M/V Saad Naam was a new boat. A word that needs to be in context: I guess when one remembers just how old the civilizations are that have risen and fallen in this area it is new and replaced an older boat some years ago.
We turned up at the port at about 10am to be greeted by a horde of passengers each with a vast supply of goods. Things must be cheaper in Egypt. Mt Eezah helped us through the formalities quite quickly with little baksheesh needing to change hands. Then it was down to the motorised barge in which the vehicles were to travel. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It seemed that as there were only 2 vehicles less than 5 metres in length the smaller barge would be used. The bigger one is used for larger vehicles like the overland trucks. I thought there would be a roll on arrangement and there was of sorts: a ramp was put in place along the side of the barge and I had to drive the van up the ramp and fit it between the superstructure and a hold cover. I wasn’t aware exactly what they wanted me to do and had the back left wheel caught horribly on the corner of the hold cover. A lot of manoeuvring later I was still caught high and dry. Once I got out and looked for myself then realized the problem which eventually was easily solved. Hope I didn’t damage the tyre.
Raider had no trouble with his Landcruiser. His is higher and a winch to hold it in place.
The boat itself wasn’t too bad. We had booked a first class cabin. This consisted of 2 bunks, a chair and a large air conditioner. There were no sheets, the door wouldn’t lock, but at least we had a port hole. The grime in the cabin gave us the impression the last time it had been cleaned was when it was commissioned. It was pretty bad. After lying on the top bunk for a while looking at the foot prints on the end wall and the layers of dirt on the ceiling I said ‘Enough!’ I grabbed the flannel we had brought with us, filled up an empty beer can with water from the communal basins then got to work. Thirty minutes later I was able to lie back and relax a little.
Non first class passengers had a choice: either in a communal sauna in chairs or up on deck. The latter very hot when the sun was up but lovely after dark I believe.
The highlight of the voyage was sailing past the great temple of Abbu Simbel in the early morning. We were about 500 metres from the statues. They were magnificent.
Wadi Halfa is hot, dusty and a bit of a dive. We are staying at the Deffintoad Hotel. The room has three beds in it, no sheets but stained covers. No fan or A/C of course but there is a plug with which we can heat up a cup of tea. It is very basic. All going well we will have the vehicles early tomorrow and be able to hit the road. Mark, a South African, was waiting at the High Dam ready to load his motor bike, he is going to join us on the next leg of the trip.
igh DamH
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
3rd May Aswan.
We had a problem tonight: the last of our Egyptian wine was finished last night, three days to go before we hit a dry country, Sudan, and the only remaining bottle of red was for the minister of a parish in Uganda who has ties with Joan’s church in Bellingen. It was bought in the Holy Land of Jordan.
Reasons for opening it:
1/ The rough roads between here & Uganda might turn it into vinegar
2/ It might be corked
3/ the minister might be a teetotaller
4/ We are overweight, every little lessening helps
5/ The Sudanese Customs might confiscate it
Reasons for keeping it.
1/ The minister would appreciate it
2/ It might be able to be used as sacred wine (not sure of the requirements for that)
The former won out. It helped a pleasant meal at Adam’s Home, a desert camp 150 metres from the Nile. We ate while feluccas and cruise boats made their way along the river. When the sun had lost some its intensity we wandered down to the Nile and spent a half hour relaxing at the water’s edge watching and listening to the many birds playing in amongst the papyrus reeds.
The Nile down here at Aswan is idyllic. Clear water, palm trees on the edge, the feluccas slowly catching the wind. Not so many tourists help as well. We visited the Nubian Museum this morning. Excellent displays of the Nubian culture and life style and a wonderful photographic wing showing the effort to preserve the Nubian history that was to be destroyed by the rising waters of Lake Nasser and the Aswan Dam in the early 60s. Abu Simbel is the most famous with the effort to raise these massive statues above the final dam level but may other sites were to be covered as well. Scores of archaeologists worked on the project from all over the world. A massive undertaking.
The convoy from Luxor went without a hitch this morning but on arriving realized that today was Friday, the Muslim holiday and the office of the Nile River Transportation Coy was closed. We will have to catch Mr Salah tomorrow.
3r May
The staff in the Nile River Transportation Office were as helpful as all the blogs and web sites said. Mr Salah and Mr Eezah went out of the way to help us. Mr Eezah accompanied us to the courthouse to make sure we hadn’t had any accidents or convictions against us while in the country, then off to the Traffic Police to hand in our Egyptian number plates and licence. Pity as I would have enjoyed giving an Australian cop my Egyptian licence if they happened to pull us up.
Tomorrow we catch the ferry. Not sure when it leaves, last week it didn’t leave until midnight, we have to report at 9.30am. It appears the van goes on a slower boat and we will have to spend a night at Wadi Halfa waiting for it. Raider and Ellen the Norwegian couple are happy to travel together until we reach Dongola, from where the road is asphalt to Khartoum. We are pleased as I feel a little unprepared for what may eventuate. They have a Landcruiser with all the bells and whistles; winches, sand mats, raised suspension, the works. They are a nice couple about our age and intend leaving their vehicle in South Africa then flying back later to look around the national parks of Southern Africa.
This will be the last blog until perhaps Dongola but more than likely Khartoum. It will be an interesting drive but at least the weather is holding, still fairly cool.
Take care
Gar & Joan
Reasons for opening it:
1/ The rough roads between here & Uganda might turn it into vinegar
2/ It might be corked
3/ the minister might be a teetotaller
4/ We are overweight, every little lessening helps
5/ The Sudanese Customs might confiscate it
Reasons for keeping it.
1/ The minister would appreciate it
2/ It might be able to be used as sacred wine (not sure of the requirements for that)
The former won out. It helped a pleasant meal at Adam’s Home, a desert camp 150 metres from the Nile. We ate while feluccas and cruise boats made their way along the river. When the sun had lost some its intensity we wandered down to the Nile and spent a half hour relaxing at the water’s edge watching and listening to the many birds playing in amongst the papyrus reeds.
The Nile down here at Aswan is idyllic. Clear water, palm trees on the edge, the feluccas slowly catching the wind. Not so many tourists help as well. We visited the Nubian Museum this morning. Excellent displays of the Nubian culture and life style and a wonderful photographic wing showing the effort to preserve the Nubian history that was to be destroyed by the rising waters of Lake Nasser and the Aswan Dam in the early 60s. Abu Simbel is the most famous with the effort to raise these massive statues above the final dam level but may other sites were to be covered as well. Scores of archaeologists worked on the project from all over the world. A massive undertaking.
The convoy from Luxor went without a hitch this morning but on arriving realized that today was Friday, the Muslim holiday and the office of the Nile River Transportation Coy was closed. We will have to catch Mr Salah tomorrow.
3r May
The staff in the Nile River Transportation Office were as helpful as all the blogs and web sites said. Mr Salah and Mr Eezah went out of the way to help us. Mr Eezah accompanied us to the courthouse to make sure we hadn’t had any accidents or convictions against us while in the country, then off to the Traffic Police to hand in our Egyptian number plates and licence. Pity as I would have enjoyed giving an Australian cop my Egyptian licence if they happened to pull us up.
Tomorrow we catch the ferry. Not sure when it leaves, last week it didn’t leave until midnight, we have to report at 9.30am. It appears the van goes on a slower boat and we will have to spend a night at Wadi Halfa waiting for it. Raider and Ellen the Norwegian couple are happy to travel together until we reach Dongola, from where the road is asphalt to Khartoum. We are pleased as I feel a little unprepared for what may eventuate. They have a Landcruiser with all the bells and whistles; winches, sand mats, raised suspension, the works. They are a nice couple about our age and intend leaving their vehicle in South Africa then flying back later to look around the national parks of Southern Africa.
This will be the last blog until perhaps Dongola but more than likely Khartoum. It will be an interesting drive but at least the weather is holding, still fairly cool.
Take care
Gar & Joan
Thursday, May 1, 2008
1st May Luxor
1st May Luxor.
Warming up here now. Last week they had 52C up at Aswan with 49C here in Luxor. A cool change came in as we arrived which has been great. We are at Camp Rizeiki here at Luxor. A place that has seen better days but still an oasis in the city around us. They even have a clean swimming pool.
We have spent the last 2 days sight seeing: the first day at the Temple of Karnak and that of Luxor on the Eastern bank of the Nile then today we crossed over to the West Bank and visited the Valley of Kings and Hatsheput’s Temple. We were a little disappointed in the Valley of Kings as our ticket only allowed us into 3 tombs, Tutenkhamen’s was an extra fee. Joan went to that as I had seen it on my last trip. Still, it was a pleasant morning. The wal paintings and carvings are fantastic when you imagine they are over 3500 years old.
Tomorrow we head down to Aswan in convoy. Finally dawned on us why these convoys are needed. Not so much to protect us as a convoy to me seems an easy target for anyone who wants to create havoc, but it’s mainly a quick way to get the tourists from one area to another. Down the south here there are police checkpoints every 3-5 kms at which we would have to show passports etc. In convoy we are waved through, other traffic has to wait for us, we get to where we wanted to in half the time.
A Norwegian couple have pulled into the camp site and are hoping to get on the Lake Nasser ferry the same time as us. I hope that works out as it could mean we have company travelling through what could be the most diciest part of the trip. From Wadi Halfa where we get off the ferry there is about 400kms of sand with no road across. A case of making your own track. Although our van is AWD it is low to the ground and could have problems. I have bought a good shovel and am trying to pick up some sand mats to take with us as insurance.
Warming up here now. Last week they had 52C up at Aswan with 49C here in Luxor. A cool change came in as we arrived which has been great. We are at Camp Rizeiki here at Luxor. A place that has seen better days but still an oasis in the city around us. They even have a clean swimming pool.
We have spent the last 2 days sight seeing: the first day at the Temple of Karnak and that of Luxor on the Eastern bank of the Nile then today we crossed over to the West Bank and visited the Valley of Kings and Hatsheput’s Temple. We were a little disappointed in the Valley of Kings as our ticket only allowed us into 3 tombs, Tutenkhamen’s was an extra fee. Joan went to that as I had seen it on my last trip. Still, it was a pleasant morning. The wal paintings and carvings are fantastic when you imagine they are over 3500 years old.
Tomorrow we head down to Aswan in convoy. Finally dawned on us why these convoys are needed. Not so much to protect us as a convoy to me seems an easy target for anyone who wants to create havoc, but it’s mainly a quick way to get the tourists from one area to another. Down the south here there are police checkpoints every 3-5 kms at which we would have to show passports etc. In convoy we are waved through, other traffic has to wait for us, we get to where we wanted to in half the time.
A Norwegian couple have pulled into the camp site and are hoping to get on the Lake Nasser ferry the same time as us. I hope that works out as it could mean we have company travelling through what could be the most diciest part of the trip. From Wadi Halfa where we get off the ferry there is about 400kms of sand with no road across. A case of making your own track. Although our van is AWD it is low to the ground and could have problems. I have bought a good shovel and am trying to pick up some sand mats to take with us as insurance.
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