EGYPT

Wadi Halfa, Sudan – Aswan, Egypt (by ferry)

We were keen to get going as this was the day we purchased our ferry tickets and
got police stamps to exit Sudan. Even after all the checking and stamps, no one
said a word about our expired visas. We couldn’t wait to board the ferry and get
out of Sudan before anyone noticed. The ferry was an overnight one that departed
at four a.m. Ernest was lucky as I splashed out and took a cabin instead of
sleeping on the deck.

The border between the two countries ran somewhere through the middle of the
lake. Following a day of sailing, a speedboat came hurrying along, police jumped
aboard, and our passports were nervously handed over. Mercifully, no one noticed
the dates, and we were free to go. Phew! Once all the formalities were done, one
could unwind and enjoy a beautiful sunset over the Aswan dam.

The ferry from Wadi Halfa, Sudan arrived in Aswan, Egypt around nine o’clock the
following morning. We, nevertheless, only managed to place our feet upon
Egyptian soil at about eleven. The saying, “Egypt was like a visit back in time”,
seemed true in more ways than one.

Ernest and I cycled the short 20 kilometres into Aswan. The first thing on our
minds wasn’t the history or the magnificent monuments and sand-covered tombs,
but finding a hotel, a hot shower and a beer.

Egypt came as a culture shock after spending a month in Sudan. Aswan was an
overly commercialised madhouse with busloads of tourists and substantial
passenger liners laying four-deep on the Nile. The streets were jam-packed with
hotels, stalls, curio shops, and touts selling felucca rides. Feluccas are simple,
traditional Egyptian sailboats, a popular means of transport upon the Nile. We
clung to each other, staring wide-eyed at the madness. The aggressive haggling
when buying anything from toilet paper to water was enough to send me scurrying
for the safety of my room. My first day was thus largely spent indoors observing
the chaos through the window.

After three days of mainly eating and drinking, we were more accustomed to
Egypt’s craziness and felt brave enough to face the Egyptians head-on.