We drove 15218km in 4 months and 24 days, lost 12kg both in weight, endured joy and hardships, planned the trip over many years and yet here we are a mere 900km from our goal at the Egyptian border knowing we cannot cross the border. When the unrest and riots became worse in July, we already decided to leave the truck at Mazar’s house in Wadi Halfa, take the passenger ferry and do a Nile trip from Aswan to Luxor. Maybe rent a car to drive to the Red Sea. The ferry just started going to Aswan again 2 days ago after the border has been closed for a while when the riots started in Aswan. So, we both felt sad when we turned the trucks nose south heading back to Khartoum. We already decided against going to the Red Sea and Port Sudan and rather spend more time in Uganda and Rwanda. We are a bit before our schedule so we can take our time enjoying the adventure of driving down the length of Africa! Sad that things like this happens….but now the new adventure starts.
The motorbike Mazar got for a present from a South African
Mazar’s garden and house
Our room
Street in front of Mazar’s house
Brushing teeth in the middle of the street
Nassar dam
Beautiful tar road through the desert
The previous day’s route!
Temple of Amara
Picnic next to the Nile
More ancient temples
Sleeping outside
When in Sudan sleep like the Sudanese!
Sunset in the desert!!
We drove leisurely back towards Khartoum, stopped to take photo’s of all the temples on route, enjoyed the Nile, picnicked next to the Nile, wild camped again in the desert and at Atbara treated ourselves to the luxury of sleeping in the Al-Asfia Hotel in an air conditioned room with an en suite bathroom, ordering chicken and chips to be delivered to our room!! Arno had to change the aircon’s temperature from 2 degrees to 28 degrees because the room was just to cold for us!
Sudan often takes a back seat to the much more publicized treasures of Egypt. However, Sudan actually contains a much richer historical record than that of her heavily promoted neighbour. There are more ruins and relics in Sudan than anywhere else in Africa. More than 50 pyramids still stand tall after 7,000 years, a testament to Sudan’s rich heritage. Similarly, negative publicity has more recently obscured the current cultural treasures and legends of Sudan.
Sacred Hills, Temples and Tombes
South of the town of Karima is the 100 metre high Jebel Barkal, a hill regarded as sacred by ancient Egyptians. From its summit is a commanding view of the Nile and at its foot lies the Temple of Amun, second only in length to the famous Egyptian Karnak Temple. Lying west of the temple are the Jebel Barkal Pyramids, similar in style to those at Meroe. Farther south in Kurru are other interesting antiquities containing underground tombs with paintings.
Jebel Barkel the sacred mountain
On the east bank of the Nile northeast of Shendi, and not far from the Temple of the Sun are the ruins of pyramids, temples and palaces. This past kingdom was once influenced by Egyptian art and religion, but over time became isolated and developed its own method of writing and painting. Eventually the independent city was destroyed by the Christian kingdom of Axum which descended from Ethiopia.
Sandstorm in the desert
Water drinking points along every road
Happy we had this desert storm while on the tar road and not on the other route!!!
Bridge to Atbara
