Legends Vanish or Wadi Halfa Ferry

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Cape to Cairo. The original idea was to unite all the English colonies in East Africa and one of the supporters of the idea was Cecil Rhodes. Although Rhodes preferred railway. Railway, however, is still not built.

Cape to Cairo is a kind of a legendary journey through East Africa. And some places, and some procedures that must inevitably be passed are a part of all that. You could say that they are such "stamp in memory" situations and are an integral part of this legendary journey.

One of the first issues is the check-in of a car (or motorcycle) in Egypt. The procedure, which I tried to remember and to write it down, but after having visited the tenth official (I think) got confused it got mixed up.

The next important place in this journey is Aswan. You can go down from Cairo to Aswan along different routes - through the Black and White Desert and the oases, along roads that are built on the Nile valley, a certain distance along the coastal road by the Red Sea.

But if one wishes to travel from Egypt to Sudan, then one can go there only by boat. By a real ship, not by the desert ship as camels are sometimes called. And the ship goes along the Nile River, or more precisely along the Lake Nasser.

Aswan - Wadi Halfa Ferry

Day 65
11-03-2011, Evening
The City of Khartoum – Blue Nile Sailing Club
11781 km since the beginning of the journey.

The story of the ship was not recorded before. Now it is just the right time to recall it and write down and upload. They say that in Ethiopia the net connection will not be not so good.
Getting out of Egipt was a much simplier than getting into the country. First of all – the old acquaintance or the Traffic police. In front of the house the green Egiptian yellow number-plate was taken off. And so the with the number plate in my hand - inside the house again through the back door. As far as the service counter stood. Then an official was called and he was the person who had to see us to the port And perhaps also make certain that everybody will leave the country for sure. For a moment I had a feeling that it would be nice to have this number-plate as a memory , but nothing to do. Then they asked to wait a little bit , which actually meant an hour. And then at last it was announced that we could go to the port.

Next – the cars had to make a row and further on we drove towards the port.

There was a total confusion at the port – like classical Brown motion. So and in case you take off some speed there is someone at once at the car window and tries to sell you something etc.

At the gate of the port there was a queue of at least a hundred metres long and about two metres wide. These two metres included all the bundles and people together. Fortunately the travellers by car didn`t need to queue up anywhere , the gate was opened the car was placed in the centre of the square and the out-checking could begin. This prcedure consisted of filling various forms which were in arabic, making copies and the meeting of various officials.

Some things went a bit of strange sequance. For example – after returning the number plate it was necessary to fill in a separate form with the same Egiptian number. The existance and the validity of the Sudan visa was checked at least at three different places. As I had two Sudanese visas in my passport and one of them was expired - so always the page with my expired visa opened first. And then I could put my finger on my valid visa.

This time the number of  chassi was not copied, probably no need for this any more. But the correctness was sill verified.

But every entertainment will come to an end and at last approaching the ship was successful.
The first look at the ship which goes between Egipt and Sudan once a week. The date of the creation unknown. For a moment I wondered that how it had managed to get behind the Aswan dam? Was it built at the spot or just went upwards and waited there until the dam was built .



Looking at the crowd at the port it seemed impossible to have all the passangers and the luggage on board.

The cars waiting for their turn. The cars were taken over by a separate barge. It moves only in daylight and is extremely slow and reaches the destination two days later.



After four-hours waiting time at last on board the barge.



The road went over rocks and stumps.

My car on board the barge, my rucksack with my jacket and sleeping bag with me , the doors the car locked and further on pushing myself towards the ship.

During the last 10 metres to the ship door - it was really a feeling of sprats in a box.

Beside is an open porthole used for loading boxes and bags on board the ship. At the entrance the existance of the passport is checked and I am succsessfully in. Welcome on Board! The passageways are full of people like in a bus during the rush hour. Somehow I succeed in climing on the upper deck, but there already are growing huge heaps of boxes and suitcases.

Here the situation is like this – it could even be possible to sit down – but then sleeping must also be performed while sitting. Over the head there is a rescue boat and to climb up there seems to be quite a good idea. Perhaps more space there.



Reaching up it comes out that of course I am not the first one there, but still – a welcome visitor.



But at least there is space to sit down here and if no more people will climb here there is a chance to lie downas well. The journey was supposed to last at least 18 hours. So – leaving at 6 p.m. and arriving next morning at 12 o`clock.

There is a vacant place by the chimney, but it will be occupied at once.



Meanwhile more people making attempts to climb up and join us, but the people sitting here gesticulate by hands that no more room here. Some of the upclimbers still manage to join us. Before the departure a kind of on ship-offical comes over and tries to get everybody out of the rescue-boats. The question „Where to go ?“ remains unanswered. He himself can see that there is no space below. The solution is however that some do climb down and the minority does not leave voluntarily and just takes a seat at the floor of the boat so that while looking from the side nobody is seen. There were some life –vests that made the sitting situation a little bit softer . And the ship is going to move at last.

All the horizontal surfaces including the rescue boat bases are full of people and their luggage.



According to the Manifest there was supposed to be nearly 600 passangers . Gradually it is getting darker and cooler. Good that the jacket and sleeping-bag was taken with.

In the morning the ship passes Abu Simbel.



Wadi Halfa is approaching. Which means that the majority of the people gathers on one side of the ship. The main thing – that it will not turn over – but slightly it has sagged on one side.



And video too

And in Sudan we are. The territory is the largest in Africa and is devided into two independent countries – Sudan and South-Sudan as the result of the Referendum.

Egypt – Aswan

Day 53
27-02-2011 Evening
Egypt, Aswan
10330 km since the beginning of the journey

The overnight place – Camping „Adam`s Home“. To be more precise – behind the camping in a higher place facing the Nile.
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The inside of the camping.



River view.



Yestarday I didn`t reach Abu Simbel. Because in the morning it was necessary to find the company of selling ship tickets. The company was „Nile River Valley Transportation Company“ but somehow finding it was not very successful. In the end I reached the right place an hour later of the right time. Since the reservation had been made earlier by phone - then the car was measured – to find out if it was less than five metres or more. Because those cars, more than five metres in length will be of more expensive price. Fortunately – Mazda is less than five metres in length when measured and also according to the passport.

Next I had to go to a place called „Traffic court„ and get the sertificate that while in Egypt there has been no traffic violations. By me. The institution was about a few kilometres away in the centre of the town. By the door on a box a young man was sitting and he filled out one more form in Arabic. Request to get the sertificate. Then it was necessary to make a copy of my passport and from the Egyptian car passport as well. So with the nicely set documents between plastic covers, I was shown to go towards the second floor. It meant that trusting your inner senses, You had to pick up the right person who would give the „non-breaking – the traffic rules-„ document. All the rooms were full of people, everybody was trying to explain something and arguing. And as many of the rooms had no doors so there were no door-signs either. Or they would have been written in Arabic anyway. In short – at last I managed my papers, which were between plastic covers, to give to someone who was going in and it took about half an hour . Then a superior handed me a small paper explaining that everything was now in order



Now back to the ticket office to prove that now there is the Certificate. By that time it was 11 and it meant that no more conveys towards Abu Simbel today. (there should be two convoys per day – one - in the morning at 4 and the other - at 11 pm).

One of Aswani`s sightseeings is the Unfinished Obelisk. – Unfinished Obelisk.
The height would have been 42 m and weight 1200 tons. But the construction was stopped because the granite broke.


If it had been completed it would have been the largest obelisk in Egypt.



Next – a view at Philae Temple.



From the boat.







And downstairs the garden house of Emperor Traianus built by Romans.



For a change





Tomorrow should be the last day in Egipt, making a total of 21 days and almost 2900 km. Experienced the Egyptian Revolution and traffic in Cairo.

In the morning it is necessary to go to the traffic police, give back the local number plates and after that to the port accompanied by police. A legend „Aswan-Wadi Halfa ferry“, is waiting there. It is something like „Aurora“ was once to the sixth of the world. If someone still remembers.

Unfortunately it is not possible to go to Sudan by land because the Red Sea Road .has been closed for a long time because of the border conflict between Egipt and Sudan. More reading here.

The ship leaves for Sudan once a week – on Mondays. It should take about 18 hours to reach Sudan.

Temple of Horus

51-th day
25-02-2011 Evening

The Edfus Horus templeis one of the best preserved temples in Karnak and the second largest temple in Egipt. It was built during Ptolemaios time from 237 BC to 57 BC. Read more in Wikipedia 

The temple is dedicated to Horos, to God who is embodied in ruling varhaos and whose granit tomb symbols are guarding the entrance of the temple.

The first pylon is 79 m wide and 36 m high.

A little closer.

In this place once Horodes`s sacred boat was kept.

Driving towards Aswani it was seen that there were somehow more people than usually. Never mind that it is Friday today and a rest day here. A month ago the Egiptian revolution which ended by throwing off the president, began in Tahiri square but today, on February 25 there are again some thousand people protesting because the reforms are not progressing fast enough.

From here further down I couldn`t manage to drive freely. The road goes to Abu Simbel but further on it was not possible to go. Until now there was no need of conway but now one cannotg drive to Abu Simbel without convoy.

The current plan is – somehow try to go to Abu Simbel tomorrow, because while going to Sudan the ship will leave for Sudan on Monday. There is land border betwee Sudan and Egipt but actually one can go from Egipt to Sudan only by boat and it leaves once a week, every Monday. And of course, it is possible to go by plane. Let`s see.

And it seems that the charging of the laptop has met a problem , because for a long time it showed that the fillment was 4 % but fortunately now it seems to be O.K.

Egypt – Luxor

50-th day
24-02-2011 
Egypt, Luxor, evening  
9979 km since the beginning of the journey

Coming from the desert oasis towards Luxor familiar names caught the attention.

And is it really only 45 kilometres to Baghdad?

It is Luxor already – Cruise ships on the Nile waiting for passangers. In same places even five of them waiting side by side.

But the there are no tourists. Sightseeings on both side of the river.

 

Karnak was like an abandoned town in the desert Read more

The construction was begun in 2040 BC already.

 

Next Hypostyle Hall – 134 columns.

The top of the Obelisk looks as if it was made only recently.

 

So much about tourists in Karnak.

As I have been asked repeatedly what I was eating here. My answer is - Whatever comes handy and in particular that I do not have to pay for it. Just now oranges are two metres away, in a tree:

And fortunately – onion is much closer. You have just to reach out your hand.

The plan for today was to visit the west bank of Luxor and The Valley of the Kings there.

On the road Colosos de Mnemon, built in the time of Amenhotep III

Ramessum Temple

The Temple of Queen Hatchepsut

Hatchepsut was the I daughter of Tutmosis, ruling Egipt 21 years during the 18 th Dynasty. In the years 1490-1469 BC. The only female Pharaoh.Read more  

The guard at the stairs.

In the Valley of the Kings most of the tombs were unfortunately closed. And the camera had to be left behind.

But on the way back to Luxor the eye caught sight of this kind of a vehicle.

In any case I didn`t ask any question about making pictures. So that let`s say- cheese – and have a nice picture. Pehaps it is not allowed and then the question – how did you get that picture. But there were more of this kind in town.

The situation in Libya has come very serious. More than 1000 dead by yesterday. Two Mirage aircraft had refused to open fire on their own people and had flied to Malta. Further on everyone can read from CNN and ALJAZEERA