As we cycle away from Khartoum towards the border of Ethiopia, the Tour passes through the fertile agricultural valleys of northern Sudan. It is here as we begin to approach the border with Ethiopia we witness the transformation from the Arabic Muslim world of northern Africa to the more tribal and traditional nature of east Africa.

Once we hit Ethiopia the ‘roof’ of Africa is in front of us, the first two days in this amazing country involve the most climbing of the whole tour as we climb crumbling dirt roads upwards through the Semien Mountains. This section is guaranteed to challenge both our minds and our bodies. The highlight will be the Blue Nile Gorge, a 1600-meter precipitous descent and ascent, fortunately this is on a newly paved road. Once we conquer the Blue Nile Gorge, the beautiful terrain of the central Ethiopian plateau will whiz by as we spin towards the capital city of Addis Ababa.

Cycling through the highlands we will have the chance to see huge colonies of Gelada monkeys, they live in troops of up to 600 members and are only found in these mountains.

Accompanying us as we cycle through the countryside and towns of Ethiopia will be the tempting scent of coffee in the air, and we will have the chance to sample the local brew at tiny espresso shops in the villages and towns. This should help me with my daily coffee ‘fix’ and it might be time for Wayne to take it up!

It is here in this predominantly Christian country that we will find ancient monasteries and churches dotted through the countryside, as well as a chance to visit the impressive Blue Nile Falls.

The exotic sounding capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa has been a longed for destination for me for many years. The descent through the eucalyptus forested hills into downtown Addis, after conquering the Ethiopian highlands is an experience I look forward to. I’m sure our backsides and aching quads will certainly savor the rest day here in Addis.