Wadi Halfa, Sudan
Posted by: Jimmy Simak | Date posted: 12/06/2007
Pictures
Dai, Charley, Ewan & Russ ready to board the ferry ©
As the crew say their goodbyes to Egypt and arrive in Sudan, Jimmy sent us this message telling us a bit about how he's sending the clips and looking back at their long border crossing...
'I'm sitting with the BGAN and laptop in middle of the Sudanese desert right now while we set up camp. It's still about 100 degrees at nearly 10pm, but really beautiful. We were stuck on the ferry from Egypt all of yesterday and most of today - not to mention the hold-up today at customs entering Sudan. The boat was totally maxed out and people were lying on every square inch of the deck... covered in products they planned to unload. Total madness!!! Probably the Africa we've been waiting for in a lot of ways...
Funny enough, had we driven (there's currently no road that allows you to cross the border) it would've only taken about four hours... the ferry took eight to depart, then about 18 to arrive in Sudan...'
During their travels through Egypt, the guys took time out to visit the Valley of the Kings. Here, they took a tour inside the tomb of a royal king. As you can see from the video above it was quite spectacular.
The tour guide explains, 'The Valley of the Kings is the place where all of the royal kings of the New Kingdom had their tombs, which was the last phase of the Ancient Egyptians - the most wealthy.'
Inside the tomb, Ewan notices the sculpture of a female figure which lies on the underside of the lid, 'so he's got a beautiful woman to look at from underneath?' The guide replies, 'That's the goddess, she takes care of him'. Ewan agrees, 'Yeah, I bet she does!'
Taking in the decoration on the walls of the tomb, the guide goes on to explain, 'all of the gold and the furniture of the afterlife would be hanging over them. At the time gold was not as important as very valuable perfumes and oils. And that is what was recorded as the thieves had three phases.'
He continues, 'The first phase was the Ancient Egyptian thieves. They would go in and rob the oil and perfumes because they were valuable at the time. In the second phase it's the gold, as everyone now wants gold, this is in 600 AD. They would rob the gold, and melt it down. And the third and last phase is now, because the articulars themselves are much more important than gold, so they will pick up stones to sell them.'
'So they were robbed three times?' asks Charley, 'Wow...'
We wanted to know how you pass the time when you're held up on your travels. See below for your replies.
Comments
Comments 1 - 10 of 39
-
At 05:36:28 PM on 12/06/2007, Evil Puppy (Istanbul TURKEY) wrote:
Held up for long periods?
Tell me about it - ferries, delayed flights, toll booth lines that stretch for miles, the drive thru at TACO BELL... I mean, how long does it take to make a freakin' burrito :P ?? Anyway, to pass time I'd recommend getting some of those travel games (the small ones with magnets so that the pieces don't fall off) and YES - I KNOW that they're for kids but it DOES help to pass time :) ! Also my personal favorite is photography. When you spend THAT much time looking at something, you are bound to come up with an interesting angle or composition! But really, you don't realize how quickly time passes by PLUS you also end up with some very lovely images to share with family and friends.
-
At 05:30:58 PM on 12/06/2007, Evil Puppy (Istanbul TURKEY) wrote:
I wanna to be an archeologist!
Great video - that's so awesome! When I watched the video of you guys in the tomb, it reminded me of the days when I wanted to grow up to be an archeologist just like Indiana Jones :) . I could even hear the music in my head!
-
At 06:11:55 PM on 12/06/2007, Lea (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) wrote:
Historical Theme Park
Talk about living a dream! I've never had any problems with border crossings, but I remember while I was in Paris my friends and I saw the Eiffel Tower from a distance and thought if we can see it, we can get there! (We wanted to stay above ground.) Ha! 6 hours later we staggered to its base. (I later realized we can 'see' the moon too.) And I must echo Richard T.: what do you do to stay cool?
-
At 06:09:58 PM on 12/06/2007, PattyD (Albuquerque, NM (sisterhood)) wrote:
I got chills!
Since I was a little girl I wanted to visit the Valley of the Kings. My Gran had gone and brought back photographs and stories of her trip and this clip of you in the tomb brought it all back. I can't wait to watch those bits in particular once your trip is done and Long Way Down is on DVD! As for delays, we've been held up for 32 hours in an airport once during our honeymoon. Not quite as rough as being outside in 100+ heat but still quite distressing. (especially for my over anxious husband!) LOL :D Be safe guys and know we are all loving these wonderful updates! Keep the shiny side up!! ;)
-
At 06:22:02 PM on 12/06/2007, Christine (Dallas, Tx) wrote:
Over 24 hours?!
What would I do? I would cry! That's what I'd do. I'd profusely weep. Especially after waiting 8 HOURS! to depart. That makes the Jet Blue debacle look tame! I've read it's been a bit of tough going so far. Is everyone enjoying the trip? Is it better, not as good, harder or easier than Long Way Round, or just too different to compare?
-
At 07:41:47 PM on 12/06/2007, Jen (Marshfield, MA, USA) wrote:
I want to go there so bad!!
Wow, what was it like to see all that stuff up close? I bet it was an incredible experience...And Ewan, you are so adorable with your "yeah I bet she does comment" hehe...On a different note, the only time I have ever really been held up for time on travels is having my flight being postponed over and over again from Florida to Massachusetts, wasn't too bad cuz ut was just me and my hubby, but there were some people there with kids, some with babies, and that had to have been tough for them, I know it would be now for me with my five year old who as it is now can't sit still for more than ten minutes!! LOL!! Good luck with the rest of the trip guys, hope the hold ups aren't so bad :)
-
At 08:32:35 PM on 12/06/2007, Kristen Olsen (Vancouver, BC) wrote:
Kudos
You guys are my heroes. I so love that you're not only out having an adventure and sharing it with the world, but also taking the time to meet with charities and giving them exposure. Kudos to you. I really love what you're doing and enjoying this site!
-
At 08:37:38 PM on 12/06/2007, Michael Lobodzinski (Toronto, Ontario - CANADA) wrote:
How to pass the time?!
Unless the bikes are in order, you could work on them while parked on deck. Otherwise, sleeping is a good way to pass the time and heat. Thinking back, I was stuck 80km's outside of Florance when my rented scooter blew a tire! It was towed back the next day; however, I slept at a remote train station that day until the noise of the incoming train woke me. I was back in Florence that night. Having slept already... I ended up at a midnight instrumental concert being held in a basilica nearby. Had all that not happened, I would have missed one of my most cherished memories. Go with the flow... life's a river (or a beach... depending where you're standing!)
-
At 09:54:05 PM on 12/06/2007, Silvia (Bochum (Germany)) wrote:
Mosquitos everywhere
I remember two horrible incidents. First one: We had to wait for our ferry which would get us from Genua to Palermo at night. While my mother, my sister and my best schoolfriend were sleeping inside the car, i had to sit on a cardbox draped in a blanket trying to protect myself from the mosquitos. second: While driving through Italy our car broke down near the river Po....we had to stop to fix the car while beeing surrounded by MILLIONS of mosquitos. I swear I` ve never seen so many at once. It could have been a scene from a horrormovie or something.
At 04:57:04 PM on 12/06/2007, Richard AW Tortorella (Langley, BC, Canada) wrote:
Sorry just had to ...
OK - sorry for this, but reading today's log reminded me of a very old (and bad) joke: Why don't mummies take vacations? They're afraid they'll relax and unwind. Sorry ... (I know, I can hear the groaning from all the way over here) The only thing to do while waiting at any border crossing is sleep; tough to do in the midday sun, but what else can you do? So how are you chaps coping with the heat? Doing anything in 100+ degree weather is rough; what on earth do you do to cool down - especially in full riding kit? Richard T.
Complain about this post!