To Khartoum and the Kindness of Strangers

It was 7 days in total in good ole’ Wadi Halfa and, in the end, we felt almost sentimental about the place.  Saturday saw 5 hours spent trying to unload the cars from the barge (because of the level of the barge and the water, and all the other stuff crammed on the barge, it turned out to be less that straightforward), but still no customs official. Eventually, on Sunday morning, the man with the stamp was present and correct at his desk- resplendent with a fresh inkpad - to complete the paperwork. Finally the car was freed from Wadi Halfa port.

We set off feeling excited to be started and looking forward to some camping in the desert. However, the feeling did not last for long, nor did our initial plans, as it seemed our run of bad luck was not yet over.

To cut a long story short, and one that requires much more mechanical know how than I have to explain properly,  some bad fuel that we had taken on in Wadi Halfa saw the car lose power and then sparked a  litany of further issues resulting in it stopping all together. We were extremely lucky that Mohamed and Mahmoud- who had been working in Cairo, but had returned to Sudan with their vehicle on the same cursed barge as us- were just behind us. They basically towed us to get a quick fix that would get us to Khartoum and then shepherded us the final 400kms as we limped along at 60 km/h.  When we finally pulled into Khartoum at 2am, Mohamed then gave us a bed for the night. Seeing as they were both waiting to be reunited with their families after the painful waiting game in Wadi Halfa, and after months of being away from home, the extremely kind gesture of sticking with us, even though it delayed their return, as well as inviting us into their home, was extremely generous. The next day Mohamed then took us to the best mechanic in town and stayed with us to translate and to get us settled into a hotel. A very big thanks to the guys and their families; they really do epitomize the kindness and generosity for which the Sudanese people are renowned.

While waiting for the car to be fixed, we got our Ethiopian visas and our first taste of the fabulous Ethiopian coffee with a macchiato in the embassy grounds café. We were lucky enough to catch up with Jonathan and Marcus, the Swedish cyclists (no croc attacks- phew), as well as Anton, for a night on the town Khartoum style; cups of tea on the street, a dodgy shisha café (more sitting in rows, this time with a bolywood film blaring from the TV), and some bargaining at the night markets for flick knives! Best of luck on your journeys- keep in touch.

Car ready, we were on our way, and with not much to see in the direction south, we headed straight for the border at Metema. Even though we were not able to see much of Sudan this time, we were lucky enough to meet some fabulous people.

There is really nothing like crossing land borders. The dramatic change in geography, people or weather means that you instantly see how borders have been delineated, and the Sudan- Ethiopia border has all the ingredients for a remarkable change. In just kilometers- all of a sudden- we had gone from pancake flat desert, to green rolling hills. From very few people, there were now people everywhere (finally, women! Brightly dressed with Christian crosses, as well as smiling waving, excitable children with the first choruses of ‘you you you you you!’) . And about 200 meters into Ethiopia, after temperatures of 45 degrees in the Sudan, it rained!

We are now in the north of Ethiopia. The car is going fine, the beer is cold, the coffee is incredible, the sights are unique and the countryside is absolutely beautiful. I am writing this from a balcony in Lalibela with an amazing view. There is a rumble of thunder and I think we are in for the regular afternoon downpour- and when I say downpour, I really mean it! More on what we have been up to soon.

Postscript: A special thanks to Nick Rockingham for the downloads of BBC radio which made the long and dusty drives through the Sudan both entertaining and educational!