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-- Log 21 --
05/09/02 07/09/02 - FOC
Wadi Halfa Abu Hamed Atbara Khartoum
We confronted Kamil about the costs and discrepancies, and he said we
were to take the matter up with the office which was closed. We both
felt that the whole thing was not above board and that there were far
too many uncertainties (for which we did not have the budget) that we
finally made the decision to call the crossing off.
![](log21/image002.jpg)
The main street of Wadi Halfa showing two of the three hotels
We joined up with the other two couples and headed back to Khartoum.
Although we are both saddened by the fact that we are not going to be
able to complete our original plan, we know that we did leave it open to
change and we will now continue southwards and spend more time exploring
East and Southern Africa.
Erling arrived having decided he could not wait any longer for the Saudi
Embassy to give him a visa. He had driven up the same route as we had
and the bike had had three punctures, he had run out of water (due to
the delays) and was very dehydrated and not looking too good at all. He
is going to take his bike on the passenger ferry and drive to Europe via
Egypt. Erling we wish you well take care mate!
We decide rather than take the road back to Khartoum via Dongola, we
would try the desert run Abu Hamed Atbara. None of us have had any
serious desert driving experience the boys had spent a little time
driving the dunes in Libya. But we figure if we stick together we should
be able to make it. For us, it is fantastic to have travelling
companions again.
![](log21/image004.jpg)
Anneke and Jelte from The Netherlands
![](log21/image006.jpg)
Jan and Carl from Germany
We took a slight detour out of Wadi Halfa before we found the railway
line and telephone poles our soon to be lifeline. We soon discovered
what a station was and that with the exception of one none of them had
water.
![](log21/thumbs/image008.jpg) |
![](log21/thumbs/image010.jpg) |
![](log21/thumbs/image012.jpg) |
Station - # 3 only Station # 6 has good water |
Ready, set, GO
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One push and youre out of here! |
It was not long before MR W got bogged down in the soft sand everybody
to the rescue the boys provided great sand ladders and in no time we
were on the road again. Throughout the day between the Landie and MR W
we got stuck as the drivers gained skills at desert driving. At Station
# 6 we decided to find a spot to spend the night 10 kms out of town
the girls came across a rocky outcrop and headed there to camp much
grumbling from the men folk as it was a little off track, and they did
not want to get stuck in the sand going there. The Landie and MR W made
it without incident surprisingly it was the boys who got stuck we
sent the Landie to rescue them and it got stuck! At the end of the day
good fun was had by all and we were surprised at how much we had learnt
through the day. It truly was a good day.
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