Monday, January 29, 2007
Hello from Sunny Sudan!
My first stage win! One goal for the tour complete
Curious Sudanese kids posing with my bike. One of the smaller ones was able to ride my big 21.5" bike (of course he came back).
The loose sand and corriguations of Nubian Desert roads that made this section really fun!
Making our way through the Sahara desert now at the end of a 9 hour, >45°C day
I am at a loss of what to write since there is so much I want to pack in here. Once again, I won't be able to post pictures this time. I should be able to do it from Khartoum after another 5 riding days. Here goes some point form again:
- Riding in convoy to the ferry in Aswan was pretty funny. They shut down the road over the Nile dam for us to cross.
- Getting on the ferry, then watching the ferry being packed from the boat was absolutely hilarious! Picture 40 people trying to get over 100 heavy bags and 40 high-end bikes onto a boat while being trampled by people with massive bags of potatoes, car parts, textiles, you name it also trying to get on the boat. People (I'm assuming were officials) would occasionally close the gate to the boat, but would let us climb over and/or around it with our payload. The neighbouring barge was also being packed to enormous heights from trucks that were packed to double the height of the cab. No words can describe, absolute mayhem! I can't believe that this happens every week.
- While on the ferry, I met some guys that I met in Cairo from Iceland and Sweden that decided to head to Sudan. They were going to try to head to Khartoum by camel, not sure how that will go.
- Getting off the ferry in Wadi Halfa, Sudan was pretty much the same. This time however, we had be to "inspected" by customs. The official (my guide book warned me about) wanted us to unload the truck, put the bags from the square that they were arranged in to two lines, have all of the bags open, started to call from a list of names, inspected one bag, asked if we had a doctor, asked the Swedish rider whether he had medication for his wife's stomach tumor, after a long awkward discussion, decided ex-lax and immodium would do the trick and accepted some, told everyone to bring their bags to him, told everyone to put the bags back in a line, was fed up inspecting bags so put an "inspected" sticker on all of them, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture. I think he was getting some entertainment from all of our weird gear.
- The biking in Sudan has been awesome (note this is coming from the point of view of an adventure racer that doesn't like paved roads)! Though most days have been on the order of half of the distances we were doing in Egypt, the effort is far higher. I seem to start my daily journal writings with something on the order of "Amazing day, just amazing!" Washboards have been abundant, violent and seldom avoidable, but makes the arrival at camp extremely rewarding. Taking off shoot roads has varying success, but occasionally warrants some great riding! I am very happy to be one of the riders that is on a mountain bike with wider tires and a suspension fork.
- Some have noticed, I got my first stage win! The first day in Sudan, we discovered that though all roads go the same direction, some lend to faster riding. Jan and I came into lunch first the other day even though we thought we were 4th, 5th. I waited for the top riders to arrive and was going to wait for them to leave until I noticed that the tandem bike snuck away from lunch without my noticing. I left about 5 minutes behind them and decided that since there were no towns along the road, I would push that day. I eventually caught them and was the first rider to arrive. Not the sweetest stage win, but I got my stage winner plate none the less.
- Since then, I have slowed a great deal. The scenery through the desert is amazing and surprisingly diverse! I have stopped in many villages along the way. A few times I was offered a wife. She didn't seem to accept when I offered to take her back to Canada by pointing at my bike seat. The Sudanese people are extremely friendly and generous! I stopped in one town along the Nile where a Swedish rider and I were given a massive platter of bread, pasta, beef and dips. It was very good! My limited Arabic (to the effect of good morning, hello, water, thank-you, and a few other basics) entertains the locals as English is not as abundant here. We have gone through pockets of a Nubian language as well. I only know thank-you and hello in that one.
- Now I'm in Dongola, half-way between the Egyptian border and Khartoum on a rest day. Even though I have been taking it much easier over the past couple of days, the longer time in the saddle and more riding in the heat of the day takes a lot out of me.
- Overall, having an absolute blast. This whole experience from the fun stories, to waving and talking with locals, to riding some great terrain, to passing through some amazing scenery, to enjoying the incredible desert night stars is far too much to explain.
Thanks so much for your comments! I will try to reply when I get to Khartoum and try to incorporate some questions that have been asked.
On to the Sahara desert!
# posted by Andrew @ 1/29/2007 08:13:00 a.m. 
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