January 29th, 2015 - Khartoum, Sudan

In the past few days dehydration, sickness and fatigue are the order of the day. I managed to escape it (for now).  A couple of days ago, my bike thermometer read 46 degrees while I was riding (in the sun, but we were in the sun also). 


This is our locker truck.  I have the locker next to MJ in the photo.

Early yesterday we arrived at lunch on the outskirts of Khartoum. The bike in was fine but my legs are tired.  At an average speed of 25km/hr you will be the last person in.  The days are melting together but if I remember correctly we mainly had a crosswind.  The sights included many herds of camels and goats along the road; many, many dead camels left on the side of the road; an unbelievable amount of garbage on the ground and in the ditches; buses going way too fast; lots of big trucks with black smoke; huts and villages and so on.  The landscape is greener, obviously we are leaving the desert.

We had a convoy into Khartoum, it went well but always stressful.  I glanced up few times to see total chaos in the streets filled with people, donkeys, motorbikes...

Kendy and I are sharing a room at the Grand Villa on the same grounds as the camping.  It feels like luxury, with a porcelain toilet, hot water, internet and air conditioning.  We washed our clothes in the sink and hooked up to internet before venturing out in the way to hot sun.

(Above): Hotel 25m pool in Khartoum. It was lovely.

(Below): Egg-shaped building in Khartoum

Best Sight of the Day:  (wish I could take photos)  In the hotel restaurant, it felt like the United Nations with all the different dresses.  There was a family with the men in robes and scarves and the women in burkas and scarves but with their faces exposed. The  women all wore makeup and some of them it was quite dramatic, they wear a very thick black wedged eyebrow... it looks solid and like it is pasted on and made me want to stare.  Some wear a white makeup to make them look whiter and most wear a bright red lipstick just outlining their lips. There was sheikh with his body guard; the sheikh was very impressive with his long brilliant white starched robe and flowing head piece with a black band, he had a small vertical strip of a beard and very handsome - I did speak to him later and found out that he is from Qatar.  There was an Indian couple, he with the long cotton pants under a long robe and her with the baggy cotton pants that are tight at the ankle and with a large colourful scarf on backwards (solid part in the front and open at the back); African men in suits and us in our camp wear... faded, wrinkled cotton t-shirts, baggy shorts and dirty sandals (at least they didn't see us before we had our showers).

January 22nd to 27th, 2015 - Wadi Halfa to Nile Camps to Dongola to Dead Camel Camp to Desert Camp - Approx. 600 km with two rest days - Passed the 2,000 km mark

(To me) Sudan equals hot, tan-coloured desert at least until now.  Yesterday, while riding my bike thermometer was reading 44.6 degrees.  It felt better to be riding because you would get a breeze (even though a hot breeze) than to be standing still.  There are few features in this desert, the odd pyramid-shaped dune or incompetent bedrock and some mountains very far off in the distance.  There are dead camel carcasses all over the place; for some reason they don't remove or bury them.  I think they dry out and remain there practically for ever.

The Sudanese people are very honest, helpful and friendly.  The men wear white tunics with maybe a vest over top.  The women are seldom seen but when seen are generally covered head to toe and in dark colours.  Donkeys are the mode of transport in the rural areas.

Yesterday, we stopped in a village market to have a cold coke.  I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie.  Donkey carts loaded with supplies, men in tunics walking around doing business, sometimes holding hands, laughing and greeting.  The butchers had fly covered goats hanging in the hot sun, waiting to carve off sections.  Other doors had piles of beans, lentils, tomatoes, and all shades of spices. The place was filthy.  Garbage was strewn, parts of  animal carcasses, flies everywhere, and general filth.  There was one thing missing, women; I was the only woman in sight.  I assume the dinner time topic in many homes that evening would be the indecently dressed, disgusting American (so they thought) white woman on a bike with the nerve to come into the market place with all the men.

Its 4am and I was just outside.  The sky is incredible; it looks thick with stars.  One of the riders studied astronomy and gave us a tour of the night sky.  The crescent moon lies horizontally rather than vertically, like at home.

The biking days since our rest day in Dongola have been very long (+140km each day) and hot but without much grade.  Today will be the most climbing +500m, it will be noticed especially since it promises to be hot again and I'm getting tired.  

I still love the trip and all the sights, I'm getting quite use to no toilets or showers in the desert.  I will stay in a hotel (I hope) in Khartoum (we will arrive the day after tomorrow).

Best Sight: A parade of camels being ushered in a single line through the desert.  A couple of camels stopped to watch us pass by on our bikes. 

January 21st, 2015 - Sudan - 80 km

We said goodbye to the Egyptian Cycling Team that accompanied us the length of Egypt, as well as, Birgit who was leaving for NZ.  Sad to see these people leave.

After an early morning ferry ride across a lake, we had a stunning 40km bike to the border crossing.  Our entry into Sudan was a long wait with many forms to fill, all requesting the same information but quite uneventful.  You could feel the heat of the sun and the dryness of the land. 

Two of the TDA trucks are at the front loaded down with supplies and staff bikes.

I'm writing this at 5am to the catchy tune of the call to prayer...some are more annoying than others.  I hope I learn to tune it out.  

January 20th, 2015 - Abu Simbel Rest Day

This is our last full day in Egypt.  It proves to be a true rest day in that once we visited the temple, there wasn't much to do except hang out at the camp.  We visited a bakery and ordered a roasted chicken dinner to be ready for 5pm and headed back to the camp via the market.  The weather has warmed immensely, making it a nice day to sit on the veranda and sip a cold drink. Then an afternoon of organizing belongings, bike maintenance, chatting, laundry, etc.  Bed time is a little later, maybe 7 - 8 as compared to 6pm when it was dreadfully cold.

At the temple with our Dutch contingent posing for a photo.

January 19th, 2015 - Desert Camp to Abu Simbel - 151 km

Another lovely day in the desert.  Strong tail winds to the lunch truck, then predominantly head winds.  Took a break at a coke stop. 

We are in Abu Simbel, tenting behind a hotel.  Cold showers but showers none the less.   There appeared to be a celebration with drums and singing in the field behind the hotel. 

Along the way, the unending sea of sand gave way to these rock outcroppings. 

January 18th, 2015 - Aswa to Desert Camp, 145 km

Today we passed the 1,000 km bike mark (only 11,000 left to go).  We are out of the villages and back into the desert and it felt great!  The sun was shining, the road was newly paved, we had a stiff tail wind and short of a few road workers, we had no one hassling us.  People sailed along breaking their own average speeds... so everyone was jovial.  There was one small bike accident which resulted in a fractured femur, the person remains in the hospital and unfortunately this usually means the end of their dream tour after just 2 weeks into it. 

Unfortunately, the screen on my camera broke, so I can't see what I am taking a photo of, so the temptation to stop and take a picture is not there.  On top of that we are back in the desert and it looks like a sea of brown waves as far as you can see to either side. I will be adding some of my favourite photos from days past.

Above is a picture of one of our desert camps at night. Going to the bathroom can be very delicate.

The above picture is of a boy on a donkey who stopped beside myself and another woman and pulled out a phone and snapped about 20 photos.  I asked him if I could take his picture and he agreed and then asked me for money.  I motioned that he took many pictures of me, so he owed me money, he shyly smiled and I gave him some money.  I don't believe in giving handouts along the road but I felt he did earn his money.

January 16th and 17th - Luxor to Idfu to Aswa

We biked through small country villages the past two days.  There were plenty of kids waving 'hi' and a few throwing stones at you, hitting you with sugar cane, pinching you, grabbing your bike, etc.  For the most part, it was unnerving but ok... as long as the numbers of kids remained low.  As the number of kids and the age of the kids increased (teenaged boys), so did the threat.

All of the villages looked ancient.  The scenery reminded me of movies of biblical times - date trees, dry brown sandy landscape with very little vegetation, low standing small square stone block buildings, donkeys, carts and people in robes and head scarves.

Early on I rode in black tights over my biking shorts because it was cold.  One day it was getting much warmer during the day and I wanted to remove my tights and asked someone in the group if they thought it would be ok for me to ride in only bike shorts and I was told, 'white people riding bikes in Egypt is a spectacle; a woman riding a bicycle in Egypt is a huge spectacle... wear whatever you want, you are already a huge spectacle.' 

On our bikes we are an attraction, if you stop people gravitate towards you and crowd you.  Below is a picture taken from our lunch stop at the edge of a canal.  Men lined the road above us and squatted to watch us like animals in a zoo and children lined the opposite bank of the canal to do the same.  It feels very odd and invasive, you get no privacy and I hear it will get worse.  I now sympathize with a celebrity trying to go have a pee. 

January 15th, 2015 - Luxor Rest Day

A few of us got a hotel room in Luxor.  A good bed, a toilet and a hot shower!  The downside was no heat... so once again I slept with a fleece and a hat on and all the wool blankets I could find - at least I took off my coat.

We went to the Temple of Karnak.  It was incredible and built between 3,000 and 2,500 BC. 

We also visited the market area where I got scammed into buying a small handful of spices for 3X what they would cost in Halifax and now I have to carry them for another four months.  I paid the money so I could leave - they are very friendly and tell you stories about their families and how business is very, very bad, so you consider the money a donation.  

At night we went out for Egyptian food (chicken kabob) and then to another market area in search of shoes for one of our Egyptian cyclists; I found out that you can even negotiate the price of shoes in a shoe store. The pony taxis and shop keepers bug you to the extent that you avert your eyes, do not look at anything and totally ignore them. This seems very rude but you won't make it down the street if you partake in any conversation at all... even to say 'no thank you'.

We had a glass of sugar cane juice- very sweet, thick and tasty. The local fruit is incredible, oranges and melons.

January 14th, 2015 - Desert Camp to Luxor, 112 km

Like every other day, my alarm went off at 5:45am to dress and start packing bags before coffee at 6:15am.  It feels even colder than usual with the stiff breeze. With a hot coffee, I take down the tent and finish packing bags to be ready for breakfast at 6:45am.  Looks like an easy ride of 91km and flat elevation.  We are biking out of the dessert and inland to the Nile.  We were warned about crazy traffic, excited kids throwing rocks, donkey carts overloaded with sugar cane, transport trucks, motorbikes, and crazy drivers as we got closer to the Nile.  All were present.  

When the kids spot the bikes, they rush to the side of the road to say 'hello', 'money, money', or 'what's your name'.  Some get very excited and throw rocks and sticks at you, pinch you, play chicken by jumping out in front of you or riding their bikes head on towards you...they are often in crowds and it is quite stressful with their constant yelling and darting out in front of you. I don't have pictures of this because I don't dare take a hand off my handle bar or stop.  By stopping you would very soon be over run by dozens.  Most often the kids are very cute but some are obnoxious (just like at home).

In the busy commercial area, the traffic was like something I've only seen in movies.  Tuk tuks, motor bikes, cars and transfer trucks (and us) all fighting for the same space.  Horns were blaring, old trucks and cars were spewing black smoke, exhaust hung in the air, you would be riding down the right hand side of the road and in front of you there would be motor bike or a donkey heading toward you.

As we approached the Nile, the scenery changed.  There were date trees (they look like palm trees to me), flower bushes and other vegetation.  We rode along a canal where men were pulling nets, goats were grazing and irrigation pumps could be heard.  It was very beautiful; things were very lively and mosques/temples could be seen in the distance.

January 13th to 14th, 2015 - Desert Camp to Safaga, Egypt

We are predominantly biking through the rural parts of Africa with our rest days (approximately once a week) spent near a centre.  Many of the men wear long robes and head scarves and the women burkas.

Over the past two days we rode took a turn out to the Red Sea, which was beautiful with rugged mountains and turquoise water with long white sandy beaches. Many rich tourist resorts are popping up along the route.  The second night we spent at a relaxing resort (except no hot water and very spotty internet - I guess not one of the rich ones), but what do you expect for $30/night?  Some people opted to stay in their tents on the beach.

That evening a dozen or so of us did some yoga on the beach with this man intently watching us as he drank his cup of coffee and smoked.

Other people's blogs can be accessed from the Tour d'Afrique website.  Some of those may be interesting.

January 11th, 2015 - Desert Camp to Desert Camp

So much has happened that I can't believe that it has only been 2 days since we left Cairo.  The mileage is grueling (129 km on Friday, 166 km on Saturday and 143 km today - Monday).

The ride out of Cairo was interesting, they had armed guards and police escorting us. They looked intimating but I guess did a good job since we all made it. 

Before leaving Cairo we cycled past some pyramids and The Sphinx.

We biked for two days through the desert on a paved highway.  It was great biking and for the most part we had a tailwind.  The landscape is extremely dry and there is very little bedrock and no vegetation.  It is quite cold and at night it is freezing...I didn't expect that!  The group of riders and staff are great, everyone seems to be in good cheer and want to have fun.
  

I am having difficulty accessing the blog but some others seem to be having better success.  If you want to follow other people's blogs, you can find links from the Tour d'Afrique website.

January 7, 2015 - Cairo, Egypt

Woke by the alarm 8am for breakfast.  Met more people..putting bikes together at 10, rider meeting at 11 a.m.

Arrived at my hotel, Cataract Pyramid Resort, after midnight yesterday.  I have my bike and both bags; I consider myself very lucky.  Some others were not so lucky.  At least one missing bike and a number of missing bags.  

Cairo is freezing, polluted, dusty, grey, loud, smells like exhaust, interesting, good food so far, relatively inexpensive, people very friendly, happy, drive like maniacs, helpful... stores, i.e. phone stores seem to open and close at will.  Cab drivers end up being 'handlers' as well as tour guides, etc.  I feel like I'm in one of those shady foreign movies where horns are blaring, people are rushing by, garbage blowing in the decrepit streets, people moving in and out of the shadows.  Trustingly you follow your cab driver down lane ways in search of an internet connection and sim card.  

The past two days were filled with rider meetings, building bikes, repacking bags and getting to know the 50 or so people who will make this journey, either as staff or as a rider.  We did a small group ride yesterday mainly to make sure out gears, brakes, etc were working.  I saw a pyramid in the distance...very exciting.

Breakfast tomorrow is at 5am, on bikes at 6:30 and will ride between 129 and 155 km, past the pyramids.  I'm hoping for a stiff tail wind.  I don't expect any internet for at least another 7 days.

I will try to add some photos later.