On this fateful trip, I was in a rush to get to Addis. I had a flight to catch and not much of a margin for error. I never like to leave town on the same day that I actually need to be somewhere as this is a country where the unexpected can and will happen. However, on this occasion, I didn’t have a choice. I did, however, make one unfortunate error. I actually passed on a ride in the hospital’s private vehicle in order to help my friends (they are biking from Ethiopia to South Africa) navigate and deal with the logistics of our bus station. Josh had fallen ill and they needed to bypass the challenging ride through the gorge. Anyways…we boarded the bus at 5am and began our trek to Addis.
I remember thinking that our trip was progressing along in an uncharacteristically smooth and timely manner. We were nearly out of the gorge when I was met with a preposterous site. In a section of road that clings to the edge of the gorge, the right lane split from the left lane in what I can only assume was due to “heavy land sliding.” In the midst of the mess was a large tractor-trailer…stuck. Ethiopians are resourceful people and when resources are limited you use what you have. In this case, manpower. I have never witnessed a site where 30+ men are attempting to push a tractor-trailer. Fortunately, out of nowhere, came an oversized tow-truck, and together they were able to clear the road.
Josh, Nicole, and I climbed back on our bus and waited our turn to pass through the mess. As the bus rolled backward (in an attempt to pop the clutch?) we realized how stupid and potentially suicidal it was for us to ride across this land-sliding zone. We immediately stood up, headed for the door, and EVERYONE else on the bus followed. As we trekked across the divide, it became apparent that our bus was not moving. In fact, the stragglers of our group had actually turned around and were clustering in front of the bus. We, too, turned back only to discover that our bus decided then and there to give up the ghost. Unbelievable. Our driver’s solution to the problem—refund our ticket! I had a brief moment of panic when I realized that no knight in shining armor (i.e. a functioning bus) was going to come to our rescue. The other passengers picked up their belongings and started walking out of the gorge. And, there we stood. I certainly hadn’t packed for a trek on foot and although Josh and Nicole could have ridden out, they didn’t want to leave me stranded. Fortunately, I stemmed the panic and realized that perhaps the hospital vehicle was behind us. Through a series of phone calls and disjointed conversations in a mixture of English and Amharic I learned that the hospital car was indeed behind us and had space for me. So, we waited. For two hours we stood alongside the road in the Blue Nile Gorge watching the drama of the land-sliding zone enfold, chatting with drivers and their passengers who were patiently waiting their turn, and enjoying the view. I must admit, it was a beautiful place to pass the time and to ponder the question…”will there ever be a drama-free bus ride in this country???”
