the words "where you go" and "money." It frustrates me how they know "money" but they don't know "hello," I'm sure some drop kick is to blame and I know what I would do with him/her if I found them...stick them in last nights toilet!

I stopped to shake off my bad mood with a quite delightful mango juice and egg sandwich. Unfortunately it just sat on my stomach and made me feel heavy and slowed me down even more. I struggled through some very cool looking towns, each building was painted with vibrant colours and there seemed to be even more people on the streets then in the other busy towns. Some guy called me "china," Immensely racist so I soon put him straight and embarrassed him in front of his friends which cheered me up a little.

As I continued along the narrow road lined with cactuses I was aware that there two lakes about 3km either side of the road. It seemed a shame to head straight past them to Shashemene and not actually see them. The state I was in, it made sense to stop and try and recover a little also so when I saw a sign for camping, I made an executive decision to cut my day 40km short and check out camping on lake lagano.

If all went to plan, camping would be cheap and I would have a beautiful tranquil spot to recover in. I was half right, it wasn't as cheap as a hotel amazingly but it was quiet and tranquil and I dragged my tired legs down the sandy road to the lakeside. There was a steep rocky hill from the reception to the tent pitches and I hit some soft sand which caused my exhausted body to fall off Nigel. Luckily Nigel and the rear rack were ok and I just had to pick sharp strands of grass out of my rear end. The rest couldn't of come soon enough and I laid by the side of the lake for a good 4 hours and did nothing but listen to the birds and the sounds of water. I was the only person there.

Out of a bad thing came a good thing and I'm thankful for my struggle and poor health as I would never of stayed on the lake and enjoyed the relaxing breeze and the beautiful location as I rested. I do hope my health takes a positive turn though as I don't want a repeat performance of today despite its good ending.

As the sun set I set up my tent and didn't risk eating anything so just stuck to popping pills like an addict and sipping water. Tomorrow is not a big day as I would like to stop in Shashemene so the short 40km will hopefully work in my favour and I will get rid of this bug once and for all!

Far from Finnish

Wednesday 11th December

I said my goodbyes this morning and was feeling a bit better health wise. It's Ethiopian culture to see somebody off so Jonas kindly wheeled Nigel about 400m down the road to a cafe where we shared breakfast and had a coffee before I left. He said some very kind and encouraging things to me before I left which I appreciate a lot. Jonas really is a great guy with an excellent vision for STB. I have no doubt he will accomplish his goals despite the barriers he gets faced with everyday.

After breakfast we said our goodbye's and I wheeled down one of the main streets of Addis Ababa. It felt strange being back on Nigel but I was happy to get moving again, I'm not going to get to Lesotho by just telling people about it! The roads were busy for the first 3 hours and I had to get back into the acceptance of horns, stinking fumes, speeding lorries, narrow roads and close shaves. (The only type of shave I will be experiencing this ride may I add)

I cycled towards a few towns that sound like the first names of Finnish formula one drivers. To add to the famous Heiki, Kimi and Mika, I cycled towards Meki, Koka and Mojo. After Mojo the road got a lot quieter which I was thankful for. I could feel a headache brewing and it was probably due to dehydration and exhaust fumes. 

As I cycled down towards the Rift Valley, the temperature noticeably increased and I decided to stop in Koka to work out the best place to search for a hotel. I felt strong but hadn't used the John yet so I was unsure how things were getting on on the inside. I made a decision to stop at Meki which was about 85 miles from my start point. I made it in good time and felt pretty comfortable, i wasn't going to jump around for joy though as the aches normally come the day after.

I had a good chat with two guys that work at the hotel whilst I was having some food at the restaurant. Isyass and Dagu were two very smiley chaps that would run around to my aid and help me with everything I needed. Whilst happily chatting away to the guys I had a first in my life, i owe this first to Beirdre as she kindly held onto some injera incase I got peckish later. As an amateur at caring for a beard it seems i must be more thorough with the clean up process in future, but its ok when you have good people like Isyass and Dagu to make you aware of the situation. 

I appreciate somebody telling me I have food in my beard much more than just letting me walk around looking like Stig of the dump. I don't appreciate the smell from the toilet whilst I'm trying to eat however and I think this smell was up there in the top 3 of all the pits I've had the pleasure of visiting. It wasn't a smell for start, it was a taste and a feeling. A taste of fowl tingling on the tongue like licking a rusty battery and a feeling of burning to the eyes and nose hairs from the pure ammonia.

After food I went back to my room to take a lie down and pray that I wouldn't have to experience the toilet close up. There was a knock on the door and I opened it to find the hotel owner waving 100birr at me. I didn't have a clue what she was saying and I kept telling her that I have already paid for the room, I thought she wanted me to give her change for the 100 or something. We eventually found someone that could translate and worked out that for some reason Isyass thought I had no money so he told the manager and the lady was offering me 100 until tomorrow when I could get some more. I laughed and thanked her but declined her money, haven't a clue what we were talking about to make him think i needed money but yet again the people of Ethiopia have shown their generosity.

I closed my room door on another day. An air of tiredness was draped over me all of a sudden. I was happy with the day overall and just hoped the pills that the nurse had given would work their magic as my stomach was still going nuts. Tonight would probably give me a better idea but one thing was for sure, I did not want to visit the toilet!


All about STB

Sport the Bridge

Sport the Bridge is an organisation that focuses on rehabilitating street kids back into the homes oftheir own family or if they have no family into others.

There are 5 main departments at the organisation. Sport, Health and Nutrition, Psychology, Family Affairs & Integration and Administration. I've spent a bit of time with the Sport and Family departments and from what I've seen and heard, Sport the Bridge are an absolutely fantastic Organisation.

How does it work?

Homelessness is a major issue in Addis Ababa, just walking down 100m of high street you will come across at least 10 people sleeping rough. What makes it worse, kids are no exception to this rule. 

Sport the Bridge take to the streets twice a year in October and March at either night time or the early hours of the morning. They invite the child to their offices where I've been staying the last week and from here the child begins the first year of the STB programme.

A typical day will start around 9am when the kids will arrive, wash and put on their STB uniforms that have been donated to the organisation. Every child has a breakfast snack and then onto a session of sport from 10 till 12. STB teach a range of games and activities, all of which contain a message and a skill to help develop each child and help them to learn life skills such as team bonding and fairness. Every sport session ends with football which is the real attraction for the boys and plays a big part in getting them to return to STB each day.

After football the kids go back to the offices to get washed and fed. The food always smells amazing and without STB providing two meals a day the boys would be undoubtedly searching for scraps on the street.

After lunch the boys have education. They're taught a range of relative subjects designed to help improve their lives. English, Amharic and Maths are the main three but they are also taught about Hygiene, Drugs, Psychology and Art. The fact that STB focus on relative subjects that other schools still class as taboo and choose to be naive and ignore, is fantastic. STB do not try to cover up issues, they work hard to find out all the facts about every child and they have the skills to overcome and solve every situation.

The children finish at the office at half 3 where they return to the streets to battle whatever dangers come their way and at this time of year, the cold nights are hard enough to endure let alone anything else! STB does not have the facilities to board every child and so every child is essentially given the choice if they want to return each day. More often than not they do return for obvious reasons, its fun. STB offer food, fun, education and most importantly love.

The dedication shown by STB is outstanding and they do not stop at any hurdle. After the first year the child is integrated back into their family if possible. If this is not possible then STB have other options like other NGO's, Orphanages and their own house that they rent in order to house everyone.

From here the kids aren't just forgotten about as for the next four years the kids are monitored closely through contact with teachers and family to ensure everything is ok and that they've been attending school. STB even go that extra mile to ensure the child's family is able to cope by offering to pay for first year school fees, resources the child may need and even offer job skill training to help the parents if they are without work.

STB are very strict on getting a good education and so if they find out that the child hasn't been attending school then they will not be allowed to play for the football team. They can do this successfully because its clear to see by the crowds of lads that watch training that everyone wants to play for STB. This is a testament to the coaches Grimmy and Jonas and I applaud STB for maintaining their good morals with no exceptions.

If there are any hiccups throughout these five years then STB will strive to get things back on track and if needs be, go back to the streets to find the boy. STB give the children a chance to live a successful life, they teach each child important life skills and make it fun at the same time. They are the figure of strength, protection, knowledge and most importantly love for every single boy. STB except girls as well but it seems the boys are more frequent.

My short time at STB has been invaluable and everyday was a privilege to be surrounded by an atmosphere of kindness and safety. A really great organisation and I'm sure I will be staying in contact with them for a long time to come.

Training Day

Tuesday 10th December

For some reason my health took an unexpected dip in form last night and I kept the security guard awake with my constant visits to the toilet. (The toilet door is really squeaky!)

I woke up still in a bad way, so when the nurse came in she gave me some extra medicine. Isn't it funny how I'm in one of the most poorest countries in the world yet I've received the most. At STB I've been housed, fed and now given medicine. Everybody I've met has been so generous as well, so it seems the kindness of Addis' population is inversely proportional to its bank account!

For breakfast I substituted food with  planning roughly where I'm going to end up over Christmas. I was initially going to be in Nairobi but stopping at STB for longer means I will be watching my Christmas dinner flush straight down the toilet as I will be somewhere on the Equator.

Today was a sad day as I had to say goodbye to not one but two pairs of socks. Extreme circumstances require extreme decisions and I was gutted to see the footy pair go as they had been with me since day one. That's almost 6000 miles of foot coverage they were subject to but unfortunately they began to attract disease instead of provide a comforting barrier between foot and outside world. 

This prompted a little shopping spree and I treated myself to an early Christmas present in the form of two brand new pairs. I bought them from a stall for well over the RRP but I was happy when I got them back and they actually fitted. They didn't have any sizes on them and socks always look deceptively small when they're not on your feet. I took a risk at some trainer socks and had visions of them not covering my big toe but the risk paid off and for the next week at least my feet can breathe again in comfort and freshness.

I got back to the office in time for some lunch time games. I had a little chat with coach Grimmy and was more than happy to take his U15s training session at 4. It was strange planning a session, it felt so long since I've coached and I had a momentary mental block on what I could do with around 30 players and  just 10 balls.

Every evening there are always hundreds of people at the field either playing football or watching football. As I started to set up and the players began to arrive, I had a decent crowd growing pitch side and I started to feel a nervous excitement. I called all the players in, "hands up who speaks Amharic?" Everybody eventually put their hand up after Grimmy translated. "Hands up who speaks English?" Myself and about two people put their hand up, "hands up who speaks football?" We all put our hands up. I've said it before that football is the language everybody can speak and I was hoping i was going to prove this with the help of an array of actions and a few translated words from coaches Grimmy and Jonas.

I set them the warm up and with one clap of my hands to signal "GO!" they were all off and straight into it. I have never coached such enthusiastic and energetic lads in my life, there was no way that encouraging effort was necessary tonight. I got them to play a few games that involved thinking a lot more than they were used to and it took a while for them to understand but they picked it up brilliantly in the end. As a coach, this is what makes it all worthwhile, happy lads that listen and put into practice what you're trying to teach. The results were almost instantaneous which really boosts job satisfaction.

It was a beautiful evening that I didn't want to end. I love coaching and I love it even more when you're outside as the sun is setting and its still warm. I thought to myself that I've made it very hard to let go of Sport of the Bridge. The coaching session tonight was a great way to end a very eye opening week and meeting the staff and the kids and seeing what happens here has permanently affected how I will view certain situations in the future.

When I told Grimmy and Jonas I was leaving tomorrow I have never seen two of the most gutted faces in my whole life. I know if I stay any longer I will have the issue of getting too comfortable and will not want to leave. I need to focus on why I'm here though and first things first, the ride has to be completed. I'm finding myself picking up contacts of such great people that keeping in touch with them all when I'm back will be a 9 to 5 job in itself!

Sport the Bridge have been and are amazing and I did say I would try and see them again. It won't be next year and it won't be by bike but I would love to come back in 5 maybe 10 years and see the developments.

I had my last meal in Addis Ababa at quite a nice restaurant that costs 3 times as much as some of the other places I've been to. This meant I spent £1.80 for my chicken stir fry which I don't know about you, but i think is extortionate! I had planned to Skype home but my area was hit with a power cut for the second night running so just had to return back to the sick bed for a night of music and dreams.

Today was a great way to end a great week but I'm ready for the next phase. Addis Ababa seems like a half way point to me and I can't wait to see what happens in the second half, my feet are pretty pumped about it too.

All you need is love

Monday 9th December 

I woke up feeling better than yesterday but still not 100%, not even 90% but I'm heading in the right direction at least. First thing's first I had to pick up my passport from the Kenyan embassy and if it had a little sticker in it then it didn't really matter what happened for the rest of the day, I was happy.

Good times, it had a little sticker so now I have free roaming over the rest of Africa as far as getting Visas is concerned. I don't have to stop at embassy's for days, I can just get the rest at the borders which allows me a lot more freedom (I'm a big fan of freedom). After i collected my visa I went for a little wander to see if I could find some better Internet access. I've been trying to send a vital message back home and I had to do it whilst I was in Addis otherwise I would be too late and getting Internet between Addis and Nairobi is going to be very tough I fear.

I found a posh hotel which had decent looking wifi but still the speed was so painfully slow. Yet another thing we take for granted back home but at least Addis is developing and obviously the Internet is vital for its businesses. I will still give them a good 10 years before smart phones and wifi are in regular use though. I was possibly going to visit a school that Theresa who I met briefly on Saturday works at. Unfortunately, with communication between myself and Peter Sam not easily made I had to give the school a miss and it was probably fair I stayed with STB for my last few days anyway as I have decided to leave on Wednesday.

I got back to the offices just before lunch time as the walk took me further than I had intended. Grimmy, one of the coaches was playing some games with the kids similar to Simon says but with chants and actions instead. The kids were loving it and it seems like everyday at STB is a fun and happy day. 

After lunch I talked to Mestawet who works in the family integration department of Sport the Bridge. I go into detail about how STB work in another post but it really does amaze me that there is literally no barrier too high for STB to overcome. What impresses me even more is that if the child is willing to go back to his family but the family are unable to pay for schooling and the resources a child needs when growing up like clothes and food etc. STB will assist with the first year of schooling and all other costs and not only that but they will teach the parents skills in order start their own business or help to find them local jobs to ensure that the family can provide for the children. Everything Sport the Bridge does, has the child's best interest in mind. 

I felt like a journalist as I asked Mestawet a lot of questions to get all the information on STB so people reading this blog can understand more accurately the different circumstances and situations that occur in Africa. As you read about some of the very sad stories and battles these children have to face everyday we can take huge inspiration from how they do fight these battles and also from the employees of STB like Mestawet, Grimmy, Jonas and all the other departments, as they have devoted their lives to helping these children.

Mestawet told me there was no common issue as to why these kids end up on the street. Not all the kids come from Addis either, some have walked miles from the countryside to the big city for a chance to get money. Violence, drugs, abandonment, death of family and sexual abuse are just a few reasons why these kids have ended up on the street. I asked Mestawet, "What's the main attribute you need, to be as good as you are at your job?"

"...love"

Her reply was so straight forward. There was no special skill, no specific way to talk to the children or to psycho analyse their behaviour, just love. The one thing every child was missing but what every child needs. The biggest thing that we take for granted is having people around us that love us and thanks to STB these kids experienced a lot of love not just from the coaches but from everyone, the kitchen staff, the cleaners and even the security guards.

It really was a great little chat and Mestawet is clearly a very special person that STB and all the kids, are lucky to have. I went for a wander whilst the kids were in maths and Beirdre has started to attract quite alot of attention. One of the lads at STB told me how much he liked my hair today and this was added to by one man at the Internet cafe mentioning something about Al Qaeda. I didn't know what he said as he spoke in Amharic but it turns out that Al Qaeda is the same in Amharic as it is in English! As I left the Internet cafe another man sat at a bar took the completely other end of the stick and called out, "Jesus? Is that you?" I had to laugh. To think I still have another 3-4 months left of growth is very frightening, I may have to start wearing a balaclava!

After all the kids had left I started work on cleaning Nigel. He was absolutely filthy so he took me a good hour to clean and oil but I find it quite therapeutic, especially as you know you're doing it to ensure a smooth and quiet few days of riding. I had good company also in the figure of one of the after school teachers that stays to help some 2nd phase children with their homework till around 5 o'clock.

He was very interested in my trip and I was more than happy to answer his questions as my role for the day turned from journalist to interviewee. It was nice to see him so amazed by my answers and I made sure I passed on my "Breathe and Believe" philosophy. After cleaning Nigel and finishing my little chat I was filled with an extra bit of oomph to head on to Kenya. Maintaining motivation is a battle, especially when you're alone, so you have to be open to everything in order to find it. I had it back and so with a bit of luck, tomorrow will go well and ill be all set for leaving Wednesday.

After a decent feed I hit the sick bed and put close on a great day that has taught me a lot and re-kindled my motivation.

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Poo Soccer

Sunday 8th December

I felt a bit better today but i could still only trust my stomach as much as you trust a baby not to throw up when you're holding it above your head. So I stayed in bed for the first half of the day.

I figured it was good for me anyway, it gave me a chance to press reset on my body and mind. Being alone in such extreme conditions can get the better of you if you let it. My little sick room was ideal for hiding away and for that half day I could've been anywhere I wanted. The loud African chants coming from the church next door gave it away that I wasn't back home in England but I could put my music on and close my eyes and transport myself to somewhere tranquil just to try and regain some energy and put into perspective my time in Addis and the things I've experienced.

I went to the Internet cafe after lunch to check in with the rents which is always nice to do once in a while. Then i decided to rebel against the stomach rumbles and what my brain was telling me and destroy a "family" sized pizza. I had had enough of nil by mouth and was more than willing to accept the consequences. The pizza wasn't exactly hand spun dough from the streets of Naples but it was food and it was going down whether it liked it or not.

I got half way through and I knew I had sparked something off but I powered through to see out the storm nevertheless. The damage wasn't too bad in the end and I'm on another road to recovery thankfully. I think illness is a given for a foreigner in Ethiopia. The main challenge is how you deal with it. There are so many different ways to get a bug or a fever of some sort out here, I would be very surprised if anyone avoids illness completely if they are staying for the same amount of time and in similar areas. Sewage water running though the streets, toilets in restaurants situated out the back door next to the fresh food and the toilets themselves being in a state of shear disbelief for the infrequent traveller to developing countries. The water here is known for being unsafe to the untrained stomach of the west and so its hard to avoid any contact with it when the locals use it to wash everything. The fact that you can even get ill from the money as its passed from hand to hand gives you an idea that there's no point fighting it with a life supply of alcohol gel strapped to your waist or a bar of soap stuck to the roof of your mouth. You just have to embrace the runs like Usain Bolt and somehow make light of the situation and possibly give the varying toilets you visit, your own mark out of 10. 

Years ago I was introduced to the game of poo soccer. One goal scored for a plop, one goal conceded for a wipe. You can make your own league if you're bored and different circumstances can arise that affect the match. I won't go into vast detail but I'm just going to put waterlogged pitch and floodlight failure out there and let your imagination do the rest!!

I happily snuggled back into my sick bed to call close on another day. I pick up my Kenyan visa tomorrow hopefully and with that in hand its happy border crossing from then on. All the other visas I can get at the border and I don't have to stop in capital cities if I don't want to. 
This could save time and money in the long run so fingers crossed I get it!

Sick of staying in

Saturday 7th December

To say I woke up in the morning is pretty inaccurate as I never really slept for more than 3 hours at a time. My Ethiopian advent calendar window will reveal a bucket of water for the 7th December as this signifies what I used multiple times to flush the toilet because it's lacking a cistern. At least I didn't have to squat over a hole every time though!

I have pills from the last bout I had in Sudan so got straight into them but they take a while to kick in. I laid in bed for the majority of the day listening to my belly make noises that sounded like it was summoning troops in preparation for commencing war on Middle Earth. My head was fuzzy, I had cold shivers and there was no way I could eat anything, drink anything or fart without making things worse. 

It was Saturday and I was supposed to meet Jonas as the kids had a half day today. That was a no go and I slept on and off until around 3pm when I decided I had had enough and I hadn't let Africa win before so I wasn't going to let them win today.

I went to check my emails as yesterday I spoke to a friend Erin from home who put me in contact with her English friend who lives in Addis. Her friend Peter-Sam was a saints fan and asked if I wanted to go around his house to watch them play Man City. My health conditions were obviously not ideal for meeting someone for the first time but there was no way I could stay in my little room all day so I took him up on his offer. I met him an hour later outside his work which was only a short walk from where I was.

It was a short drive to his house on the outskirts of Addis and it was so refreshing to be in a place that felt a little like home. There was a sofa and a table and they even had advent calendars. For so long now I've sat at cafes or restaurants with plastic chairs and had to go to toilet in a variation of holes, pits, broken toilets or bushes. Peter-Sam and his wife Theresa actually had a bathroom with a toilet that had a seat and a flush, it was just like I remember from home! It's only been 4 months but when you've been to the loo in those 4 months the same amount of times as an average person does in 4 years you do forget how comforting a good old Armitage shanks feels against your skin.

On the plus side, I have designed the perfect toilet in my head which combines the comfort of a westernised sit down flushing design with the practicality and paper-saving method of the squat. Keep your eyes on dragons den for when I get back, I think I'm onto a winner.

So anyway, I was not around Peter Sam's for long but I enjoyed the change of scenery, the English company and it was topped off with a great performance from Saints. It was nice of him to invite me into his home and he was a top host who kindly payed for my taxi back to the office. Another top bloke that I've met on my way to Lesotho and we've already sorted a few drinks for when we are both back in England.

I got back and didn't really want to risk eating or drinking anything so just tried to get my stomach to shut up by laying very still and not rolling over. Today wasn't a day that will go down as one of the best of my trip for obvious reasons but I'm pleased I made it out in the end. 

Let's hope tomorrow I'm feeling better.

G-Squizz

Friday 6th December

Today I wanted to spend the whole day at STB to see how a typical day pans out for the kids. They all arrive from the streets at around half 9. They get washed and changed into a STB uniform which has been donated to them by a Swiss company. (The founder of STB is a Swiss guy)

I would be lying if I said I didn't think they were different kids the second they changed into their red Swiss T-shirts. They were transformed from the rags they wear everyday to looking just like any other child and at the end of the day that's all they are. They are well behaved, friendly, happy children that clearly love coming to STB and STB is all they have if they want to get away from the dangers that living on streets possesses.

At 10 o'clock we walked down to the fields where STB have a fenced area for the children to safely play in. This area is supposed to be regenerated into a brand new football for hope facility but for some absurd reason the government are making it very hard for STB to complete the plans that are ready and waiting to go. So instead of a nice office building with showers, toilets and an artificial pitch, the kids have a tarmac basketball court and a stoney mud pitch for football.

As I sat and watched the kids do some fun relay races I got talking to G some more who had a day off school and happened to be watching the kids too. I wanted to know more about him and he was willing to tell me his story that I'm sure is not the only one of his kind. G has no family, his mother died giving birth to him and his dad died when he was very young whilst working in construction. G was originally born out in the country but made his way to the city when he was around 6 years old. Since the age of 6 he did what he could to get money, shine shoes, sell chewing gum, run errands etc. He said someone would give him something to sell and he would go off and sell it. He lived
 on the streets and did this until STB found him when he was 11. 

When STB found him they wanted to find out about his family and so took him back to the country where he found out about his parents through his cousins and then could work out roughly how old he was. Can you even imagine that? This is common with almost every child and we take so much for granted but not even knowing your age is something that I can't even begin to imagine. After being with STB for the first year he was then integrated into an orphanage and went to school independently from there. G is a very independent man anyway and when he was 16 he decided to leave the orphanage and live by his own means. He is sponsored by a Swiss volunteer that was clearly touched by his story a few years ago and so he helps with G's life financially. G's love and passion for how STB helped him was clear to see and hear and the man that I saw in front of me was a person that I would never of guessed to have such a hard upbringing. G, like all the other boys at STB are the real inspiration behind my ride and it brings me to tears just thinking about their lives.

Without the amazing support from my family and friends I would really struggle with this ride and I have done but deep down I know they will be there when I finish. G had 5 years of his life from the age of 6 with absolutely nobody being there for him. A lost childhood that could so easily of turned into an even worse adulthood. This is absolutely unimaginable and to hear him say that he wants to be a computer engineer and is predicted 650 out of 700 is a huge message to everybody that ever felt like giving up on something because things weren't going their way.

I have no doubts that the success story of G's life will continue and I wish him all the best. Another young man that I have met on my ride that I will never forget and I am blessed to have had the privilege to talk to him about his life.

After the relay races the boys had a little tournament on the football pitch. The energy the kids had in the searing heat amazed me along with their footballing ability and athleticism. One kid scored a great goal and then topped it off with a celebration of a cartwheel and back flip combination. The ending was hilarious as when he nailed the landing of the back flip his shorts fell straight to the ground exposing his bare behind to all the other boys watching which naturally triggered a roar of laughter from everyone.

I mentioned before how the government are restricting any building plans for the new facility. I sat in disbelief at what Jonas was telling me and it seems that they have no care for the development of these kids and the great work that STB do. It makes me angry and sick to think that STB's main challenge is convincing their own government just to say yes, so selfish and upsetting and i hope one day they will open their eyes and realise the damage they're doing.

After football we all went back to the office for lunch. All the kids and staff get fed lunch and I was lucky enough to be accepted in this also. The curry I had with injera was a pretty spicy one today and it caught me off guard. I had finished my bottled water so just took a few sips of tap water to ease my burning lips. I don't know whether this was to blame or maybe the many other ways you can get sick in this country but either way, from then on my health took yet another downturn and I was reacquainted with my familiar monstrous friend.

It didn't happen instantly so over lunch I sat and watched the staff play a few board games whilst I flicked through a book of some of STB golden rules and team bonding games that they play. Playing board games seems like such an ancient past time but it is probably the reason behind why the friendships and bonds between people in Africa is so strong. With no Internet and no smart phones to play on, the social life is just that, social. It is very common to see people back home all sat on their phones at a table and some would rather message others then speak to each other face to face. At lunch today we had laughs and joked who was the best at checkers and not only was it mentally stimulating but it increased the social bond between friends. When I get back home and crack open connect four in my local pub and wait for any takers I will probably be laughed at or stared at but I'm used to this anyway. A scrabble league is probably a bit farfetched but I can always dream of a more social relationship between myself and some of my "busy" friends.

After lunch I passed some of my collected knowledge and experience of coaching over the past 9 years onto the STB coaches. I enjoyed myself and hope the other coaches did too. I managed to talk for an hour and a half which came pretty naturally and I'm sure this is just a small fraction of how long I can talk for about my trip which is something I'm hoping to do when I get back. I haven't quite decided on my best target audience yet but its probably best I finish the ride first. 

In the evening I didn't coach in the end, instead we had a football match on the stoney mud pitch that the kids played on during the day. I didn't feel good at all. It was like someone had pumped my stomach up to just before bursting point and so I felt very heavy for the whole match. The ground made it hard to commit to anything as well. The dusty floor made it slippery and hard to stop, hard to commit to tackles and also to shooting and I was amazed how some players could manage to stay on their feet, especially the guy wearing pink slippers. They weren't even shoe slippers with backs on the heels, they were flip flop style pink fluffy slippers!

We had a lot of fun and everyone played fair with no issues at all. We caused no trouble and were doing no harm to anybody. Why then, why a man from the government who was in charge of the ground felt that he had to take one of the goals away and lock it up whilst we were still playing is absolutely beyond me! I wish I knew what they were saying as I would've told him exactly what I thought of him. The STB coaches Jonas and Grimmy were rightfully annoyed and protested but this jumped up little pea head from the government was having none of it and selfishly took the goals away. That ended our match sourly and abruptly and put a real downer on what was a very enjoyable match (despite my belly feeling like a hot air balloon)

I went to grab some food in the hope that it may sort out my stomach, no such luck unfortunately. If anything it made things worse because it was an amazing burger which I couldn't finish! So I was doubly disappointed that I had to waste good food and I still felt rough as guts. 

I got back to the office in time to commence my night of shuttle runs to the toilet. Luckily the nurses room where I'm sleeping is next door to the toilet so I didn't have far to run. I was now legitimately on the sick bed and experiencing all too familiar rumblings.

A sleepless night awaited but when you put it into context with some of the things these boys have had to endure, its not even worth mentioning.