Days 96,97, 98 Addis Ababa to Moyale via Awassa an Hagere Mariyam775km 18hours!

We set off  from Addis Ababa  early on Saturday morning,

We filled up with petrol at a petrol station under the light rail viaduct.

Some parts of Addis are very modern.

There is a very modern expressway heading south... police whistles blew and we were stopped and turned back from the expressway.

Instead we got to ride slowly behind diesel and dust generating trucks,

We have no idea why motorcycles are not allowed to use the expressway. We had been forewarned but thought we'd try our luck.

The harvest has begun in the agricultural land south of Addis.

We have seen harvesting in every country that we have visited - from Holland Denmark and Norway in the north all the way to Africa.

Who know what the harvest of the motorcycle journey will be.

The first day to Awassa and the second day to Hagere Mariyam were the slowest and hardest going of our whole  trip so far.

Rugged road, pot holes, bull dust, new road works.

We were so blessed to have no rain during these two days. 

Dust is preferable to mud.

Instead of the express way we had a couple of hours of this.

Once we were outside the city limits agricultural scenes greeted us.

Lake Awassa. 

Hagere Mariyam is the centre of the Ethiopian highlands coffee growing.

We had very good macchiatos at the Blue Hora Hotel, our home for the night.

The happy barista.

So glad it wasn't raining  here!

 

Oh dear, he tipped me off again. An angel to my rescue.

P

No matter where we stop on the road for a break people appear, especially children.

"

We loved the  singing of this huge crowd of more  than a thousand marching along the highway. We think it was a church related march. We stopped and they swarmed around and passed us. Very gentle and smiling.

Motorcycle cleaning. 

Heart melting!