22 Aug 2009, Petra, Jordan, 22189km

The way from Aqaba to Petra was hilly, mostly ups. Though they were gradual, my spoiled legs complained again. But it was worth coming. The scenery was vast and the ruins were magnificent.
The view over the steep valley at the end of the route was especially great. As I heard bells of sheep moving far below the rock on which I was standing, I looked down the clif trying to find them. But I felt my knees so weak and had to step back.

Ramadan has begun. No wonder people in a restaurant were busy cleaning in the afternoon yesterday. Touristic restaurants were still open during the day in Petra. But they were expensive, and vacant. Shops were open. I could get water and snacks at least.

I thought of going to Dead Sea after Petra. But a trouble happened on my bike. As I felt strange vibration while riding, I found a big crack on the rim of the rear wheel. Breaks caused it over 20000km. Metal can be that thin by rubber. I had to give up the plan to Dead Sea and took the shortest route to Amman by a highway.
I wasn't sure if I would be able to find a good bicycle shop in Amman that could change the wheel. I'd hardly seen anyone on a bike in Jordan. Otherwise I could go to Israel since I read about a good mechanic there. But then, I wouldn't be able to enter Syria and would have to fly to Turkey...
I could see the crack was getting longer while riding. I just hoped I would be able to reach Amman for the present.

7/20-8/16, 2009, Dahab, Egypt, 21976km

I stayed in Cairo for some more days after my wife left, waited till she moved to Japan with our cats safely although she never asked for such. Then, I left Cairo and went to Dahab.
Dahab was a seaside resort on Galf of Aqaba in Sinai peninsula, was famous for diving. The sea was beautiful. I enjoyed swimming with goggles and watching colorful fishes near at hand. But I didn't like the town so much. Everything was touristic. Rooms were cheap but meals were expensive, compare to Cairo. Instant noodle, chips, or some other junk foods became my main meal.
However, I stayed there for nearly a month, for doing nothing special but being lazy. I stopped going beaches eventually but spent lot's of time on internet. What a waste of time. My motivation for the trip, or for anything, was that low somehow.
My visa had been expired for two days already when I finally dragged myself out of the town. The mustle on my legs was no longer fit for peddaling. I suffered from cramps and exhaustion on the way to the next port town, Nuwayba, from where there were boats to Jordan.

Policemen at a check point on the way noticed that my visa was expired. "Problem", they said, but let me go, with kindly giving me water.
At Nuwayba I missed the last boat in the evening while I was eating sandwiches (because some Egyptians told me I still had time...). I had to wait for the next day.
I was told the departure was 10 am. I went by 9, and waited in a hall with other passengers. Waited, waited... It was after 3 o'clock in the afternoon when we finally began getting on the boat. Nobody was angry. Nobody complained. Egyptians (and Jordanians?) were easy going till the end.
The boat left the port around 4 pm. I thought I bought the ticket of a "speed boat" (there was only one kind at the ticket office), but it must be wrong. It was about 11 pm when we arrived at Aqabah in Jordan.
We could have got a stamp of an entry permit on our passports while on the boat. I didn't know, and had to wait for another hour or so at the port with some other stupids. Well, what did I care after all?

8 July 2009, Cairo, Egypt

It's been two weeks already since I came to Cairo. Another long staying in a capital city.
Well, but I had an excuse this time. My wife came to visit me from Germany. How nice!

... I thought.

"I'm going to move to Japan in two weeks. I've rented a house already. Cats are coming with me. Everything is ready now. If you want, you can come and visit me later. You are always welcome."
"What....?" I couldn't continue a word. It was a total surprise.

What about the happy ending of my trip? I'm going to meet you in Germany...

She went to Japan while I was in Sudan, found a house (which is not so easy in Japan becasue of the cats) and arranged other things, just in a week. My sisters helped her. It was only me who didn't know anything.

You were in Japan while I was suffering in Sudan? My sisters knew? And... and...

Well, actually, there was nothing I could complain. Nothing I should. I'm doing what I like. Why not her? She wanted to move much before, was waiting only for me. It was me who'd been lazy and late. She just went ahead for a practical future.
She's been helping me a lot. She came to Cairo with many things which needed to be replaced.
I tried to be calm and reasonable, and appreciated her decision and ability that she'd done everything so quickly.
Yes, that must be the way. Everything should be OK.

But...

There was something I didn't like.
What did she mean by "visit"?

tough bitch woman

25, Jun, 2009, Cairo, Egypt, 21382km

Aswan-Luxor-BeniSuef-Cairo 949km

"Welcome to Egypt."
Aswan was touristic. Big sightseeing boats, yachts, carriages, hotels, souvenir shops, ATMs. So were people. Many told me the phrase on streets.
I didn't know I would hear it as many from policemen soon.

I didn't know about the convoy-system to bikers by the police along Nile river. They follow you about with a police car, and relay you from one check point to another.
"Why?" I asked a few of times. The area looked peaceful. Policemen themselves said it was not because of actual terrorism or danger. Then why? They said it was their job, as a matter of course. No room for negotiation.
"Overprotection" I found such comments on web later.
(There seemed to be tension between villages in different religions, or the problem of fundamentalism, potentially. I saw a few villagers with rifles at each entrance of villages along the route. They looked quite relaxed sitting on the roadside. But somehow they didn't like my coming into their villages so much. I had to tell them that I only wanted to buy something to drink.)

They followed me for 30km on the first day. The next day was for 50km. Then they were behind all day. No break freely. It was stressful and tiresome.
They came with me to the hotel, and were waiting at the lobby in the morning. There were other policemen regulary in hotels (so many policemen in Egypt!). I needed their permission or escort to go out.

One good thing was they found a cheap hotel for me easily. It was difficult to find such cheap hotels when I tried by myself, as they were "full". Besides, camping would have been difficult along Nile. Population was dense. I rarely saw a good place along the way.

I had a convoy mate from the third day who the police matched. A sixty two years old Hungarian man. A great tough guy he was who could ride 110-130km everyday, but couldn't stand the heat in Egypt, and became grumpy and uncontrolable in every afternoon. He insisted to have a nap for a couple of hours. No way they would wait for so long, I was afraid. But he still stopped at somewhere and lay down. We waited for a good one hour or so. Otherwise he stopped anywhere for his pipe (he was a heavy smoker). He often told a police car bluntly to keep distance for at least 50m because the rattling engine sound right behind was annoying (that was true).
In any case, those policemen never got angry, rarely showed irritation. That was amazing. They ordered tea (when there was no cefetria around, they found a neighbor), smoked and waited naturally. They were really easygoing.

Police, police, police. I don't remember much else unfortunately. We were finally released around Beni Suef. Roughly half the way from Aswan to Cairo was in convoy.

13 Jun 2009, Wadi Halfa, Sudan, 20431km

Dongola-Wadi Halfa, 453km, Monday-Saturday(12th-17th)

The heat became milder after Dongola along the river. I could ride in the afternoon again.
Some part of the road was not paved yet. Streets in villages were sandy or graveled, both difficult to ride. Later I found a good paved road under construction on the east side of the river. I say it was 70% done and that shortened the trip. Workers said it would be completed in a year or two.
I crossed the Nile with a small boat called "Pandon".

There were more resting places than I expected. 2 in a day, at least. I didn't have to carry so much food and water.
Buying mineral water was getting difficult. They didn't sell it in a small shop of a village. (There were a few towns where I found a market or shops with more variety.) I started drinking Nile water in the earthenware jars in the villages. Natural Nile water. No chlorine, no filter. But I didn't have any trouble in my bowel.
They often had fried fishes in restaurants. That was nice. Beans was good too.

I came to Wadi Halfa on Saturday, on 17th day, wondering how to kill time till Wednesday. But there was a ferry to Egypt on that day! It was irregular one that came from Egypt because there were so many passengers. The return way was nearly empty. I couldn't believe my luck.
I quickly prepared for leaving. The immigration asked how many days I took in Sudan by bicycle. "17days." "Good on you." That was all.
Well, in fact, when I registered in Dongola, I also got "permission to travel to Wadi Halfa" at the immigration office. (I took "permission to cross Nile" too from the security police in another office. That was free.) The officers were nice and did it for me. They knew about my days, and said visa would be no problem. I didn't get anything special on my passport though. Just a regular registration sticker and a signature. I paid about $50, which seemed to be the fee for registration. Maybe it was just the phone call they made to Khartoum. I don't know. Anyway, it went fine.
$100 for transit visa, the $50, and the departure tax and the fare for the ferry. (I forgot how much.) Expensive 17 days. But it was a good experience.

7 Jun 2009, Dongola, Sudan, 19978km

Khartoum-Dongola, 537km,Wednesday-Sunday(7th-11th)

Khartoum-Dongola was the most tough part of the route. A desert way for about 500km, though it was paved. The distance between resting places was longer. (Roughly 3 places in a day) Wind blew basically against, from west or from north, especially in the afternoon. The heat was incredible. I couldn't move from 11am to 6pm.
I tried once to ride in the afternoon, went for about 16km, and was dead. I was lucky I found a small tunnel under the road. I fell into there and couldn't get out for a couple of hours. Every shade was so precious. And there were so few.
Restaurants (shacks) were a good place to hide in the afternoon. There were cold drinks and shade. As I had a meal and paid a bit of extra, they let me rest on a net bed. Rest didn't mean much of sleeping, but lying still and trying to save energy as much as possible.
I cycled mostly early morning and at night in that area. It means less sleep. That made me more tired during the day time. I tried to eat more even though I had less appetite. That made a difference on the next day.

I was caught by the sun before reaching to Dongola, around 10:30am, 40 more kilometers to go. I was riding all night and didn't have much energy left. Not much water left. No way I could go on. The small bus stop where I was lying was becoming like an oven with the thin metal roof started burning already. It would be a suicide if I didn't move to a better shade. But where...
There was a small village in distance in the desert. It didn't look like there was a restaurant nor somewhere to rest. Or should I beg them to let me stay in the mosk or in their house?
Then I realized that there must be Nile Liver behind it. Water, and trees. That was why there was a village! I moved with all my might.
Kids told me there was nothing in the village. I was nearly collapsing as I reached to the river bank. There were many thorns on the ground under the bush, but I couldn't care less. I lay still a while, till I got tiny energy back to move another 5 meters, into Nile.
I would never forget the feeling as I lay in the river. The water was brown and didn't look so clean, with animal shit on the bank. But it was so cool! I felt myself quickly recovering, as the heat in me dissolving in the water. It was so great! I was sure I came to Sudan for the moment. I was happy.

Kids came to invite me for lunch in their houses later. Cute. But I excused and stayed with Nile.
It was in Egypt when I read about "schistosomiasis haematobia" on web.

2 Jun 2009, Khartoum, Sudan, 19441km

Gallabat(the border town)-Gedaref-Madani-Khartoum, 611km, Thursday-Tuesday(1st-6th)

I finally left Ethiopia and entered Sudan. Voices soon faded away. So peaceful...
I asked local people if I could camp. "No problem." Yes! I no longer had to stop early for a hotel, and could ride longer.
I needed to hurry in Sudan. Officially I had only 15 days.

My visa of Sudan was transit. It was the only visa I could get in Addis Abeba.
There was about 1600km to go. Some parts of the route seemed to be not paved but sandy. The desert way could be windy. And the heat. Sudan is one of the hottest countries in the world.

I'd heard from a biker who'd been in Sudan that overstaying would be no problem. All the bikers from south were doing that, according to him. The information gave me a relief.
The ferry from Wadi Halfa to Aswan, which was the only way out to Egypt except flight, went only once in a week, on every Wednesday. The day I entered Sudan was Thursday. That means I had only 13 and a half days to go if I wanted to be in time. I didn't think I'd make it.
Well, but overstaying was still an illegal way. You never knew what would happen. I should go as quick as I could, and see the outcome, I thought.

The heat was bearable in the beginning till Gedaref. There were many villages along the way. Cattle were resting under the shade of a sparse tree.
Gedaref-Madani was a desert way. Much hotter. Fewer resting places.
Madani-Kartoum was a busy route with cars and trucks through towns and villages. I couldn't ride on the paved road but on the sandy side road, which was a bummer.

I carried more than 7 litters of water on my bike first, but it was not enough at all in a day. Every time when I found a shop, I bought something to drink, gasping.
There were big jars in front of houses here and there. Free water from Nile river. Water vaporizes from the unglazed earthen surface, and cools down inside. I knew anybody could drink it. It's a generous custom in Sudan. But I didn't dare to try it for a while, stayed with mineral water from shops. I spent a lot for drinks.

I had another problem. There was a rule in Sudan that foreigners had to register at an immigration office within three days after the entry.
I couldn't do it in Gedaref, because it was Friday when I went, a Muslim holiday.
In short, I was sent from one office to another, had to go to 5 different offices in 4 cities for 7 times, wasted so much time. It was the 12th day that I finally finished the registration. Some officers, especially in Khartoum, were real pain in the ass.
There were many check points on the way, but I had no trouble. Most of the policemen or soldiers didn't even look at my passport but asked friendly where I was from.
Many Sudanese were modest and kind. Some helped me a lot and never asked for return, like the hotel manager in Khartoum who tried to help me for my registration, or gave me good advice on the way ahead.