5M Hotel Khartoum

Destination 376

km188'518

Increasing heat and the change from lush green to more and more dusty environment had lead me straight to Khartoum, where arrived late afternoon just to get stuck in rush hour to almost collapse in immense heat of well over 40 degrees.
Here there is to decide and organize the way to continue. Up to Egypt via Wadi Halfa or to Jordan via Saudi Arabia?

We will see and wait...

... shorter, is not the one chosen by the majority of travellers. There must be some common sense in such a large proportion of travellers, so we chose to go Khartoum-Meroe-Atbara-Merowe-Dongola-Wa di Halfa. Distances of about 250, 100, 283, 200 and 400 respectively. A total of about 1200 kilometres. Now that we have reached Wadi Halfa we can say that the road wasn't all that bad, we didn't even get stuck.... Well only once just next to the tarmac near Karima so that doesn't ...

... Also on the road are prehistoric looking Bedford trucks, driving so slow that we could easily overtake them. Quite often the doors had been taken out, and a jellabiyah clad driver was stooped over wheel. The back was filled with merchandise and in order to improve efficiency, some 10 to 15 men were clinging to the loading bay sticking out for half a meter on the left and right and for a meter above the top. Imagine two of those passing too close to one another ...

... took his name and demanded a receipt. We noticed most vehicles went straight through. This wasn't a road toll, it was a foreigner tax. The man agreed that this was correct. Racism is alive and well in Sudan it seems. Over the next 100km we encountered a further 5 or 6 police road blocks and had to show our passports at each one. We were asked for photocopies at one police hut. No facilities to get a copy, it just seemed like a scam to extract a bribe. I played dumb ...

... passenger ticket. And only until we get to Wadi Halfa can we actually book a place for Foxy on the cargo ferry. Passengers are not allowed to travel with their vehicles and anyway, the cargo ferry arrives a day or two later in Aswan. Confident with our newfound knowledge, we taxi'd back to the kebab 'n fruit restaurant where we sweated, read and drank copious amounts of water and fruit juice. Still no internet connection, but the electricity came back on after a ...

... God willing)..... can you give me email?" After giving Mergni our email address, we bid him good luck and drove off with our tanks full of cheap Sudanese diesel thinking how fortunate it was to meet someone so engaging and excited to meet us, strangers from faraway lands. He is just one of thousands of Sudanese people dreaming similar dreams that are simple and honest, but for the most part, unanswered. ******** The day's drive was pretty uneventful, except for dodging ...

... Ethiopian Embassy. As soon as we walk in and a man hands us our passports with the visas afixed. We have really good feelings about Ethiopia. January 17, 2008 The Taka Hotel is supposed to have free wireless internet, but we were only able to get it for a couple hours on the first two days. Arvid goes to the manager to complain and is told that the provider is down. The manager is originally from Wadi Halfa and he soon is telling Arvid about the old Wadi ...

... in a place like Ethiopia. There will always be a demand for money later on. Or clothes. Or a pen. Or a penknife. I truly hope that Sudan does not disappoint in this sense. I felt guilty not having anything save a Tanzanian card and a photo to give them to thank them for their kindness. Day 42 - To Khartoum Just after 7am I set off to Khartoum, arriving just after 10. Even by then it was fierce hot. Get used to it Clark. At least it ain't raining.

... July. Not to mention the fact that we were 65 before Christmas. There's a bit of a "grieving" feeling ... I spent the first half of my mission building programmes, expanding the mission. Now we are on the exact opposite trends. Are the needs not there anymore? I would say no, on the contrary! BUT ... but - except for Darfur where only violence and access are, for now, slowing us down - needs cost money, programmes don't run themselves, and it seems it's the turning point for Sudan ...

... left wondering, who am I other than what's writen on my business card (which is greatly misunderstood anyway)? I'm seriously drawing a blank! The good news, I guess, is that I'm asking the question (my philosophy professor would be so proud) ... but that's what so nice about work: there's always an answer, even though it might suck or be that there is no solution. I'm not gonna venture answering here, in this oh-so-public media ...