When the mind wonders off – part VI

Egypt didn’t seem like that. Traffic jams and markets full of people all day round, shopping fever… it’s probably due to their position and ancient Egyptian mysticism bring masses of people about. In such an atmosphere we came down to Aswan, being accompanied by the heart of Egypt all the way – the river Nile. It is something extraordinary when all the school lessons of geography and history unfold before your eyes. The life sustaining stream of water flowing beside you fights off the desert you see just a kilometre away and realize what this land would be without the mighty river.

In Aswan we sorted out our papers to travel to Sudan on the Nasser Lake, but we’ve filled the car up with drinking water, for we realized we’re in for some serious heat. But we went forth without our steel stead, as luggage it had to be boarded a special cargo ferry, and arrived to Sudan one day after us.

After arrival we checked into the police station. That’s simply what you have to do. The next day we also got our car and we immediately felt more “at home.”

We had to options for going on down south. We could have followed the river, from village to village toward the capital of Khartum; the alternative, on the other hand, cuts the turns and leads straight through the desert. This path runs along the railway, but the train only passes through once a week and even then very slowly, for the tracks are often covered by sand. This path was definitely more adventurous. Just you, the car and the great heat every single day and clear and starry sky at night. Not a living soul in site for the entire duration of the trip. If anything would have gone wrong, this could have easily been a deadly adventure at that. We opted for the first possibility where we at least passed signs of life every few hours. It’s part of the journey, to get to know the people, but desert adventures are also a part of an African tour – but they’ll be enough of both to come.

So we went along the Nile from Wadi Half to Dongola. What a path! The first surprise was the asphalt road, which made you think – maybe Africa isn’t so underdeveloped. But soon the roads are not only unpaved and full of holes, boulders, soft sand traps and corrugation, but they simply disappear, so if you haven’t a compass, you just don’t know where to turn, for straight ahead, left, right… it all seems completely the same.
 
We’ve learned that stopping suddenly in middle of the sand is a really bad idea. While you’re driving you’re constantly tailed by a cloud of sand and dust and once you stop – it doesn’t. You’re cabin gets filled with it and chokes you to the bottom of your lungs. At times the road gets nearer to the river and then you see the contrast of lifeless rocks and sand on one and green thriving life on the other side of the car. Extraordinary!

We stopped for the night in one of such green patches, in the comfort of our tent in the safety of our mosquito nets.
 
We went to have breakfast on top of one of the hills, from where we could – while sipping coffee – see the landscape of Sudan. Soon people started coming toward us and we chatted with them while drinking instant coffee and eating Nuttella.