Tuesday, 23rd Jan, 2007

From Ferry Landing (Wadi Halfa, Sudan) to Campsite (outside Wadi Halfa)

Well, bye bye, lovely Egypt! We'll miss you! I won't forget my last big cycling day in Egypt, riding down to Aswan. The police with me the whole, entire way. Wouldn't let me out of their sight. "For my security." This is funny, because they didn't tail everybody like that. They tailed me because I was the last person and they wanted to ensure we all got into camp safely. It could have been a bit irritating, but in order not to let it get irritating, I just had to pretend that I was Lance Armstrong and they were my support crew. At my first coke break, I pulled over at a shop and bought a coke. The police pulled over and looked at me with puzzled looks on their faces and their arms held up in a, "what are you doing?" expression. I just said, "Sorry, coke break. I won't be long. If you're bored, you can move on." (Which made it a little difficult to pretend I was Lance Armstrong because I don't think he takes coke breaks, but that's o.k.) The police said, "No, no, we are with you." I just smiled and thought, "Great!" At my 2nd coke break of the day, I really was getting into this idea of thinking of them as my support crew, so I offered them cokes as well.

Suffice to say, we got through Egypt safely. Do you really think all that security was so necessary? I know I can be a bit naive sometimes, but everybody seemed so incredibly nice! Who would want to blow us up? Well, the terrorists, maybe, but I bet there aren't very many of them, if you think in terms of per capita.

Shady, on the last night in Egypt, gave me a very, very dear and nice little pendant that said "Leigh Anne" in hieroglyphics. Shady was our main Egyptian tour leader. How incredibly sweet. Nice fellow. I had gotten to know him because of getting in the bus sometimes, when I was tired of cycling.

Now... On to Sudan!

Wow! Can't believe we're here! The impenetrable Sudan! How exciting, to think that we will just be riding freely through this country. I never could have imagined such a thing. The African Roots tour group joined us here in Wadi Halfa. They'll be with us all the way to Cape Town. Guess what they brought with them? Power bars!! Yippeee!! We'll get 2 a day every day for the rest of the trip!

------------------- TODAY -------------- TOTAL
Cycled ------------ 6.5 km (4 mi) -------- 839.5 km (514.5 mi)
Sagged ----------- 0 ----------------------- 165 km (108.5 mi)
Total -------------- 6.5 km (4 mi) ---------- 1,004 km (623 mi)
In saddle ---------- 30 min ----------------- 46 hrs 27 min
Ascended ---------- 100 feet --------------- 8,242 feet