This morning was a morning of sad farewells. Our lives have been deeply touched by the family and their friends. As is often the way, people with so little have shown themselves to be rich in warmth and hospitality. It is easy to think that while we have gained so much in the west we have also lost the sense of community that pervades throughout the poorer countries. The world is a rapidly changing place, none more so than the Middle East and the Muslim countries. Travel for the ordinary Sudanese is very difficult, but who knows one day we may be able to return the favour. It would be a great shame to think that we will not see them all again.
Riding away from the village was a difficult one, we could have easily found ourselves turning round and staying a few more days. In the end we knew that we had to move on.
The 45km ride to Dongola was tougher than expected, mainly because of a strong headwind and the fact that we left a little later than we planned. For some reason I also wasn't feeling 100%, suffering from a lethargy that just wouldn't let my legs get moving. When we finally got to Dongola having crossed the Nile it was with a sense of relief. Finding the hotel we were looking for came as even more of a relief.
After a bit of hanging around while managers were called and the room was sorted, we eventually checked into a basic room, which was at least cooler than the stifling heat outside. Once again Sudan's frequent power cuts reared their head, so our fan stopped working. With little else to do we wandered into the bustling little town to get some food and with any luck a cold drink. Despite the shops boasting a staggering amount of refrigerators, they were largely empty. When we found a small shop selling taamiya (falafel) and cold drinks it was most welcome.
With it getting too hot to be outside we bought some fruit and veg, found another shop selling cold drinks and returned to the hotel for a sleep. At least we would have if we hadn't had to go out to the security office to register our intentions to stay in a hotel. The Sudanese do love their bureaucracy! Having just been out in the heat and struggling to understand the hoteliers directions we took a Tuk Tuk rather than walk. It was just as well that we did because the directions we were given were rubbish and it was quite a long way. After some serious form filling, we were handed the permission slip that we needed to give to the hotel. We have no idea what you do if you arrive in the middle of the night. Perhaps the security office is manned 24 hours, but we seriously doubt it.
Back at the hotel I enquired about the possibility of getting us and our bikes on a minibus to Karima. The staff at the Lord Hotel are very helpful and speak pretty good English and I was told that it would be no problem at all, with the buses also leaving every hour. This is good news as it means we will be able to skip 165km of barren desert. We are aware in some cyclists eyes that riding through the desert is about challenging yourself, but we just can't see the attraction. It's too hot, extremely dusty, windy, there is no water, no shade and it is extremely boring. If the options are staying a few days with local people experiencing the countries culture or riding through the desert for days on end then, with us at least, there is only ever going to be one outcome.
With the next stage of our journey organised we spent the rest of the day trying to stay cool. We failed miserably, but at least we got some rest. Hopefully getting the bikes on a minibus tomorrow will be as easy as we have been told.
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