Showing posts with label Sudan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sudan. Show all posts
Friday, 13 March 2009
Losing Trust
Back on my own again, I finally reached Atbara, stock up and head for the 450km stretch of desert to Kassala, following in Ted Simons’s tire marks.
I fell a lot, hurt myself a bit, got lost in a sandstorm and fought against soft sand. But eventually made it, a hugely satisfying experience. It was with some reluctance that I rode to Ethiopia, such were the good times in Sudan.
You can read a big story about the desert crossing in an additional post below this one, but it is too long for the blog really, so just if you want to read it and have time.
Reaching Ethiopia I really considered myself “in Africa”, sunburnt grassy mountains, green trees and birdsong I could not explain. I rode to Gondar, expecting the worst – I’d read the stories of a stone throwing hateful people – was greeted with friendly faces and waves and, stopping at a water pump to stock up was greeted by a happy group of women and girls, fetching the household water, 20kg balanced on their head or strapped on their backs with rope, or whatever they could find, too much for a 10 year old girl I thought, but they seem happy. Perhaps Ethiopia will be OK?
I fell a lot, hurt myself a bit, got lost in a sandstorm and fought against soft sand. But eventually made it, a hugely satisfying experience. It was with some reluctance that I rode to Ethiopia, such were the good times in Sudan.
You can read a big story about the desert crossing in an additional post below this one, but it is too long for the blog really, so just if you want to read it and have time.
Reaching Ethiopia I really considered myself “in Africa”, sunburnt grassy mountains, green trees and birdsong I could not explain. I rode to Gondar, expecting the worst – I’d read the stories of a stone throwing hateful people – was greeted with friendly faces and waves and, stopping at a water pump to stock up was greeted by a happy group of women and girls, fetching the household water, 20kg balanced on their head or strapped on their backs with rope, or whatever they could find, too much for a 10 year old girl I thought, but they seem happy. Perhaps Ethiopia will be OK?
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Riding the Storm - The Atbara Desert Story
Ted Simon said in his infamous book "Jupiter's Travels;"
"The one thing I thought would separate me from mortal men was my single handed crossing of the Atbara desert."
I'd been trying to cross the deserts in Egypt, but was held up by a lack of permits, red tape, and officials pointing to other officials who pointed me to Alamein, Alexandria, Cairo, one dead end after another. As well, I hadn't actively decided to cross them, so hadn't planned anything. But then I re-read about Atbara and the planning began.
I finally reached Atbara, in North East Sudan, after a whole 2 weeks covering the 300miles to the capital, Khartoum, along with a bright orange VW camper full of Dutch and a Peugeot Camper van containing a French couple and their four year old daughter Lola.
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