The seven days passed by quickly and before we knew it, there was just one last day of ups...View image... and downs before ending in Ayder. The rains, rivers and streams had done a job on the trails and we carefully crossed many small wooden and slippery bridges, Cemil always keeping a lookout to make sure no one fell in...View image. He also kept a wary eye to see that the mules made it across safely with their heavy loads. I personally think he was rightfully more concerned about them than us. The area was becoming more inhabited and we came across locals who used the time-honored method of winching themselves and goods across one of the rivers. ex-Marine turned a most attractive shade of green when he first saw that and panicked that we were going to have to cross the river in that fashion. (The guy only looks tough...) Today, was not fun. Mud is slippery, hard on the ankles because feet slide in different directions and time-consuming. I was more than ready for the trek to be over...