World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2009-04-21 2009-04-23 Africa

2009-04-22:
Distance today: 46.0 km (Accumulated: 12720.8 km)
Elapsed time: 04:26:01
Country: Africa

Start 07:22am. at km-marker 355 on the main road to Addis Abeba. 14c, clear and l. wind. Finish 14:19pm. at km-marker 309 onthe main road to Addis Abeba. 29c, partly cloudy and same.

Limits...

I guess each human beeing has a limit to how much harresment and unpleasanties can be accepted.

After yesterdays more philosophical approach I ran the head straight into a wall: of how much unfriendly behavior I can accept and stillrun here in Ethiopia.

Half an hour into the stage, early in the morning, still cold and slowly waking up, I was again running throuh a small village. The usual scenario: screaming kids in large groups and indifferent adults hanging around. After a few minutes of pestering screams - the first throwing of stones; one hitting the backside of the knee.

I had had enough.

The unpleasanty you are met with in this contry when trying to come in peace and share positive things are beyond imagination.

It is not much of a physical problem and you can fairly easily handle it. But the ugly treatment you experiense in Ethiopia on a daily basis is incomprehensible ! Only so many times can you bear to be yelled at day long, be met with stones, and stupidity when you try to explain the unpleasanty of the behavior. Harressed and stared at without any limit or dignity.

Slowly you become a bad person yourself and THAT is what worry me !!

Day by day you begin to get a creeping feeling down the spine when you see the children gather on the fields and sprint down the hills as soon as they have spottet you. You loose the ability to meet new people w. an open positive mind; interested in their story and what 'take on life' they have to offer or share. You get to a point where you wish to see & hear no more of this contry that I so respected - not least becauce of its runners - untill I experiensed it.

I know people are poor; but far from all, and there seems to be no obvious connection between the behavior and economic situation.

I know that you can 'experiense' this contry from the safety of a car or bus and stay in the comfort and westernization' of the main cities. But that is not the spirit of this run. Like world run 1 its to see the contries, continents and cultures as they are, step by step and not only the cute' tourist or correct' official -version.

The World is far bigger than the guidebook and the selected bits on the tv-news - And usually far more Beatifull :-)

By the way the light-weight camera wich I was carrying for video-reporting for the danish tv2 television station has been stolen (No surprise in Ethiopia). Only positive is that I had the oppotunity to share the clips - for example shivering moments at sunset in the Sinai Desert w. ice on the tent- with my girlfriend :-) If one should share the fantastic moments of the run its her; She got me through today and that running w. a little smile on my face the last km's !

I have not yet reached my limit of what I can overcome of 'ethiopia treatment' and still end the day looking forward to tomorrow.Even in this place.. :-)

- as far as running goes the plan was to do 42km today, but 46km was the result. To show that Hardship inspires an extra effort.

NB: In Ethiopia gprs-service (global phone roaming service) is not yet avaliable for datatransmission. Therefore the Live-gps data cant be transmittet to the website as usual. It may first be avaliable in Kenya. Untill then traditional documentation is used: photo, logbook, video, wittness etc. !

Due to network overload the daily reports may also be delayed as I get closer to the capital, Addis Abeba.