The day started with only a short riding day planned, but would end up being one of our most eventful days of the trip. We were hearing more and more about the coronavirus which was sweeping around the world, causing increasing concern. There had only been a couple cases of the virus reported in all of Ethiopia, but nonetheless, it was having a large impact on how we were perceived and treated as foreigners. Holding onto our dream of crossing Africa by bike was becoming increasing difficult as the world became frozen with fear over an invisible, but very real threat.  Sometimes you don’t realize how much you have until it is taken away. This day would leave us with indelible memories of how privileged we have been to be able to travel the world on bikes. 

Some stretches of road have become legends in the cycling community. The crossing of the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia is one of those rides. It’s deep. It’s steep. And the high-altitude sun will sap your strength. Cycling across the Blue Nile Gorge with a fully-loaded touring bike will test your mettle. It’s not for sissies. So of course, we had to give it a go. We wanted to see the spectacular scenery, but also to test ourselves, and prove we could do it. Our legs and our lungs were pushed to the limit, but it was totally worth it to conquer the second-biggest canyon ride in the world.