Moon Cycles

n way to a desert landscape devoid almost entirely of vegetation (apart from the oases surrounding the water-holes) and dominated by never ending horizons of sand. By day this environment becomes extremely inhospitable: even by 8 o'clock in the morning the temperature has reached uncomfortable levels. But at night the desert comes into it's own, at least for my purposes: cooler temperatures; a flawless sky crammed with enough planets and stars to spend a lifetime of space-gazing; and of course the moon at centre stage, tracking slowly but inexorably across the heavens.

The day time temperatures are so harsh that I have adapted to a routine centred around the night. After laying up in shade for the best part of the afternoon I start my biking day at around 6 pm, ride until 2-3 in the morning, grab a few hours sleep in the sand by the side of the road till dawn, then ride as long as I can before my forearm starts to smell like roast pork. By 11 am I'll start looking for a flood tunnel under the road or a shade tree to escape from the heat: imagine opening the oven door and sticking your head inside with the dial turned up full - that's what it feels like trying to ride after midday.

As well as being cooler the night is also the only time of day when the wind, that blows exclusively from the north (the direction I'm going in), dies down and I can actually make realistic progress. I consume much less water at night also, which means less weight to carry and less time filtering water from the roadside wells that (thankfully) line the route. During daylight hours I'm finding that 1.5 litres will buy me around 15 kms. At night this mileage is nearly doubled. Either way water is my overriding concern throughout the 24 hr day, and my daily intake is never less than 10 litres.

I can expect this figure to jump by at least 50% on this last, extremely rugged, section between Dongola and Wadi Halfa in the far north. This final 400 kms is going to be very tough: the 'road' will at best be gravel, but more likely sand most of the time requiring large sections where the bike will need to be pushed, further increasing the amount of water needed to be carried. And whether I'll be able to ride at night with such uneven and corrugated road conditions is unclear. So it could take up to 6 days to reach Wadi Halfa. Plus for the last 200 kms there are apparently no villages or wells, so I will look to carry up to 40 litres for this section alone.

I also need to swim across the Nile at some point to pick up the better road on the east side. So I'm counting on the legendary Nile crocodiles, which apparently make the salties in Australia look like bath toys, being too lazy in the heat of the day to bother with me.

Roadside Tea Lady

Still no word from the Egyptians on permission to cross the lake. For those just joining the blog I am having to seek special permission from the Egyptian government to cross Lake Nasser between Sudan and Egypt. Currently the only way to cross the border is by the weekly ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa. They don't want anyone within 300kms of the border with Sudan for various reasons: the ongoing dispute over the Haleib Triangle on the Red Sea side, their concerns over security of their high dam at Aswan, and paranoia in general about tourists getting bumped off (like in Luxor 12 years ago) by radical extremists which in turns costs their tourism industry dearly. The ridiculous thing is there is actually a perfectly good road on the west side of the lake, which may be opened  in the next 4 months, but in the meantime remains closed.

Here in Dongola I've splashed out on an room with AC for 24 hours to just give my body a break from the heat, re-hydrate with fluids and recoup in general for this final push. Words cannot describe how heavenly this feels! Although the capital of the country's Northern State Dongola has a super laid-back feel to it; presumably even the locals find it too hot to get worked up about much. Flushed with greenery from the date palms irrigated by Nile water it has the real feeling of an oasis in the desert, and fresh produce abounds in the market which is good news for restocking my panniers with fruits and veggies for this final stage. Dongola is also the hub of Nubian culture, renowned for it's hospitality and friendliness which certainly hasn't failed to disappoint. On my forays outside of the hotel people constantly come up and introduce themselves, inviting back to their homes to meet their family, or just inquiring as to my general well being and impression of Sudan. It's a blessing really considering how harsh the environment is here: knowing that I can flag down a vehicle (what few there are) or knock on a door if I get into real trouble gives some sense of a safety net.

Before signing off I'd like to wish Erden Eruc of Around n Over all the very best for the imminent next stage of his human powered circumnavigation: he's about to step aboard his rowing boat and spend 8-months at sea rowing across the Pacific from San Francisco to Australia.Check out his progress as he takes on this immense task.

jason

MORE IMAGES (click to enlarge)

** MOKSHA SHIPPING TO EUROPE FUNDING DRIVE **
> Total to raise: $4,500
> Total raised to date: $3,500
> Total still to raise: $1,000

Sincerest thanks to the following for your pledges -
- The Sheltons, UK, $1,000
- Michael Rawlings, UK, $50
- Crister Brady, US, $50
- Karl Kaseoru, US, $500
- John and Bridget Maxwell, UK, $50
- Jennifer Mackenzie, US, $50
- Ian McCormick, UK, $200
- Terry Mason, California USA, $200
- Jackie and Jean Bernard, Djibouti, $250.
- Erden Eruc and Nancy Board of Around n Over, Seattle USA, $250
- Sharon Kessler, Colorado USA, $500
- Jane Koca, San Jose USA, $50
- John Caldwell, San Jose USA, $100
- Greg Kolodziejzyk of Pedal the Ocean, Canada, $250

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