It has been a pressing 27 days of cycling for Keegan Longueira, who has embarked from #Cairo2Capetown in hopes of raising funds for Operation Smile.
Keegan was last heard from on Monday, January 26 after putting another 150km under his pedals, which left him roughly 380km from the Kenyan border.
“The roads are all gravel and stone now, and I feel a bit unsafe, the locals once again went after me with rocks, some armed with axes and pangas,” he said.
Having cycled 250km on Sunday he had made his way out of the town Shashemene, with his goal of hitting the Kenyan border drawing closer with every stroke of his pedals, he was expected to reach the border by Wednesday, January 28.
“His safety is of great concern, all we can do now is pray and hope God will keep him safe for the rest of his trip,” said Ms Paige Cook, Cape Trek public relations.
By Day 19 he had already pushed out an amazing 3 556km and prepared himself for the remaining few days before he makes his way out of Ethiopia.
“I had a fantastic day today. Ethiopia is so poor and needs so much love, it breaks my heart,” he said.
According to his Facebook Page, he found good rhythm and form on the climbs and managed 165km.
By January 23 he had made his way to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and finished the second leg of his journey.
Having climbed the Blue Nile Gorge on Thursday, Keegan was relieved to hear from his driver, who offered him some mental coaching, that the last 100km to the capital would be completely flat and downhill.
“Today was a tough little day but I made it here safely. Since Gondar, the roads have been quite bad at times, the people have gotten even more aggressive, the hills have been ridiculously steep and the altitude at the highest reached 3 111m above sea level,” he said.
His trip hasn’t been an easy one, that is for sure, as his descent was riddled with children throwing rocks in his path, not to mention the descent in the dark as he made his way toward the Blue Nile Bridge or the 21km uphill climb out of the gorge.
“The incredible coffee houses here have been great, the rich black coffee in the morning on the side of the road gets me turning the pedals over – but what really stands out for me is the time for prayer and meditation, thinking, crying, laughing as well as singing – has been emotional to say the least,” he said.
“To my friends, family and loved ones back home who have been supporting me constantly, you are the back bone of this trip. Your messages of support and prayers get me out of bed on bad mornings,” he wrote.
On January 24, Keegan passed the ‘Norwegian Embassy’ sign.
“Still reading away at the epic race of the century to the South Pole where it was Scott vs Amundsen, in a way I feel part of the journey, learning from their mistakes and using their strengths to push through in Africa. God really has provided in so many ways in these 22 days on the road, looking ahead, it looks scary, but I walk in faith, or ride in faith rather. Sometimes I catch myself trembling at the thought of what is to come,” he added.
Keegan’s heart was touched by his guide, Addis, as they made their way through Ethiopia.
“He has a magnificent heart and helps so much, ‘you succeed, I am happy,’ he always says, and when hearing the good news of his permanent position within the company, tears rolled down both our faces,” said Keegan.
“Addis my new friend from Ethiopia, I will never forget you, I just know that your life is going to be blessed and great things are in store for you,” he added.
Keegan’s third leg will see him cycling from Addis Ababa to Nairobi the capital of Kenya in just nine days with the hopes of covering 1 737km.
“The Cape Trek team would just like to send out a big thank you for all the support, love and faith you have all instilled in Keegan, God bless,” said Paige.
Be sure to follow him by visiting his page or The Cape Trek Project on Facebook and show your support by making the difference and donating to Operation Smile, every bit counts towards giving a child a cleft pallet surgery, a chance to smile.
