My name is Avery Moore and I am writing to you from North Carolina, USA

Several months ago my wife and I were led to begin an adoption process that will ultimately add an Ethiopian daughter to my biological son and daughter. Part of this process for us will be traveling to Adis Ababa in Ethiopia for a week when we will make the transition of our daughter from the orphanage to our home.

Now this is even weirder but my wife and I are very involved with a motorcycle ministry called Bikers for Christ. We are attempting to find a rental company that deals with motorcycles or scooters in Ethiopia but as you can imagine the internet is a little less than helpful in dealing with the local economy in 3rd world nations. If you have any pointers in this direction it would be a great asset as well.

Basically we tour America on two wheels and want to at least for a day, see the country side of Ethiopia from the perspective we know the most. Put it this way, I don't own a car, so rain snow or whatever I'm on my bike, I know this passion is the same on this board (why else would you be here)

I've been to Kenya before, but simply relied on the mitatus for all trnasport. I will be doing the same for the most part in Ethiopia but like I said my wife and I don't want to pass on the possibility of touring a bit of Africa on two wheels.

Any one who wants to hit me off line can at averymoore@mbmfoodservice.com

just get there and buy/borrow something. there are no big bikes in town - 150 or so is the local fayre. insurance is cheap, too. some of the roads are "inspiring" and I wouldn't limit your time to a single day if you have a choice - take a week or two and head ... wherever! it is a truly beautiful country. best to wear a full face helmet in case one of the many stone-throwers has got more accurate since my visit.

I've been reading a lot about the stone throwers and stick jabbers, from what I've read you keep a little safer if you wave.

I would be totally up to "borrowing" it's just a matter of from whom. We are unfortuantly limited in time as we will be leaving our two biological chidren at home with Grandma and will have to do all of the necessarry adoption procedures during that time as well.

Here is where my newbness will absolutley shine I'm sure. I will get the international drivers permit here in the states, with borrowing/renting is there anything else I will need to do in order to legally travel on to wheels? Is carnet needed in Ethiopia? Or is it needed at all if you are renting a local bike and staying with the country you rented from? I need pointers and help, I've never done this before and have absolutely no idea what I am doing (as if you couldn't tell already)

A Carnet is only required for temporarily importing a vehicle. If you buy or rent on the spot there's no carnet involved.

I would be surprized to find something like a profesional motorcycle rental in Addis, but most probably you can get a deal at one of those shops 'somewhere'. Something to do on the spot I guess.

There is a company in Addis called Africa Riding Adventures that you could contact. The owner is an Italian / Ethiopian guy called Flavio Bonaiuti, who rides a KTM 950. I think he runs tours of Ethiopia on Honda Dominators.

Contact Details are as follows:

Flavio Bonaiuti
Tel - 251-1-513249
Mob - 09624371
Email - flavio.bonaiuti@africaridingadventures.com