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Our Route through SUDAN. We covered approx. 2,100km on the motorcycles.
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Nov. 12, 2007. Aswan, Egypt. Washing as the Cargo Barge is being loaded. |
This is the empty barge. |
Trucks after truck back up and unload into the hull of the barge.
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Mr. Salah is in charge of issuing tickets for both the passenger ferry and cargo ferry. |
Another overloaded truck pulls up. Our motorcycles wait in the background.
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It is amazing that these trucks don't fall over. |
By late afternoon, both the hull and every square inch of the cargo ferry was covered. |
We started to get a bit concerned about where our motorcycle were going to go. |
Mike makes his way through the upper level of the passenger ferry to our sleeping spot. |
Finally after 9 hrs of waiting the motorcycles are loaded in the dark.
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The next day Nov. 13, 2007 we pass Abu Simbel. |
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After only 18 hrs we arrive in WADI HALFA, SUDAN. |
The port is exactly what we thought it would be, not much. The real Africa has began. |
Main street Wadi Halfa. |
The motorcycles arrive on the cargo ferry by 9am on Nov. 14, 2007.
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Werner, with his Yamaha 600. |
We are happy to have the motorcycles through customs, which only took 3 1/2 hours. |
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Staying at the Nile Hotel in Wadi Halfa. |
The floor is sand, but we are happy to have a room, as it is the only hotel with vacancy. |
Nov. 15, 2007. We leave Wadi Halfa at sun rise and head down the Nile.
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After 2 1/2 hrs and 100km, we meet up with the cyclists ...
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... (two Germans and one Slovakian) who had left a day earlier for breakfast at this nice place. |
The locals say good-bye to us. |
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450km of sand, sand and more sand. |
Amazing sceneries. |
What track to take? What would be do without GPS. |
View of the Nile. |
The only greenery we see is along the Nile. |
Stopping for a rest. |
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Continuing on the road. |
Lots of washboard and sand. |
Stopping in Abri to buy gasoline off the black market. |
As the sun sets we set up camp. |
The local farmer comes strolling over to join us. |
Our campsite along the Nile close to Wasa. |
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We had done 220km in 9 hrs of riding. |
Late evening the farmer returns with his wife and kid for a visit.
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Nov. 16, 2007. Hanging out with the locals for breakfast. Very friendly people. |
The second day on the road was a lot tougher,... |
... as the sand started to get deeper ... |
... and deeper. |
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Mike plows through the sand (the air filter was 1kg heavier after all this) |
Taking a break in a small town along the way, looking down main street.
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We arrive at the Dongola ferry from Wasa in 8 hrs riding 200km later.
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The ferry to cross the Nile. |
Nov. 17, 2007. Taking the ferry from Dongola across the Nile to Karima.
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Approx. 40km of the road from Dongola to Karima is this. |
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We walk the sections to determine the best routes through the powdery sand. |
Sometimes we wonder how we did get through it. Ruby only dropped the bike in the sand 3 times in Sudan. Not to mention the 1000 close calls. |
Finally pavement. Two happy campers. |
At Karima we visit the UNESCO World Heritage JEBEL BARKAL.
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The ancient site of Jebel Barkal stands directly beside the road and ...
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... the pyramids peek from the sand dunes. |
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No ticket office, no tourists, no fence, just us. |
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Karima to Khartoum is all paved. Only 300km to go. |
Camping in the desert. |
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We had the best sleep in the Sudan desert. |
Nov. 18, 2007. Waking up to a beautiful sun rise. |
Our view from the tent. |
We each pick up a nail in the back tire. |
Mike plugs the tire in Khartoum. |
Removing a large nail from his bike. |
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Must have picked them up in the nail souq earlier. |
Locals stop in at the Blue Nail sailing club. |
Nov. 19, 2007. We take a detour 200km NE of Khartoum to MEROE.
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Meroe, did not disappoint us. |
The Meroitic pharaohs built the narrow pyramids ... |
... at this location for the burial place of the royal.
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Some tombs have well-preserved Hieroglyphics in the tombs' antechambers. |
An ancient royal cemetery located in the midst of huge sand dunes.
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The site is not kept up and sand is starting to bury most entrances.
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There is a ticket office at the entrance and tickets are $10.00US/person. |
Definitely worth the money. |
We spent about 1 1/2 hr exploring the pyramids which are spread out over a couple areas. |
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There is no other tourists. |
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We leave foot prints behind, that will be gone in a few minutes from the blowing sand. |
Sand blowing over the dunes. |
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Locals have set up make shift stalls to sell hand-made crafts.
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The people are always very friendly and I purchased a leather necklace, ... |
... which contained a little book with writing to fend of sickness and evil.
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Nov. 20, 2007. We spent another night in the desert camping south of Khartoum. Breakfast on the side of the road. Great food. |
Close to the Ethiopian Border the housing infrastructure changes. |
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Small villages consist of circular straw and mud huts. So we say good-bye to a very wonderful, sunny and hot Sudan. |
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