Day 234 Sudan to United Kingdom 10/5/2011, Khartoum – Saham Hills, UK.

With the bikes boxed up and bags packed, we were ready for the off. Fatih kindly gave us a lift to Khartoum airport, thanks again! We knew we were very early, but what we hadn't anticipated was that we wouldn't be allowed into the terminal building until 3 hours before our flight...this meant we had a 5 hour wait outside the building in the heat! The time finally passed and we made our way inside. We found our contact at BMI, who the agent had been dealing with and he started to sort out our bikes' paperwork. He said they had to be wrapped in plastic, but there was only enough plastic for one of the bikes! While this was happening, the BMI contact said he just had to work out how much the bikes will cost....eh?...we were told many times by him over the phone that they would be £30 each, so what is there to calculate? He returned, calculation in hand, asking for over $900!! I told him in no uncertain terms to go and check his figures! After a long wait, much discussion and phone calls, he returned and we paid our agreed £30 per bike, result!

The BMI flight from Khartoum to London, with a touchdown in Beirut, went quickly and we were soon making our descent into Heathrow. The bikes arrived in baggage claim before our luggage and were thankfully undamaged. Another long wait at the airport ensued as we couldn't be collected until much later. A pub was swiftly found and we celebrated our return with beers and delicious pub grub; the things you miss when you can't have them! Paul kindly picked us up we made our way to Norfolk on the final leg of a long journey home. About 24 hours after we left the Blue Nile Sailing Club, we were home, exhausted and ready for a break.

Spent a lovely first weekend catching up with family and friends, while celebrating Matt's 39^th birthday. It is great to be home!

Day 229 – 233 Sudan 5/5/2011 – 9/5/2011, Khartoum. Getting ready to head home and meeting some terrific people along the way.

Rather than sightseeing as it's far too hot, we have largely been trying to organise flights back to the UK, easy until you throw two bicycles into the mix. A combination of Friday being a holiday in Sudan and then running into the weekend in the UK, has meant that getting an answer as to whether we could take the bikes has taken a while. Finally on Monday we were issued with our tickets and we will be on the flight at 4:45am Tuesday.

Our time in Khartoum has been memorable, not only for the stifling heat! Through staying at the 'Blue Nile Sailing Club' we have met some terrific people. Thanks to Hugh, an Englishman from Sheffield and Fatih, a Sudanese/British national we had amazing experience visiting the Dervish ceremony at Hamed al Nil Tomb, Omdurman.

We were joined by the lovely Diane, Hugh's friend, and eventually ended up having a hastily put together, but no less welcome, meal at her apartment. In truth we were supposed to be eating out, but we had rather underestimated just how closed the city is on a Friday night.

To Fatih we are especially indebted, as he has helped us get boxes for our bikes. When he was unable to go with us because of work commitments, he sent two of his staff Alaa and Osama to help us negotiate the chaotic Omdurman souk. With their help we had one bike boxed and left with packing for the other. Since then he has regularly checked that we are alright and is kindly going to give us a lift to the airport. He has also most importantly helped us get the photos to Abdulfadil and his family. Mohamed Abdulfadil (Abdulfadil's oldest son) has been to collect them from us as he is studying at the university in Khartoum. It is great for us that the family will have a record of our visit. They especially, have made our Sudanese experience all the richer!

We should also make a quick mention to the guys from the Sailing club who shared their breakfast with us and to the Sudanese reggae musician who took us out on his boat. Although, despite being a nice gesture, the sickly sounding engine made us wonder if we were going to be stranded in the middle of the Nile!

Our stay in Sudan has been full of amazing experiences which we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We wish everyone we have met all the best in their ventures and 'Inshallah' we will meet again someday. For now though, the relative cool of the UK beckons, plus a beer wouldn't go amiss!

Important newsflash! 5/5/2011.

After nearly 8 months on the road and 7200km we have started to get a bit travel jaded and road weary. With that in mind we have decided to come home, with a view to top up our funds and then continue our journey south later in the year.

We have timed our arrival in Sudan with the start of their hottest season and would be heading into the rains in Ethiopia and Northern Kenya. Getting to Khartoum has made us realise just how tired we are. The idea of tackling the mountainous roads of Ethiopia and the, infamous in cycling circles, stone throwing children, is at the moment a step too far. We are proud of where we have got to and would not want to ruin what has been an amazing experience by forcing ourselves to carry on. It would be all too easy to find ourselves resenting the journey.

The bicycles have been great and despite the odd moment of wanting to throw them off the nearest cliff, they have afforded us opportunities that we would have struggled to get by travelling any other way.

Hopefully by taking a break now, we will be able to continue what has been an unforgettable journey.

Day 228 Sudan 4/5/2011. Desert camp near al Miga– Blue Nile sailing club Khartoum. 75.57miles/122.49km, 6hrs24minutes, Av 11.8mph.

We must have camped in the noisiest part of the desert. Being near a small bridge meant that our night was accompanied by the squealing of lorries brakes and the revving of their engines as they first slowed for and then accelerated away from the bridge. The odd driver, obviously concerned that he wasn't making enough noise, added to the din with the sounds of his less than musical air horns. Once again 5am came around far too soon!

With no road signs and a rough idea that Khartoum was about 100km away we set off with the intention of making it to the city. The traffic if anything was more horrible than it had been over the last few days. The heat seemed to turn up a notch as we headed south and a slight crosswind made the journey more difficult. The saving grace of the day was that at least there were plenty of water stops along the road, unlike the day before.

The third day straight of 100km plus was a struggle, hot sand-filled cycle shorts didn't help much. Riding along was probably very similar to sandpapering your buttocks! That and the crazy bus drivers heading straight for us lights flashing and horns blaring meant that our tempers were a little frayed. Despite the difficulties we pressed on and eventually began the long ride into Khartoum, which wasn't made any easier by an awful road surface. What we really didn't need was resurfacing taking place and a detour along the road we wanted to travel. Fortunately a policeman told us to ride the wrong way up the road until the end of the diversion. It may have been a bit treacherous but at least we didn't have to figure out our way back on to the right road.

When we finally arrived at the river Nile it was with some relief, as we knew we were very close to our home for the next few days. We could see the Blue Nile Sailing Club from the bridge all we had to do was figure out how to get there. In the end we took the slightly unsafe but more direct route of hopping off the bikes, running across four lanes of traffic and then rejoining Nile street that ran under the bridge. Two very hot, very tired cyclists rode into the site.

Having found someone to pay for our stay, we went to pitch our tent and were greeted by Andrew, Tina and their two young daughters Elena and Rebecca. The family have been living in South Africa and were heading home to Europe in their 4x4. Better still they offered us a cup of tea!

As they had pitched their tent under a canopy instead of on the gardens, we joined them and have been grateful ever since as at least it has some given us some shade and made camping bearable.

While setting up camp we were introduced to a Dutch couple Martin and his girlfriend (sorry but the name has completely escaped me but she is very nice). They have been travelling from Namibia in a VW pick-up and have met up with the others frequently during their journey. It was lovely to spend some time with some English speakers, it is quite easy to feel a little isolated when you are on the road. We joined them all for a swim in the Nile, cooling but quite difficult to get out, and for a lovely evening meal.

Unfortunately they are all planning on leaving tomorrow, as it would have been nice to be able to spend a bit more time with them. Nevertheless we wish them all a safe journey on the road ahead.

Day 227 Sudan 3/5/2011, Meroe pyramids – Desert camp near al Miga. 67.08miles/108.89km, 5hr40minutes, Av 11.8mph

The heat did indeed bugger off, but not until 1am when it did actually get quite cold. Once again we woke at first light to get an early start. Which we managed to squander by becoming directionally challenged leaving the pyramids. If we had left the way we had come in, instead of following the track that the caretaker had pointed to, we would have been much better off.

Riding along the road followed the same pattern as yesterday. Boring desert scenery and plenty of diving off the road to avoid lorries and buses. Sudan is a lovely country, but a crappy one to cycle through. That said we passed the 7000km mark today! Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention so the photo is of 7010km.

We have managed to make a bit of a mess of our food stocks. Breakfast was a cup of soup, so when we came across a road side restaurant at 9am we availed ourselves of a decent meal. It was just a shame that we suspect we were overcharged for what we had. This isn't helped by the fact that we are almost out of local currency, having not changed enough when we last had the chance. Any snacks will be strictly rationed tomorrow, but with any luck we will make it to Khartoum.

The morning became a challenge to find water, there were none of the roadside shelters that we have become used to. Eventually we stopped for a drink in a restaurant and one of the staff filled our water bag up. Our next stop for water proved to be a bit of a nightmare. We had just gone through a checkpoint and I had asked the policeman if there was any water nearby. He pointed back to an area surrounded by kids, who had tried to sell us stuff as we rode through. Not to be put off I grabbed our other water bag and started to fill it. While this was going on I was watching the kids try to pull my cycle computer off and then my pump. When the water bag was filled one of the kids tried to get me to pay for using the water and unbeknownst to me Debs had been surrounded and groped by some of the older lads. At the same time the younger ones were trying to take anything they could off her bike. Pushing them out of the way we set off up the road with Debs understandably upset. Having come to enjoy seeing the happy, smiling, friendly, Sudanese children, we are starting to wonder where they have gone. The last few that we have met, have all been demanding money, trying to steal something, or once today throwing stones. This is a pretty worrying trend in a country that has no real tourism.

Being called over to a roadside truck stop by the owner solved our escaping the heat of the afternoon problem and reaffirmed our belief in the friendliness of the Sudanese. We were given tea and told to make ourselves comfortable, which is what we did. The guys in the truck stop were all great and despite our failings in Arabic we managed to have a bit of a chat.

At just before 5pm we cycled off into the heat to find somewhere to camp. After one false start we have found a decent spot in the shade of a tree. With any luck the temperature in the tent will not get too high as we both could do with a decent nights sleep.

Day 226 Sudan 2/5/2011, Atbara – Meroe Pyramids. 60.84 miles/98.65km, 4hr14minutes, Av 14.3mph!

What a lovely nights sleep, for the first time in Sudan we actually spent the night feeling cool. The sleep would have been even better if the hotel staff hadn't got mixed up and brought us breakfast at 5:30am instead of 6:30am when we asked for it! Still we had to get out of bed sometime and it gave us the opportunity to get on the road earlier than planned.

Leaving Atbara we first had to pass through the fruit and vegetable market that was full of people despite the early hour. Getting caught in a traffic jam involving donkey and carts, tuk tuks and wheel barrows wasn't how we envisaged our leaving.

Once again the lack of sign posting caused some difficulty, but we were soon heading along the main Khartoum road. A road that we hasten to add, was not built wide enough for the vehicles that use it. It is only wide enough for two lorries to pass each other with no hard shoulder, unless you count the rutted, shredded tyre littered, shingle edged strip either side. Every time two lorries came from opposite directions we were forced off the road into this strip. Buses are even worse they come past at 100km/h plus and overtake with no concern whether anything is coming or not. As far as they seem to be concerned everyone else just has to get out of the way. Having a bus overtake an oncoming vehicle straight into your path with its lights flashing and horn blaring is a scary proposition, especially when diving onto the hard shoulder means a possible fall. I went over once when my front wheel caught shingle, Debs unfortunately missed my impressive leap before I hit the ground only to land on my feet beside the bike. The slight saving grace of the road is that traffic is comparatively light or we would have struggled to make any progress. We would say that out of all the countries we have cycled through, this is the first time we have genuinely felt unsafe on the road.

Having cycled nearly 100km, the Meroe pyramids came into view.

We left the road and followed a sandy track down to the entrance. The pyramids are one of Sudan's top tourist attractions. Surprisingly when we got there we weren't the only westerners, although they were just leaving, so we soon had the place to ourselves.

Unlike the Egyptian pyramids the Sudanese ones are steeper sided and smaller, with offering chambers built onto the side. Several on the site have been reconstructed with three of the Northern ones having been re-rendered to show what they would have originally looked like. Set amongst rocky hills and sand dunes, the site is beautiful and it was great to walk amongst them, if somewhat hot!

Having had a good look round and with the arrival of a coach load of people complete with a police escort, we returned to our bikes with the intention of finding somewhere to camp. The caretaker told us that we could push our bikes into the site and pointed out where we could camp. You can't get a much better spot than a camp-site near the pyramids. Unless it had no sand of course, at the current rate we will be removing half the desert when we leave!

The afternoon didn't turn out to be all good, as I discovered that I have lost our Leatherman tool somewhere. It may not be essential to the trip but it is pretty annoying and one more thing to add to Matt's lost list!

Seeing as we were camping near the pyramids it seemed a shame to not go and see them at sunset. So with the sun low in the sky, we climbed to the top of one of the dunes to watch the sunset. It wasn't all that spectacular in truth, but it was cooler and a nice way to end the day.

I will let Debs have the final say with the beautiful words 'what a lovely sunset.....now, bugger off heat!'

Day 225 Sudan 1/5/2011, Karima – Atbara. A longer bus journey through the desert and a nice hotel.

Starting early again this morning we were outside the minibus office by 7am. Our bikes were loaded on the bus, a little more delicately than last time, and we selected our seats. The bus was due to leave at 7:30am and to our surprise it did!

Despite the fact that there is new fully sealed road from Karima to Atbara, for reasons unknown to us, we set off across the desert along an unsealed road. None of the passengers looked particularly surprised so we have to assume that this was usual. It certainly added a bit of interest to the journey. Unfortunately the bumpy road caused a child to be sick, which as you can imagine in a confined minibus smells lovely. Something that Debs, who suffers from travel sickness, really didn't need. After a brief stop where the mother and daughter had a drink of water, but made no attempt to clean themselves up we set off again. It wasn't long before we rejoined the road, much to Debs and I am sure the little girls relief! As during our last journey, sand storms battered the side of the minibus. We were once again thankful that we weren't cycling through it.

Eventually, after just over 3 hours we arrived in Atbara. The bikes were swiftly unloaded from the bus and we attached our gear ready to go and find a hotel. Having decided to treat ourselves a bit we went to have a look at the Al Asfia hotel, which our guidebook describes as the best hotel in town. We have to say it was a disappointment, it may have had a fridge, air-con and a bathroom, but it was old tatty and overpriced. Leaving that hotel behind we went in search of another, hoping this one would be better. At the end of the road we met a British 4x4, driven by some Kiwis. We stopped to say hello and they told us that they had been battered by sand storms all the way to Atbara. It seems we have had a lucky escape! We bid them well on their journey, also to Cape Town, and headed to the hotel.

When we got to the Nile Hotel it was a massive improvement on the Al Asfia. Despite having a shared bathroom, the room is brighter, cleaner and the hotel is a lot more welcoming. Plus after the heat, it is great to have air-con if only for one night.

Other than a trip to the market to buy some fruit, we have no plans to do much. We have arranged to have dinner here and an early breakfast for tomorrow. With a bit of luck and a fair tailwind we should get to the Meroe pyramids tomorrow. Then it will be camping all the way down to Khartoum. We better make the most of having an air conditioned room!

Day 224 Sudan 30/4/2011, Karima. A holy mountain, ruins, strong winds and pyramids.

This morning we left just after 8am to visit Jebel Barkal (holy mountain). We were accompanied along the road by a very strong tailwind that seemed to be carrying half of the surrounding deserts with it.

The entrance to the site looked more like a police compound than a archaeological site. There are no signs at all just a huge number of blue camouflage clad policeman sitting around outside a building. They can't be there to protect the site from hordes of tourists as we were the only ones there. Eventually as at the previous site of Deffufa, some form filling took place, our nationalities were asked, money was parted with and a ticket/permit was given.

Walking out into the desert towards the ruins we encountered yet more policeman scattered around the site. This was a bit unnerving as we don't have a photography permit and we obviously wanted to take some pictures. In the end we just decided to carry on regardless and hope no one was aware of the rules. Fortunately, none of the police seemed that bothered.

As we wandered amongst the ruins one of the men from the entrance started to follow us and point things out. We didn't really want a guide and weren't really certain what he wanted, so we just kept walking. In the end it became clear that he was just there to open the door to the temple for us.

The temple of Mut was very interesting with the walls covered in carvings and hieroglyphics. The man who had let us in gave us a brief insight into the meanings of the carvings and with the aid of a torch for the darker sections gave us a short tour.

Having seen the ruins we headed round the back of the mountain and straight into the very strong, sand-carrying wind. It was a bit like being sand blasted as we struggled through the dunes to see the pyramids. The walk was worth it though, when the steep sided remarkably preserved pyramids came into sight.

Walking up a slightly higher mound to have a better look at the site I was waved at by a security guard. Oops! It turned out that the mound I was on, was in fact the remains of a collapsed pyramid, no wonder he was waving! After that slight error I tried not to commit any further mistakes as we wandered amongst the pyramids.

Eventually the wind got the better of us and we slowly headed back towards the bikes. Jebel Barkal has been well worth a visit and having it all to ourselves was great.

Leaving the site behind we encountered the first unpleasant Sudanese children we have come across. Pointing at our bikes and shouting 'give' and then pursuing us on bikes demanding money is something we have not come to expect in the country.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the bus station to find out about moving on to Atbara. As before we were told that it would be no problem, but being further the ticket cost for ourselves and our bikes is going to be a bit higher. This time we will be skipping nearly 300km of desert or three/four days of cycling that we really need to make up to get through Sudan while our visa lasts.

Leaving the bus station we went to try and have a look at the old derelict 'Nile Steamers'; boats that used to sail from Dongola to Karima when the Nile was high enough. Sadly we couldn't find the right road and when a young lad decided to accompany us on his bike and then start asking me to give him things we decided to give it up as a bad job. Thankfully we encountered lots more friendly and smiley children during our ride round the town, so the begging, rude few are not in a majority. Breakfast at a restaurant where we were assisted by a really helpful Ethiopian guy rounded off a busy morning.

The rest of the day has been somewhat less busy, although we have sorted some photos out and the blog is back up to date. Hopefully we will get to do some uploading soon.

Tomorrow Atbara and then it is back on the bikes for the ride down to Khartoum.

Day 223 Sudan 29/4/2011, Dongola – Karima. Bikes on the roof and a town between two deserts.

We were awake earlier than we had planned so we decided to try and get an earlier bus to Karima. Our helpful hotelier gave us directions to the bus stop and handed us a piece of paper to show to the bus driver. The directions turned out to be good and we soon arrived in Souk es-Shabi. The hotelier had obviously phoned ahead to say we were coming, as we were greeted on arrival by the man from the ticket office. We paid our 20SDP (£4.50) each and another 20SDP for our bikes and luggage and everything was soon loaded on the roof. All we had to do now was wait for enough passengers to fill the bus.

We didn't have to wait long, just after 9am we were full and under way. From the conditions outside it looks like we had a lucky escape by not cycling the route. The road was very desolate with what looked like only one water stop along the 165km stretch. There was also a fierce crosswind, blowing sand that showered against the side of the minibus. Inside the bus may have been a bit cramped, but it was certainly better than being outside!

Just under two hours later and we arrived in Karima. With our bikes unloaded, still in one piece, minus the odd bit of paint, we grabbed our gear ready to find somewhere to stay. Our guidebook mentioned a guy who offered a home-stay option which sounded good. Debs set about making a phone call and managed to get hold of the guy. Unfortunately making calls is never easy when the other persons English is not brilliant, so getting directions was difficult. Eventually we gave up and found the Al Nasser hotel, which seems decent enough. Once again we had to go and register with the security office, but this time it was easy to find, although unsigned, and the officer was very friendly and helpful. We were soon back at the hotel and checked in, with our bikes stored safely in the room.

Aside from going out to buy some lunch we pretty much stayed around the hotel all day. The afternoon heat stops all but the foolhardy from venturing out, we have found it is best to do as the Sudanese do and sleep through it. One good thing that may have come out of a lazy afternoon is that I have possibly fixed the zip on our tent and all it took was a squeeze with some pliers. We will keep our fingers crossed and see how it is when we next camp, but so far it looks good.

Tomorrow we will leave early to see the ruins at Jebel Barkal and have our first look at some Sudanese pyramids!

Day 222 Sudan 28/4/2011, Abo Hojar – Dongola. 30.66miles/49.70km, 2hr52minutes, Av 10.6mph.

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.

Day 220 Sudan 26/4/2011, Abdulfadil's house, Abo Hojar. Recovery, a stroll round the village and more neighbours!

Thankfully I woke feeling better this morning. The consensus seemed to be that it would be best if we stayed for another day while I got my strength back. See, I told you we were slipping easily into the Sudanese way of life.

This morning we were taken on a tour of the farmland surrounding the village, and got to see one of the deep wells where the irrigation water is drawn from. Despite the harsh conditions the area was surprisingly green.

During the walk we were greeted by several more neighbours and friends and eventually found ourselves in a what seemed like a house full of women. They were all keen to have photos taken and Debs, despite the language problem, was in her element. Her old English teacher days are clearly coming to the fore. With a promise to come back later for tea, we had to leave as breakfast would be waiting for us.

After breakfast I played on the Playstation with Abdulrazig and then later helped him fix his bicycle. In truth I really only held the bike upright, but he appreciated me showing willing, I think?!

Meanwhile Debs had gone a nearby house with the women folk who are all preparing for the forthcoming wedding. It is a shame that we won't be here for the wedding, nevertheless Debs seems to be having a terrific time.

Later that evening we returned to the house we had been in earlier for tea. Once again we were greeted enthusiastically, Debs especially. The women of the house have really taken her into their hearts.

For some time Debs has been saying that she would like to have her hands painted with henna. The women were all very keen on the idea and said that they would do it tomorrow. Obviously we were planning on leaving tomorrow. Not wanting to be stopped they found some henna and started immediately to draw some designs on her hands. The finished work is very pretty and sometime during the evening, we agreed to stay another day so Debs could come back and visit the women again.

Once again overwhelming hospitality is keeping us here. It is going to be very difficult to tear ourselves away. Only the knowledge of how big Sudan is and the time remaining on our visas is keeping us aware of the need to move on.

Day 219 Sudan 25/4/2011, Abo Hojar – Deffufa – Abo Hojar. 14.8miles/23.96km, 1hr43minutes, 8.5mph Sand!

For some reason this morning I woke feeling a little queasy. Shaking it off as nothing, we had breakfast and then headed down the road towards the mud brick buildings of Deffufa. The directions we had been given were good and despite having to ride on sand for part of the way we made it to the site. After what a lot of form filling, parting with money and having to explain that we didn't have a photocopy of all our documents, we were allowed in. Fortunately they didn't insist on keeping our travel permit which we need!

By now the queasiness that I had ignored had turned into full blown nausea. The fact that the mud brick building we were looking at was over 3500 years old and possibly the largest and oldest man made structure in sub-Saharan Africa, didn't change the fact that I felt really sick. While Debs went for a wander round, I sat in the shade and tried to hang onto my breakfast. The nausea eventually eased, so I was able to have a little wander and take a closer look at the massive structure.

With me clearly not feeling one hundred percent, we decided to head to the town of Kerma to buy our hosts a gift for letting us stay and then head back. The lack of a tarmac road made getting to the town very difficult and we never actually made it. Instead we were beckoned over by some men and had a cup of tea with them and then stopped at a shop for a cold drink. I had thought the drink may settle my stomach a little, but it didn't help at all. Getting invited into another families house was a lovely gesture but it was all I could do to stop from being sick. For once the amazing hospitality, in my case at least, wasn't so welcome.

The projectile vomiting didn't start until we got out of the house thankfully. Rather fortunately there wasn't anyone around either, which saved my embarrassment at least.

From then on there wasn't much to do but head back. Trying to explain that I was feeling unwell was difficult and the family were very concerned. Even more concerned when I couldn't eat any food. I hope that they didn't think it was because I didn't like it. I ate a little and they insisted that a coffee was the best thing for an upset stomach. Another round of vomiting later and I did feel a little better, so I guess the coffee served its purpose!

I spent the rest of the day feeling extremely weak and groggy, Debs meanwhile went off with Zuleikha (Abdulfadil's wife) to a pre wedding event.

Debs' account of the evening:

It was a ladies only event and it appeared that all the women of the village were there. I was introduced to everyone and was greeted with warmth and curiosity and was made to feel very welcome. The bride's sister, Mona spoke English quite well and took me under her wing. After a while the groom's female family and friends arrived from a nearby village in light covered pick-up trucks with loud music blaring. With everyone present, the main reason for the party became clear; the bride was given lots of gifts for her wedding next month. The gifts included a lot of beautiful outfits and shoes for her new married life, which when shown around were greeted with loud whoops and shouts. It was a lovely evening and a great insight into Sudanese customs. I feel very honoured to have been part of the event and cannot thank Zuleikha enough for taking me.

Later that evening I started to feel a little better and managed to eat a bit of supper. For me at least it has been a difficult day. I am glad that Debs has been so roundly embraced by the local women, as looking after a sick grumpy me wouldn't have been a great deal of fun for her!

Day 218 Sudan 24/4/2011, Abo Hojar. A day spent in a lovely village with a terrific family.

Our plans to go to Deffufa early this morning didn't come to fruition. We left getting up a little late and we fell foul of the Sudanese custom of having breakfast about three hours after they get up. Chatting to Abdulfadil he suggested that we went after 3pm when it was cooler. We have to say that we were a little doubtful that it would be cooler by 3pm but you have to listen to the locals!

Once again during the day we were greeted by more of the neighbours. People seemed to be constantly dropping in for tea, coffee or a chat. We get the impression that this is a usual occurrence and not just because we were there.

We never did make it to Deffufa and it certainly didn't cool down at 3pm. Instead I had the tricky task of trying to explain some very wordy Playstation games to Abdulfadil's son and we had an impromptu game of football with a neighbour's disabled son. Just kicking and volleying the ball around had him rolling with laughter. It was all very sweet and a lot of fun.

Later that evening we went to another neighbour Mohammed el-Hardi's house for tea and got to meet his mother and lovely family. It has been another terrific day and we are finding ourselves slipping, possibly too comfortably, into the Sudanese way of life.

Day 217 Sudan 23/4/2011, Desert camp North of Delgo – Abdulfadil's house in Abo Hojar. 63.11miles/102.27km, 4hr50minutes, Av 13.1mph.

Despite the somewhat sombre mood of last night we packed up and set out into the early morning light in good spirits. A return of the tailwind saw us making good progress.

Now aware that the road may leave the Nile and head out into the desert at any moment, we once again availed ourselves of valuable water when we passed a stop. It was a good thing that we did, because almost straight away we headed out into the desert.

40km into the day we were surprised to be passed by a Toyota Land-cruiser with Swiss number plates. The driver stopped and introduced himself and his wife. They have been travelling from South Africa northwards and were now slowly heading back down. Which explains why they weren't on the ferry from Egypt with us. They were a lovely couple and it was nice to stop and have a chat.

Back on the road it was more of the same, desert followed by more desert, followed by more desert. The land eventually becoming a bit greener as we neared the more fertile plains around the Nile. It wasn't long before we were heading into the desert again though. As before in Sudan, we were buoyed along by the friendly waves and happy smiles of the people.

Eventually after nearly 90km we came back alongside the Nile and were called over by some policemen. They asked where we were headed and when we told Kerma, they pointed down a road in the direction we had come! We had clearly fallen foul of the lack of signposts.

Heading along the road, into the wind, we were greeted by groups of smiling children and received many shout of welcome by people sheltering from the sun.

Eventually we came to a mosque and filled up our water bottles and then bought a drink from a nearby shop. Checking our directions, we continued north along the road until we came to a junction where we were beckoned over by a taxi driver to shelter under a tree. By now it was very hot so we happily took him up on the offer.

While trying to buy a drink, I was approached by a man who introduced himself as Abdulfadil. He told me that he would like us to come and stay in his house. He had hosted a Japanese cyclist 3 years previously, who had been on the road for 10 years and had cycled 100,000km! Since then he has hosted other cyclists but normally in the winter. He was slightly amused that we had chosen to come to Sudan at the hot time of year! Obviously our assumption that it would be like our spring was a mistake!

After chatting with Debs we decided it was too good an offer to turn down. Especially after having camped for the last three nights. The chance to wash ourselves was too tempting. The desert dust impregnates everything, our clothes have become so ingrained by the sand and then baked solid by the sun that it is like they have been heavily starched.

Abdulfadil told us that he had to go to a market to buy some wood, he is a carpenter, but would be back in an hour if we would wait there. With the sun high in the sky we had nowhere else to be so we settled down to wait. Obviously being a Sudanese hour it was nearer 2.5 hours, but our Sudanese guidebook caused a lot of interest with the locals so we were kept entertained.

Rather worryingly, when Abdulfadil returned he was in a pick-up (boksi) and he said just follow the vehicle. We did our best to keep up, but it was just as well that he was waiting by the side of the road for us, otherwise it would have been the shortest home-stay ever!

Abdulfadil's wife, Zuleikha and son Abdulrazig are lovely and we have been made to feel completely at home. During the afternoon we have lost count of the amount of people we have been introduced to. We have had lovely food and have coped with eating with only our right hand. An invite to another neighbour's house for tea was most welcome and the hospitality has been amazing. Having supper at 10pm was a little tiring as we had been awake at 5am, but the whole experience has been unforgettable.

We have been invited to stay as long as we like, so we will stay one more day and go and visit the ancient mud brick buildings of Deffufa, which is why we were here in the first place.

It has been a good day. Every time things look a little low, there always seems to be something that reminds us why we are doing this.