WELCOME TO SUDAN

That's it, I am writing these words in Sudan. Finally, we have the foot of the Sudanese soil after 30-hour boat trip. Half of the time actually spent in the ports waiting for shipment, ship, and customs clearance .... It was chaos when we arrived and while it is facinating to watch the chaos to reveal to the police fought Porter and passengers trying to unpack all the goods through every possible hole in this boat is. Some were even ship their suitcases from the top rope fell directly to the reception by the dusty colliding anchered, because there is no such thing as a platform here. The trip was really fun. Once you have accepted the dirt and leaves coacroches used everywhere, it was a unique experience. I got a very good night's sleep and woke up early to watch the sun rise over Lake Nasser as we were passing the temple of Abu Simba, really cool!

The two kids looking through the hole are looking us in our camp

 through a hole in the perimeter wall

A family inside a tuk tuk

Clearing customs, and to obtain any document, meant we had to get out of the last boat, so we can peacefully watch this mess something to terminate the proof, which could inspire the sci-fi movie scenario, so it all seemed unreal. Many hours later, when the last refrigerator and the last TV had been removed from the deck, we could get out of the boat and the proceeds of customs clearance. Thank you once again that the TDA staff of a large organization, this process proceeded smoothly. Another stamp, and another label later we were at last free ride to our camp is based a few miles more. And as soon as we can see how everything was different here. It was a short but beautiful ride behind Western movie. "All the people shouted" Welcome to Sudan, "and the children began immedaitely to join us, some of them keeping some distance. Everyone seemed to be so well dressed, and every building or house is painted with beautiful colors. The sun was busy setting as we had to ride back into town, and it was truly a pleasure to make a few shots of this amazing landscape. We were all overwelmed the kindness of the people.
As the police arrived at the camp was a parade in progress. That, too, was quite an experience. They fired into the air, driving around the pick up trucks, which the police stood by and AK 47 guns. Suddenly, they jumped out of these trucks and the audience joined in, while they began to dance in arms in the air ... What an experience. I have seen such things on CNN before, but never in front of my eyes ...

                                       They queu to change local money, this is a local bank.

The restaurant chef cooking fish

Having spent most of our day on the boat waiting, we were all starving, so quick visit to local restaurants, using touk touks was a welcome initiative. Local fish, the lake turned out to be delicious and the price is 1 euro.

FERRY TRIP ON THE LAKE NASSER...

Today we take the ferry from Egypt to Sudan over lake Nasser. It is an 18 hours epic ride. And it is not just the ride that is epic. This ferry only departs once a week and due to the incredible mess and total lack of any kind of organisation, we had to be at the ferry at 10h00 a.m. already for departing at 18h00...

                                      I am writing this from the boat while they are still loading.
Needless to say, it is chaos! The Tour d'Afrique organisation did a very good job at getting us through customs, but there after, it really becomes a once in a lifetime experience. The loading of this floating rat hole is a mistery... Chaos is a light word... It is unbelievable. There are people trying to get in with fridges on their back, some carry 10 TV's, others have so much luggage that they get stuck in the boat corridors, then the rest behind starts shouting like hell, in some very unpleasant arabic... Furthermore, some of them are praying on the floor, adding even more confusion to the chaos, as they block the flow of people even more.
This boat is now so full that I cannot imagine where they are going to put more stuff, but there is still 2 hours to go and a huge queue of people, fridges, TV's and so on outside on the quay...

We have cabins, which is the ultimate luxury.... You should see where the locals are seated... The smell there is already unbearable, and we have not even departed...

I understand now why we were advise to eat some immodium... You do not want to have to use the boat toilets... And for our luxurious cabins, he he... well, just look at the photos... I removed the rat droppings from my bed before putting my tent mattress on top of the rotten one that we are suppose to sleep on.

                           Anyway, a once in a lifetime experience, and that is what we came for...

                              With half an hour before departure, I wanted to share this life with you,
                               this is really funny, even our bikes are starting to disappear behind a
                               montain of appliances and luggage... It is going to be a long 18 hours
                                                for those of us who sleep on the deck...
                                                 And they are still loading more stuff...

LAST RIDING DAY IN EGYPT

Last riding day in Egypt and already one country done and a 1000 km on the clock. Riding was good, 115 km, but the road was in a poor shape, so we really had to be careful for potholes and big cracks. We followed the spectular Nile all the way. We arrived early in Aswan, which gave us plenty of time to go shopping for tomorrow's 18 hours ferry ride accross lake Nasser into Sudan. We have been warned that the ferry is by all means an old African ferry and that it is more like a cattle and goods barge than the kind of ferry, we will be without food any food or even drinking water.... Apparently, the toilets are so disgusting on board that we were advised to take a pill of Imodium in advance, so we could skip that experience... The ferry only leaves at 18h00 but we need to be there many hours before due to complicated boarding procedures and the risk to have our beds sold to a higher bidder....

We will arrive in Sudan on Tuesday morning, if there are no brake down or unforseen circumstances....

                                    This morning, the organisation surprised  us for breakfast.
                              They hired some local chefs to cook us local egyptian food. Great!

                           We left Idfu by crossing the Nile in the early morning mist and polution
                          of the many factories that surround the city, making our way in between
                            Egyptian kamikaze drivers, donkey carts and motorbikes.

                                       We rode as a small peloton pulling a decent speed
                                                       around 32 to 35 km per hour.

                                      After stopping at the lunch truck, we took it a bit easier and
                                        enjoyed the magnificent views of the Nile banks with the
                                                                desert as background.

                                    As soon as you leave the cities, donkeys become the main
                                      mean of transport. All donkeys don't have a happy end....
                                       We passed a butchery today with two of them hanging...

                                 Aswan is a very pleasant city with plenty of beautiful restaurants
                                   built on barges along the banks of the Nile. This is where we
                                         have enjoyed our last beers for almost three weeks.
                                                  Alcohol is strictly forbiden in Sudan.

                              Some of our younger riders have decided to enjoy some harder stuff
                              before entering Sudan. On the blackmarket, they purchased this
                              "localy made Finelande Vodka". I thought that our Finnish friends
                              would love that one. Check the etiquette, they even have raindeers on it...