1 DECEMBER 2010 - Africa's most (in)famous ferry
Sudan to Egypt - a simple ferry ride…right?
It sounds nice on paper. Cruising north on the great Nile River to cross in to Egypt and disembark at the beautiful Aswan. Well this depends on whether you’re an optimist, or a realist. Let me give you two accounts from both mindsets.
THE OPTIMIST
Boarding from the sand swept plains of Wadi Halfa, the Nile provides a welcome respite from the expansive miles of sheer desert that precedes it. Upon boarding the rustic river vessel, you are met with a plethora of different people kicking back, poised for the short hop to Aswan, Egypt.
As night descends, dinner soon follows and we are enjoying the tastes of yet another culture’s cuisine in the first class dining room. Back up on the top deck, boisterous conversations about the day’s events strike up all around you. Bunkering down for the night, we look up at the night sky, littered with stars as a gentle breeze rocks us to sleep. In the morning, we will wake, stroll off the ferry, and be in our final destination: Egypt!
THE REALIST
Wadi Halfa is a nice enough town relative to the flea pits you stumble across on the way up. On first glance, I’m convinced the Nile is nothing but a mirage given that we have not seen a drop of water anywhere near this landscape for days. Besides, after 5 days of hard driving, we’re so tired we barely notice it.
Upon boarding the ferry that will be our home for the next 18 hours, you can’t help but think its seen better days. The door in the bathroom is off its hinges and for any degree of privacy one must pick up the door and precariously place it over the gap where a functional door would usually close. Despite floating upon litres of the stuff, water for the flush seems to be in short supply. The first class dining room, complete with plastic plants, dishes up tasteless beans in a tasteless sauce with a side of vegetables that have been sitting in vinegar (or was that vinegar that has been sitting in vegetables?).
Back up on deck with a heavy wind blowing, its hard to fall asleep. With the assistance of modern medicine, we begin to doze off. Right then, a group of Egyptian men decide that of the entire deck that is now empty, 50 centimetres from us would be the best place to strike up a conversation that could be heard from Botswana. Telling them we were trying to sleep seemed to spur them on to greater heights of decibels.
The next morning, shortly after ‘waking’, we pull in to the Aswan port ready to disembark and delve in to all Egypt has to offer. But not before 8 passengers need further security checks before anyone on the ferry could disembark. 1.5 hours later, we make landfall in Egypt.
Wadi Halfa ferry - tick!
MR
5 DECEMBER 2010 - Welcome to Egypt
After the ferry ride from Sudan, we made it to Aswan unscathed. To celebrate, we broke rank and bypassed the option of alcohol that we had not consumed during our time in Sudan for the threat of 7 lashes. Instead, we each delved in to a McDonalds meal (or two - spurred on by the machine that is our favourite British cyclist Kevin, aka Big Kev, cos he sure was excited having ridden from Cape Town to Cairo. So began Stevo’s 48 hours of death, or at the very least extreme sickness. We feared it was malaria given he ticked 9 boxes of the 10 most common symptoms and Murphy’s Law seemed to apply in full force - our malaria treatment was in the car which was still on its way from Sudan. The day the car arrived, Steve was still sick so I met our fixer to collect the car. Nope. No can do. Not in Egypt - a country suffocated by red tape and paperwork. Steve’s name is on the carnet, so it was Steve who must be dragged out of bed, transported to the port and propped up to sign some unknown document written in Arabic. He may now be financially responsible for 3 wives and 12 children.
Having picked up the car and seen little of Aswan outside its fast food restaurants, we thought we best push on up the Nile to Luxor. Luxor blew us away with the Karnak Temples, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and more of the ‘Same Same’ [private joke that really only Steve will get]. Proving once more how slowly we were progressing, Big Kev pedalled his way up to join us the next day for more British-Australian hilarity and another healthy double dose of McDonalds. Strangely, Steve wasn't keen.
MR
10 DECEMBER 2010 - Temples and AKs
I was complaining about the lack of adventure in Egypt yesterday morning. Tonight we were doing 90km per hour without headlights through crowded towns with a variety of armed police escort vehicles. Luckily we were well prepared for this kind of driving by years of training on video games.
We were heading for the temple at Abydos. It still has its roof on, and is seriously stunning, but enough about that.
At about 3.30pm this arvo we got pulled up at one of the police roadblocks (again). We say we’re going to Abydos. They radio us through to someone. Half an hour later a ute swerves out and takes position off our bow, and we follow it for 25 minutes to the temple, eye to eye with the soldiers hanging off the back with AKs. Then we get escorted through the temple by a very friendly guy in plain clothes with a submachine gun barely concealed under his jacket, while a couple of uniformed military guys surreptitiously trail along about 30 metres behind us.
Night falls, and we have 60 kilometres to the only town that the police will agree to let us stay in. The ute takes up position and we begin a dusk sprint, stopping briefly after we saw a bad motorcycle accident, which had half the cops watching us and half running to the motorcyclist. We swapped our way through 4 different escort vehicles that night. My personal favourite was the van which went ahead of us with the lights flashing. Video didn't quite capture the comedy of the whole situation, and we are moving slowly at this point, but here is out favourite escort in action:
SC
Sudan to Egypt - a simple ferry ride…right?
It sounds nice on paper. Cruising north on the great Nile River to cross in to Egypt and disembark at the beautiful Aswan. Well this depends on whether you’re an optimist, or a realist. Let me give you two accounts from both mindsets.
THE OPTIMIST
Boarding from the sand swept plains of Wadi Halfa, the Nile provides a welcome respite from the expansive miles of sheer desert that precedes it. Upon boarding the rustic river vessel, you are met with a plethora of different people kicking back, poised for the short hop to Aswan, Egypt.
As night descends, dinner soon follows and we are enjoying the tastes of yet another culture’s cuisine in the first class dining room. Back up on the top deck, boisterous conversations about the day’s events strike up all around you. Bunkering down for the night, we look up at the night sky, littered with stars as a gentle breeze rocks us to sleep. In the morning, we will wake, stroll off the ferry, and be in our final destination: Egypt!
THE REALIST
Wadi Halfa is a nice enough town relative to the flea pits you stumble across on the way up. On first glance, I’m convinced the Nile is nothing but a mirage given that we have not seen a drop of water anywhere near this landscape for days. Besides, after 5 days of hard driving, we’re so tired we barely notice it.
Upon boarding the ferry that will be our home for the next 18 hours, you can’t help but think its seen better days. The door in the bathroom is off its hinges and for any degree of privacy one must pick up the door and precariously place it over the gap where a functional door would usually close. Despite floating upon litres of the stuff, water for the flush seems to be in short supply. The first class dining room, complete with plastic plants, dishes up tasteless beans in a tasteless sauce with a side of vegetables that have been sitting in vinegar (or was that vinegar that has been sitting in vegetables?).
Back up on deck with a heavy wind blowing, its hard to fall asleep. With the assistance of modern medicine, we begin to doze off. Right then, a group of Egyptian men decide that of the entire deck that is now empty, 50 centimetres from us would be the best place to strike up a conversation that could be heard from Botswana. Telling them we were trying to sleep seemed to spur them on to greater heights of decibels.
The next morning, shortly after ‘waking’, we pull in to the Aswan port ready to disembark and delve in to all Egypt has to offer. But not before 8 passengers need further security checks before anyone on the ferry could disembark. 1.5 hours later, we make landfall in Egypt.
Wadi Halfa ferry - tick!
MR
5 DECEMBER 2010 - Welcome to Egypt
After the ferry ride from Sudan, we made it to Aswan unscathed. To celebrate, we broke rank and bypassed the option of alcohol that we had not consumed during our time in Sudan for the threat of 7 lashes. Instead, we each delved in to a McDonalds meal (or two - spurred on by the machine that is our favourite British cyclist Kevin, aka Big Kev, cos he sure was excited having ridden from Cape Town to Cairo. So began Stevo’s 48 hours of death, or at the very least extreme sickness. We feared it was malaria given he ticked 9 boxes of the 10 most common symptoms and Murphy’s Law seemed to apply in full force - our malaria treatment was in the car which was still on its way from Sudan. The day the car arrived, Steve was still sick so I met our fixer to collect the car. Nope. No can do. Not in Egypt - a country suffocated by red tape and paperwork. Steve’s name is on the carnet, so it was Steve who must be dragged out of bed, transported to the port and propped up to sign some unknown document written in Arabic. He may now be financially responsible for 3 wives and 12 children.
Having picked up the car and seen little of Aswan outside its fast food restaurants, we thought we best push on up the Nile to Luxor. Luxor blew us away with the Karnak Temples, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and more of the ‘Same Same’ [private joke that really only Steve will get]. Proving once more how slowly we were progressing, Big Kev pedalled his way up to join us the next day for more British-Australian hilarity and another healthy double dose of McDonalds. Strangely, Steve wasn't keen.
MR
10 DECEMBER 2010 - Temples and AKs
I was complaining about the lack of adventure in Egypt yesterday morning. Tonight we were doing 90km per hour without headlights through crowded towns with a variety of armed police escort vehicles. Luckily we were well prepared for this kind of driving by years of training on video games.
We were heading for the temple at Abydos. It still has its roof on, and is seriously stunning, but enough about that.
At about 3.30pm this arvo we got pulled up at one of the police roadblocks (again). We say we’re going to Abydos. They radio us through to someone. Half an hour later a ute swerves out and takes position off our bow, and we follow it for 25 minutes to the temple, eye to eye with the soldiers hanging off the back with AKs. Then we get escorted through the temple by a very friendly guy in plain clothes with a submachine gun barely concealed under his jacket, while a couple of uniformed military guys surreptitiously trail along about 30 metres behind us.
Night falls, and we have 60 kilometres to the only town that the police will agree to let us stay in. The ute takes up position and we begin a dusk sprint, stopping briefly after we saw a bad motorcycle accident, which had half the cops watching us and half running to the motorcyclist. We swapped our way through 4 different escort vehicles that night. My personal favourite was the van which went ahead of us with the lights flashing. Video didn't quite capture the comedy of the whole situation, and we are moving slowly at this point, but here is out favourite escort in action:
SC
EGYPT DIARIES
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We thought we were done with escorts once we hit town. But as we left the next day with a very long drive to Cairo ahead of us - at our first roadblock of the day - the familiar battered police vehicle swings out in front.
He was doing 50km per hour. It was going to take 11 hours to reach Cairo at that rate. So we pulled over, and Steve spent 5 minutes going all South African on them with a high volume combination of "no more escorts" and "yalla, yalla!!", until they decided that we were the bigger threat, turned tail, and drove back into town. Victory? No. There was another roadblock and another ute 3 kilometres down the road.
MR
11 DECEMBER 2010 - Cairo
The pyramids are still there, are still damn impressive, and the camel and horse traders still rip you off.
No-one has defrauded my credit card yet though, so I'm still doing better than last time I was here.
I never want to drive at night in Cairo ever again.
SC
He was doing 50km per hour. It was going to take 11 hours to reach Cairo at that rate. So we pulled over, and Steve spent 5 minutes going all South African on them with a high volume combination of "no more escorts" and "yalla, yalla!!", until they decided that we were the bigger threat, turned tail, and drove back into town. Victory? No. There was another roadblock and another ute 3 kilometres down the road.
MR
11 DECEMBER 2010 - Cairo
The pyramids are still there, are still damn impressive, and the camel and horse traders still rip you off.
No-one has defrauded my credit card yet though, so I'm still doing better than last time I was here.
I never want to drive at night in Cairo ever again.
SC
12 DECEMBER 2010 - Small blue car vs our bullbar
Egyptians are definitely the worst drivers in our experience on the continent. They drive on the left, even though they technically drive on the right. They go for non-existent gaps that the Burundians wouldn't dream of. They would overtake Tanzanian bus-drivers.
There was no conceivable way that a car could physically fit through the gap that a guy went for this morning. He came from behind us and tried to swerve in front of us through a "gap". He hit the side of our bullbar at about his drivers door, and then accelerated/scraped himself off. It's a solid steel ARB bar - we didn't even lose a flake of paint off it; he was not so lucky.
He pulled over briefly to admire his modified door and paintwork, then decided to take off lest we want his details. He sheepishly drove past waving apologetically as I stood out in the stream of traffic, yelling at him. I seem to spend a lot of time yelling at people in Egypt.
SC
12 DECEMBER 2010 - WE DID IT! WE CROSSED THE CONTINENT.
A huge day today. For us - a date to remember! The day we left Africa.
Today we drove under the Suez Canal, leaving Africa behind. We have crossed from Africa's most southerly tip - at Cape Agulhas in the far south and west of this great land - all the way to its northeast edge, and into the Middle East.
To you, no doubt, these are just words on a page or photographs in a gallery. To us, this is two years of planning, research and hard work, followed by 7 months on the road. Almost 32,000 kilometres. 15 countries.
We drove from Sydney to Brisbane 31 times, but we did it at an average speed of about 28 kilometres per hour.
We've crossed the width of Australia 8 times. Driven tracks that have never known a map.
We spent over 1,080 hours behind the wheel. Stop and think about that for a moment.
Snapped more than 12,000 photos.
Endured heat, cold, and strange parasites that invaded our feet. Camped for 29 days at a time. Showered an average of once every four days. Survived one of the most stressful and disgusting human situations either of us has ever had to deal with. Drowned a video camera. Been punched in Ethiopia, dug out of bogs in Botswana and Tanzania, and pulled a car out of a creek. Dived in caves. Been stalked by unknown animals, raided by 4 different honey badgers, encountered wildlife that left us stunned, had a minor car accident, crossed some of the most officious borders going around, mastered bush cooking, produced some spectacular culinary failures, gone without passports for 2 weeks, and beaten Americans to the top of a mountain. Fast-talked innumerable police officers, border officials and embassy staff, yelled at others, been invited to a wedding, reviewed KFCs from South Africa to Egypt, been published, raised money, won money, lost money, learned basic animal tracking skills but never spotted a tiger. We've made fantastic friends but encountered human parasites. We've grown more patient, but we lose patience far more quickly than we would like.
There are too many people to mention. Glenn & Corrin, Derek & Maree, the list could go on and on. There are too many great places to list and experiences to relive.
And so finally - today - we drove out of Africa. We want to celebrate but are also both a little sad.
- Steve and Mark
Egyptians are definitely the worst drivers in our experience on the continent. They drive on the left, even though they technically drive on the right. They go for non-existent gaps that the Burundians wouldn't dream of. They would overtake Tanzanian bus-drivers.
There was no conceivable way that a car could physically fit through the gap that a guy went for this morning. He came from behind us and tried to swerve in front of us through a "gap". He hit the side of our bullbar at about his drivers door, and then accelerated/scraped himself off. It's a solid steel ARB bar - we didn't even lose a flake of paint off it; he was not so lucky.
He pulled over briefly to admire his modified door and paintwork, then decided to take off lest we want his details. He sheepishly drove past waving apologetically as I stood out in the stream of traffic, yelling at him. I seem to spend a lot of time yelling at people in Egypt.
SC
12 DECEMBER 2010 - WE DID IT! WE CROSSED THE CONTINENT.
A huge day today. For us - a date to remember! The day we left Africa.
Today we drove under the Suez Canal, leaving Africa behind. We have crossed from Africa's most southerly tip - at Cape Agulhas in the far south and west of this great land - all the way to its northeast edge, and into the Middle East.
To you, no doubt, these are just words on a page or photographs in a gallery. To us, this is two years of planning, research and hard work, followed by 7 months on the road. Almost 32,000 kilometres. 15 countries.
We drove from Sydney to Brisbane 31 times, but we did it at an average speed of about 28 kilometres per hour.
We've crossed the width of Australia 8 times. Driven tracks that have never known a map.
We spent over 1,080 hours behind the wheel. Stop and think about that for a moment.
Snapped more than 12,000 photos.
Endured heat, cold, and strange parasites that invaded our feet. Camped for 29 days at a time. Showered an average of once every four days. Survived one of the most stressful and disgusting human situations either of us has ever had to deal with. Drowned a video camera. Been punched in Ethiopia, dug out of bogs in Botswana and Tanzania, and pulled a car out of a creek. Dived in caves. Been stalked by unknown animals, raided by 4 different honey badgers, encountered wildlife that left us stunned, had a minor car accident, crossed some of the most officious borders going around, mastered bush cooking, produced some spectacular culinary failures, gone without passports for 2 weeks, and beaten Americans to the top of a mountain. Fast-talked innumerable police officers, border officials and embassy staff, yelled at others, been invited to a wedding, reviewed KFCs from South Africa to Egypt, been published, raised money, won money, lost money, learned basic animal tracking skills but never spotted a tiger. We've made fantastic friends but encountered human parasites. We've grown more patient, but we lose patience far more quickly than we would like.
There are too many people to mention. Glenn & Corrin, Derek & Maree, the list could go on and on. There are too many great places to list and experiences to relive.
And so finally - today - we drove out of Africa. We want to celebrate but are also both a little sad.
- Steve and Mark
