We followed the router which was now pre-loaded with Tracks4Africa, a South African company which has mapped the East side of Africa. It took us off road to a wild camp site which was behind a couple of mountains. The only thing was that there wasn’t much there except for a lot of sand. Needless to say we survived a sandstorm of note. There was so much sand around that we could have had a sand castle building competition inside our tents.

John’s only second puncture

It wasn’t desert-like conditions all the way. The road re-joined the Nile which we had been following since Cairo. The banks being a lot less populated by people and a lot more by bird life.

The people that we have met have been some of the most pleasant, helpful and kind that we have come across. The endless offerings of tea, food or just a chat has made the journey even more memorable. If directions were not too far they would walk you to your destination. There is a real sense of pride and the willingness to bend over backwards to make visitors feel welcome.

This family hosted us on their farm – an oasis created by their fathers using a ground water pump

Early morning coffee – it was still cold in the mornings

We came across a mini burial temple. The family allowed us to sleep in an out-room which was used for praying. So we pitched our tents and made our dinner, but only after we were showed around the 200 year old buildings and then we were brought a cup of tea in their best silverware. It was a great relief to be sheltered from the sand storm which had now become relentless.

The next day we left early and had a tough 110km ride with some cross and head winds. The router worked for us this time round and sent us down another 4×4 road along the Nile. The router tracked us to the most epic wild camping spot.

From here we had one more town that we would be able to stock up on food and water before we left the Nile once again for a 300km desert stretch from Dongola to Khartoum.

Unfortunately there was nothing in the fridge freezer

We carried 12 litres of water each through the desert, a stark reminder what can happen if you don’t have enough water

The last night’s accommodation before Khartoum in this run down school – always trying to escape the sandy winds