Wad Medani, Sudan
Posted by: Ewan McGregor | Date posted: 18/06/2007
Pictures
The sun sets on another day... ©
We've heard the guys mention the extreme heat they're riding through, and as we can see from this clip, it certainly is hot! Is the heat going to their heads?
Too hot to ride, the boys stop off for a bit of shade and a cold drink.
'The heat is something else, you can't really prepare for it,' says a weary Ewan. 'This is the hottest place I've ever been to in my life!' Charley replies, 'I'm just trying to think if I was ever this hot...?' 'What about when you filmed in Brazil, was it hot like this?' asks Ewan. 'Well sometimes' replies Charley, 'sometimes it was really bad so you had high heat and really high humidity'.
Looking at their surroundings, Ewan is surprised, 'There's trees here, there's three trees here. How does that happen? They must water them, right? Because they wouldn't grow here normally'. 'Well they're very near the Nile', Charley answers, 'but I've not seen it!'. 'We've not seen the Nile for the last couple of hours', laughs Ewan, 'but this is the Nile road. 'Let's take the Nile road' we said!'
Charley answers, 'if we'd known it was going to be like this all the way, we might as well have gone through the desert!' 'Sand?' replies Ewan, 'that wouldn't have been good. I'm happy not to have done that. Not being a sand, you know, expert.'
In an old English accent, Ewan asks, 'did you actually do the Dakar?' In an equally old-fashioned accent, Charley replies, 'I didn't actually finish, of course, because some blighter took me out, you know? Oh, no, maybe they didn't. But it sounds better...'
In a cooler moment, in the second clip, Charley demonstrates his new T-shirt, that bears the legend, 'Bomber Boorman'. What lies behind this?
Charley hints at its meaning, but says, '... you'll really have to watch the show. There's a little inkling that someone mentions the 'bomb' word at the airport (guess who mentioned it), it's quite a funny little saga, so you'll have to tune in and watch'.
Any tips on keeping cool? See the suggestions you sent in below.
Comments
Comments 1 - 10 of 53
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At 06:31:58 PM on 18/06/2007, Lea (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) wrote:
Hotter than Alabama?
Coming from the land of 85 degree Decembers, I deeply sympathize with the heat troubles. I hope y'all are drinking plenty of water! Here's a question: what are you doing to freshen up? Do they even make Sudan-level deodorant? Stay safe you guys and don't get in a hurry. Lots of love!
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At 06:32:21 PM on 18/06/2007, Mandy (St.Neots) wrote:
Keep going!!
The best tip for keeping cool when biking in the heat is to keep going, it keeps you and the bike cool. The problem generally comes when you inevitably have to stop! Carry plenty of water and wear something light and cool so you can strip off out of your gear when you stop without frightening onlookers. Like Ewan, my first bike was a Honda 100 4-stroke (CB100N). It was v. cheap because, frankly, it was a bit knackered. I broke down once on a really hot day with all my gear on and had to push it for ages. Not fun! It was bad enough in the UK. I'd hate to have to push a bike the size of those BMWs any distance if you had problems in the Sudan! So keep them in top condition. Stay cool!!! Mandy
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At 06:47:03 PM on 18/06/2007, Michael Lobodzinski (Toronto, Ontario - CANADA) wrote:
Keepin Cool?!
Unzip every possible zipper on your jackets and pants!!! Pour a few bottles of water into your helmets (might be a bit heavy)... but it'll be cool! Keep it up... great vid's and posts!
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At 06:53:50 PM on 18/06/2007, Jerry Parkhurst (Tulsa, Oklahoma USA) wrote:
Hot as Hell??
Mesh riding gear is a must in Oklahoma. High temps with lots of humidity. Soak your shirts with water. That helps!!
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At 07:05:07 PM on 18/06/2007, Anne (Wokingham) wrote:
Your route
Hello to all the Team, You've done so well to get to where you are, you are travelling at the hottest time of the year (bad), but missing the rainy season in North Sudan which would have made some of the roads impassable (good). Have been following your progress on my Michelin map. Question - where did you leave the ferry, Wadi or Dongola? I understand there are nice beaches at Wad Medini on the eastern banks of the Nile (just have to find the Nile first!). Where to next? Some of the roads look pretty hairy from there. Are you going to go east to Kassala - moutains there so hopefully cooler, then the road to Asmara doesn't look too bad and they say Asmara is really gorgeous. A bit of a long way round to Addis, but the other routes look pretty rough. Looking forward to your next posting. Keep safe and God speed.
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At 07:11:22 PM on 18/06/2007, Julie (NJ, USA) wrote:
Extreme heat? Ugh.
Goodness! I can feel the heat coming off the monitor just watching that clip! When I first learned to ride, it was summer. The local MSF used the car park at a university. All that blacktop and no shade. I think the best way to beat the heat is to wet a bandana around my neck, drink lots of water and keep moving. Of course, where you are, kicking off your gear and lying under a tree while the midday heat passes by seems like a much better idea, LOL! As always, be safe!
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At 07:22:03 PM on 18/06/2007, Troy Murray-Plumer (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) wrote:
Keeping cool.
lol, I see soda cans hanging from the rafters of the shop you stopped at in the Wad Medani, Sudan. Presumably as advertisement for what can be had there. Just not something I expected in the desert. I keep my riding shirt wet to take advantage of evaporative cooling. You manipulate heat in one or more of five ways, (i.e.), *.) evaporation, *.) radiation, *.) conduction, *.) convection and *.) respiration. Per Drink plenty of water regularly. Limit intake of alcoholic beverages. • Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing that reflects heat and sunlight and helps maintain normal body temperature. • Avoid getting a sunburn because it will slow the skin's ability to cool itself.
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At 07:51:31 PM on 18/06/2007, Morgan (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) wrote:
No, it's NOT the humidity..!
The discussion about the heat reminds me of a t-shirt I saw once in Phoenix. Laying against a cactus was a sun-bleached skeleton and hanging from the skeleton's neck was a sign: "But it's a DRY heat." Stay hydrated, my friends.
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At 08:14:31 PM on 18/06/2007, Evil Puppy (Istanbul TURKEY) wrote:
Mineral water, rest, night travel..
Why don't you guys wear some lighter gear? Is it to protect you from the sun? It just seems kinda suffocating from here... Anyway, I'd recommend: 1- drinking mineral water (if you can find some there) instead of normal water because the minerals inside it are better for your body when you sweat so much. 2- When you don't feel good - don't push it. Take a break. After all, this is NOT a race. 3- Also have you thought of traveling at night and resting during the day? At least until you pass the hottest areas?
At 06:09:46 PM on 18/06/2007, Richard AW Tortorella (Langley, BC , Canada) wrote:
Poor lads!
That type of heat sounds ugly ... Perhaps Claudio needs to get another Russian "haircut"? I once drove in an old VW Rabbit across Arizona/Nevada and we would cool off by pouring 2L bottles of ice water over ourselves, the problem was it would evaporate in less than 1 minute! That was 45C weather - not fun. Try to drink plenty of water the normal 8cups a day won't cut it in that heat. Stay cool - if at all possible! Richard T
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