Monday 09/29/03 - "If it is too heavy, it will run !"
We spent the afternoon to the port.
Announced departure of the boat 16h. We arrive in front of the customs at late 13h00 "" according to the guard. In one hour we ready, are plugged, validated, officially left Egypt.
In the port it is the bump. Since 8h00 of the morning a noria of trucks charged to block flows in the boat. All these mountains with four wheels threaten to create an avalanche with the least sudden start. And what was to arrive arrived. In a turning, a mountain awakes and vomits an avalanche of chairs, plates and cases in any kind.
The boat is a ferry to which a barge is assistant. One is clearly done to transport only passengers, the other to transport only cars. One like the other will be transformed into cargo liner.
With cases are there charged with back with men.
Men or ants besides? I do not know! One needs sometimes five people to raise a bag in fabric and to put it on the back of only one man.
Towards 21h00, the barge is full, us are designated places between mountains of cases and bags piled up. For Adrienne, and three for Land-rover.
It grows dark, the quay is inclined (it is in fact a slope of setting to water) and they want that we go up on the barge without slope!
Then begin a whole horse-gear to bring the barge closer to the edge and to decrease walk between the pontoon and the ground. We realize that if that does not pose any problem for the Land-rover, that will pose some for Acadyane.
The first Land goes up on board at ease. For lack of place, they are obliged to make a half-turn with the barge to position the 2nd site on the same level as the quay. During the operation, a small shock causes another avalanche of cases landing directly with water. They realize too late that it is to better fix the loading before making other operations. Benefitting from this respite, some unhappy plunges to water to try to recover their cases which run. In order to help them let us light we them with the headlights of Adrienne.
2nd and 3rd Land on board without aucuns problems. When the turn of Adrienne Arrives, the barge is too high, they decide to make a new half-turn. But that does not arrange anything. Begin an intense reflexion then. One tests with bags of manure as a bridge, but the bags tear under our tires.
To undoubtedly reassure us, that which makes mine be responsible leaves us very seriously: "you do not worry, I know my trade, that made 20 years that I do it".
"Hum, hum, my good Mister after all these catastrophes I would be done very small".
Suddenly a smarter guy remembers than with a few meters of us, in water, is a steel slope envisaged for this purpose. It was its magic boot.
"could not You have said it rather, that would have to avoid the 2 half-turns and an avalanche? He is where the guy who knows his trade?? Two slaps yes!!"

Ouf! With 22h00 one is on board. The loading of the ship also finishes him, there is everywhere.
Who directs the operations? Who is paid to do what? With which belongs these cases and these bags containing of the fruits, of the juices, the objects of furnishing and decoration, of the carpets, fabrics finally of all? And Which knows to which belongs what?
One will never know! I believe that my pal Fabrice specialist in logistics would have many things to learn here.

Departure.
All is well, it is 23h, we have only 7h delay...
The boat is a truth capharnaüm, it pitches with starboard, but fleet. Provided that that lasts!
At the interior like outside, any displacement is a course of the combatant, between the cases, the fruits, the bags, the people lengthened by ground and those which prepare the meal of their family. Hold a refrigerator! Oh but it bathes in water! No panic it is not a hole in the hull, it is right an escape which floods all the gangway.
After a rather average dinner, we seek a place to sleep, our ticket of second gives us access to a vast room resembling inside a bus with benches out of wooden. But there is no more place, there are businesses everywhere and the people lengthened on all the benches. To the higher bridge, we cross the cockpit to return to us outside. Among all the cases and limp them of preserves, whose certain openings release already a nauseous odor, we spare a small place for our campbeds.

Tuesday 09/30/03 - Water, always water.
Today we continue the presentations with the Anglo-Saxons owners of the Land-rover. After 300 km out of fresh water, we arrive towards 18h at Wadi Halfa and we remain blocked 1h in the boat for the passport.
Here they seem more tested than the Egyptians and they immediately will seek disembarkation ramps.
As by chance, on the quay right in front of Adrienne, there is rambarde of safety. "No problem", to four, they twist it and plate it against the ground, as that it will not obstruct any more…

After a dinner in the customs with English, we sleep on the spot.

Wednesday 10/01/03 - The black is a color and it is that of the nobility.

The Anglo-Saxons are charming and invite us to travel with them.
They are in Land Rover 109 and 110 Discovery. They have the tent on the roof, the shower, the compressor, the filter water, a ton of tools and spare parts (the air of nothing that breaks these monsters all the time), in short the total one.
There are Emma and Jasper, couple English of Kent of 29 and 32 years.
South-African Sarah and Peter, English living in London of 32 and 35 years.
And finally Padraig (to pronounce porik), the 32 year old Irish.
They descend all worms South Africa in several months.
To reduce us Peter and Sarah propose to take our back bags (2x20kg).

No the road, just a track. Total surprise we discover sand, stones, holes.... All that we want to have, a little for saying that one is z' hero, us too. Except that in more there is corrugated iron, and that, it is the horror.
The corrugated sheet they is every 40 cm, a back of 20 height cm ass.
Fortunately the landscape is imposing. All that there is of simpler. And yet, on the ground, a fine layer of black fine gravels gives to this desert a majestic pace. For Portuguese the black is a color, that of the nobility. Here we can see at which point they are right.
The Land-rover that we follow raises a cloud of dust which is transformed into a gold veil illuminated by the twilight.

Thursday 10/02/03 - Sand, mountains and still not the Nile.
The following day, we tackle the raising of the car. It is easy, it is enough to screw an axis. On the other hand without the councils of my two appointed engineers (Padraig and Jasper), I would have done it with back. We nevertheless spend there three hours because of rust, the difficult access and especially of the wind which projects us sand in the figure. Geoffroy during this time repairs a tire with Padraig.
We set out again towards 14h for 75km. Which happiness, we do not hang any more.
With each stage, we catch up with German with bicycle and we camp with them. They also put their bags in a Land because the progression à.vélo on soft sand and corrugated sheet is very difficult.
This evening we camp in the medium of a plain surrounded of mountains resembling injuries in black. Full with courage we attack one of them in order to admire to lay down it sun with 300m of altitude. Enièmes lying of sun, énièmes amazements, all the desert blazes up. Alas, we do not see the Nile yet that we left in Wadi. It start we to miss the rascal.

Friday 10/03/03 - Meet Sudanese men and women.
Still 75km. This day there, we join the Nile and let us take we our 1st bath there. We dreamed some in Egypt but without daring it. And we were well inspired, because in Egypt it is infested by the bilharziose. Here, there are only crocodiles.
As we left the desert, they is also our first exchanges with the Sudaneses. And they are charming. Attracted by our cars, they want absolutely to attend the daily unpacking of all the material (computer, camera, canteen, stove, tables, chairs, tents and I pass from there...).
But when they see that we will prepare our dinner, oldest orders with everyone to be withdrawn. What they do immediately. What a discretion!
We see also the first Sudanese women of near. They are superb, fine, the white teeth and the bright smile. They wear flowered dresses to the bright colors and coloured transparent veils
But they carry also their cross.
98% of the Moslem women of Sudan (mainly in the northern half where we are) undergo the Pharaonic excision (also called the large excision) then the infibulation. In two words, one cuts all, clitoris and lips, and one to them recoud to leave a small opening for the vital needs and the reproduction (I would not dare speech of sexual relations!). They are only 5 years old when, under deplorable conditions of hygiene, their family transforms them of woman into layer. Total negation of femininity. It is a contemptible tribal rite which is not connected to Islam. I do not include/understand it and I feel much compassion for all these women thus treated, since I know, I consider them differently.

Saturday 10/04/03 - Meet with the Chick walkers
Before leaving, we discharged our detergent. Brilliant invention that these plastic barrels on the roof of the Land which stir up the linen at the rate/rhythm of the road, after it does not have there any more but to rinse.
That is there! We go up the Nile, his color changed, it is not more translucent as in Assouan, it is maroon, almost red.
Miracle of the Nile source of life, the track changes. It ressuscite and is consequently marked out coloured houses. They are colors sharp, red bricks, blue, sometimes gray and often framed by a white edging.
They are very of an impeccable cleanliness, like new. Of full foot, they are built in cob and surrounded of wall and they organize themselves around a small court where all the life of the family proceeds.
Around fourteen hours, we arrive in the village of Shelter, after some races, we are directed towards the police station which must record us.
There, a blonde with the large braids attacks us: "hold veiled of French". On this Geoffroy answers: "hold veiled Chick". Sheer coincidence, in full medium of Sudan, in the police station of a small village, we find ourselves nose with nose with Alexandre and Sonia Poussin.
We for a long time know them of famous, because Alexandre and his friend Sylvain Tesson already made a turn of the world en.vélo. In more we have a joint friend and I was myself in 6th with Stanislas, the little brother of Alexandre.
For three years, they have gone up the African rift with foot. From the Cape of Good Hope to the Lake Tibériade. Three years of walk, meetings, photographs, articles and two books. What a courage and what a kindness! They are only smiles. They are adventurers, truths, we dreamed to meet them randomly road.

To celebrate that they decide to pass the evening with us. And as Sonia has just been 32 years old, we improvise a festival. Padraig prepared us an adapted feast of an exquisite sauce containing feta, rocket, curry and a little sugar.
The printing miniature color of the cook of the day (when I say to you that they have all!!) us allows to publish a greetings card. To marble and Emma, they prepared pudding. We had the candles. All was perfect in the beautiful medium of nowhere.
As known as my friend Ivy "one never should leave emmerder by the ground" and our Anglo-Saxon friends included/understood it well.

Sunday 10/05/03 - In Sudan nothing again.
This morning, German leaves later, they benefit from the pipes which Alex and Sonia can give them since they make the same way but in the other direction.
This day there, we will make only one forty km. We pestons a little to trail us at their speed but if the Land-rover are a safety for them, they are it also for us.

Monday 10/06/03 - Opening a gear box at the edge of a track.
This morning, average to change gear, we are blocked in 1st or reverse gear.
After 5 km in maximum first with 10km/h we are wearied to hear the engine which mouth and to see the Lands trailing itself because of us. We try to pass the 2nd and that functions. To half relieved, we roll all the day in 2nd with some funny episodes where Geoffroy is obliged to jump out of the car so that we do not remain not stuck in sand. At the time of a stop, we are invited at a villager. He offers water to us, the tea and his life tells us. It worked 25 years in Dubai as accountant and it "hopes well" to go back there after having found a woman beautiful and intelligent (it can always run the only one which exists is to Vietnam...).
It also explains us why water that we see all along the road in ground earthenware jars is treated with a lime spoon extracted not far from here. After a shower, we regale ourselves with a meal had of crepes to corn, fayots and meats.

Along the Nile, the inhabitants have almost all running water thanks to water towers directly supplied with the Nile These Nubians are very clean, in each house, there is a shower and they divide the toilets between several houses. The men are often vêtus of immaculate white, which is really not obvious with the omnipresence of sand and dust. Some wrap the head of long white turban a 4 m, rather fine and more or less embroidered according to the social status.
In order to throw a glance in the gear box we earlier stop this evening. Since we are assisted by Jasper, we can thus leave the tools and open the cap. For once we make another thing that to look at the engine...
Before even opening we notice that the gear box functions again without problems, but despite everything, we want to include/understand. Two meter from us ten young people gathered, squatted in arc of circle. Silently, concentrated, they look at us. As if something of fantastic were going to leave the engine. Not to disappoint them I takes an air of professional very to study. The poor, if they knew as their professor is neu neu...
With fallen the day, the box is open, but impossible to see what does not go.

Tuesday 10/07/03 - Playing to archaeologists.
In the gear box, we notice that all is perfect. In fact we do not have problems of box, just a small problem of frame which worsens.
It is all bonnement yielding on the level of the front axle, with the result that before car goes up with the engine (and the box) compared to the body of the car on which the selector speeds is fixed what blocks our selector.
The problem is confirmed in the course of the day because our axle touches the body and our wing before left yields more and more.
It is panic. When will that all release?
This afternoon, we arrive in a village where we find a large statue Egyptian reversed on the ground as well as rupestral engravings representing of the hiéroglyphes. These treasures of archaeology intrigue us much because we have the impression to be the first white to see them.
We arrive late this evening at Karma. The city is extended on almost 10 km and we have much evil to find a place of camp-site. At the end of the village we fall on a road where there is a layer of dust of 40cm. It is incredible! Once more, Geoffroy must jump of the car to allow me to advance. He disappears then in the tornado from dust which I have just created. I do not see anything any more, I advance with the aveuglette in this flour, suddenly a break allows me to stop. Like it grows dark, we decide to camp there, with 15 or 20m of this reserve of dust.
This evening, we make the grub. With the menu, potatos, pastes (there remain only that). Large cooks, we create a first sauce with tomato and onions which we raise of dates, and a second with onions, curry and feta.
For a few days we have used our mosquito nets, this evening it are used as hiding place dust... finally one hopes.

Wednesday 10/08/03 - The chassis yields more and more.
This morning we realize of the amplitude of the damage on the car when Geoffroy decides to raise it with two jacks. Like a sheet, it unfolds and finds its original curve, the right wings, the low wheel (because the wheel goes up in the cockpit), the gear box to the good height, etc...
What will it occur when that will break?
It is a little the stress, but we are hardly with 20km of Dongola, city more than thousand-year-old and first large agglomeration of our course.
After these some small technical checks (of what to sap you the moral one in less than two), we move towards the ferry... finally the boat which must enable us to go on left bank.
In fact of ferry it is acted of a simple barge being able to contain only 4 cars. However a gugusse already preceded us. Only two Lands and Adrienne can go up on board with about fifteen people and two beds (yes you read well, two beds like that...)
The barge, is hung there by a simple cable with the bank. The approach ramp is a way dug in the ground. Cost of the passage 1000 dinars (4$), but for the moment there is a mechanical problem. The driver is thus taking a tea. He is hardly younger than me. He has more the air of a kid in tennis shoes than of an acrobat taking along his iron board been driven by an engine on other side of a river to the course made dark and furious by the rain season. Two Rover Lands of 3,5T on a side, small Mitsubishi of 1,5T of the other and Acadyane in front. Ca it is balancing! Although we are usual practice, that panics us always as much.
Once at water, my young person in tennis shoes proves to be a virtuoso of the bar. In 15 minutes, it projects us in an arm of the river, skirts very close an island and is thrown in the giant flow of the Nile Ouf! It was not Styx, we are other side healthy and safe.
In Dongola we change some dollars with the black to buy gasoline and we take a dinner made up of fayots. Then we set out again for 10 km on a road in tarmac towards Khartoum. It is the end of the anguishes the road is beautiful.

Thursday 10/09/03 - End of anguishes ?
It is the day of the good-byes with German who does not need more assistance. It is 10h, we hope to arrive to Khartoum this evening on this good tar road.
Dream my hen! 500m further it is again of the track, and one of worst.
An underhand track which recalls me with horror my beginnings in ski touring. You know these two deep grooves in the ground. No the problem a priori, you are guided by the ground. Except when the preceding catch decided to fall into snow by leaving a large hole or when an obstacle: hone, puddle pool... embarrassment your progression. Moreover, for Adrienne which is short on leg (bus twisted into two), it is as if it had the crotch which rubbed the track.
In order to prevent that our chouchoute is transformed into sand and stone reaping-machine, we must put at horse on one grooves, on the right or on the left according to affinities'.
Sometimes there are only traces. The traces, they is cool, it is flat, one has thus the choice to go where one wants and to avoid the quite visible stones, even if it is soft sand, Adrienne leaves itself there very well.

Worse how sand, dust! As so inadvertently the last truck of flour or cement passed by there had lost its loading in a hole.
On this surface, Adrienne is a champion, it slips and disappears in a majestic cloud which it swallows also dry with the great pleasure of its occupants.
It is thus with small pace that we advance towards Abu Dom (where begins the true macadam road, we are sure... finally... almost).
We cross one méharée of dromedaries going to Egypt by left bank of the Nile Friand of meat of dromedaries the Egyptians massively import them of Sudan. It this is méharée or the preceding one which Sonia and Alexandre have of taking to pass the border.
With 40 terminals of Abu Dom, we stop to camp, after a quiet dinner, we decide that we will leave the following day to 7h00.
Ten minutes before lying down a sandstorm as sudden as violent lets to us forecast a long night with beautiful star.

Friday 10/10/03 - If it did not arrive ?
Departure 7h00. Every morning it is the same thing the car appears lower to us. After 2 hours of road, the wheels rub so much the body which we decide to give up 20kg boards drink some which were used to us as diagrid when we sleep in the car. To gain even more weight, we separate and Geoffroy goes up in the Land of Padraig.
We are really afraid, the road is full of corrugated iron, with holes and stones.
It is necessary that it holds... He is necessary that it holds!
The Anglo-Saxons show themselves very patient and they promise to us to bring ourselves in even if it means Khartoum to divide the car in two and to charge it on their Lands.
But a strange impression tortures us the belly, an anguish, the anguish not to arrive at Gabon and that all becomes complicated.
To go one sinks!
Towards 13h we arrive at Abu Dom. Of the tar, a road, did not believe we in it more. On how much km?
360!!
Really?
Yes!
Ouf, it will hold, I am sure! It must hold!
Full with Geoffroy courage, which had already replaced me, decidedecides to only do everything without stopping.
Arrived to Khartoum, the first and the reverse gear do not function any more, the turning radius is 20 Mr. Tout bathes!
This day will be nevertheless fantastic because we arrived to Khartoum, because we could for a long time drink our first fresh soda and which we met of other guardian angels.
One of them was badgered by Geoffroy with the sight of his plate CD. It is that it is the Vice-consul of France. He initially will explain us how to receive money of France (there is no distributor here) and to then to lend 200$ of his pocket us while waiting for the transfer of Paris.
The other good news it is our visit in the White Father Etienne Renaud, director of the catholic institute of language of Khartoum and the reception cordial that Gabriel holds for us in his absence.

Newspaper of September 29 to October 10, 2003 by Loïc

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