We had a 150 km bike ride today, ending at the Ethiopian border; the third country on our tour. I was a little sad leaving Sudan; we had a lovely time here. We were all truly taken aback by the kindness and hospitality of the Sudanese. It’s very hard to reconcile the Sudan we experienced with the horrors happening in Darfur.
Leaving Sudan and entering Ethiopia entailed going to the Sudanese police department to fill out paperwork, going through Sudanese immigration to get an exit stamp, walking over a small bridge and going through Ethiopian immigration. Sudan is a “dry” (no alcohol allowed) country, Ethiopia is not. You can literally buy beer at the border. Most riders waited to clear Ethiopian immigration, beer already in hand.
The campsite was quite a sight. One person described it as vile 
…I prefer to call it “interesting”. There was garbage and poop everywhere. Shortly after pitching up tent, donkeys, cows and goats came through looking for stuff to eat or water to drink. We were also quickly surrounded by locals, some trying to exchange money, others just wanting to observe.
We’ve been told that the next two days of cycling are off road and probably two of the toughest days of the whole tour. We changed our tires and tried to get a good’s night sleep. The best part of the day? …no doubt the long refreshing shower at the local brothel (yes, I said brothel). It was awesome, refreshing and all for a mere 2 Ethiopian birh. (20 cents).
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