Hello Back in the Blog.

It is now Sunday and I am sitting in the Mayleko  Lodge in Gondar,  Ethiopia.  Yes, a bit further than anticipated but, you know, once I go its hard to stop.   Only tiredness is a killer and will stop me.

Also I was curious how it would be at the border.  Hopefully no horrible procedural nonsens again.  Have had enough of that.

On Friday I still wanted to stay resting in Khartoum but on that morning I looked out of the window at 7 and saw no traffic.  Hey, its week end here. They go to the mosque.   A good day to ride with less traffic and so I took off at 8.30 to Wad Madani at 188.  That was my plan, nice short 3 hr drive .   No I get there and it was onky 11.30.

Decision was fast, PULL the throttle and go for the next 236 to Gedaref.

Road was ok, enough fuel  and no troubles.  I arrived there at 15.30 hrs.   Search for the “ BEST “ hotel in town and found the El Watemaliki.  Big old east european style block .   Hardly any guests and only chicken to eat again.   Nicely charcoaled so no stomach problems.

The next day Saturday I took of for the 160 km to the border.  70 km was excellent, next 50 km was horrendous and I felt so sorry for the bike everytime I did not see a bloody pothole.   It wears you out also but you cannot get careless.  The bike might break in 2 if you hit a big one at speed.

I arrive at the very busy border not with people crossing but just hanging around, possibly looking for a stupid like me and ripp me off.  But they do not know me and very quickly notice that there’s no chance for that.  Also all my valuables are packed on my body so they should cut me up to get to it.

Another rule is to have , at least, your CC and cash + passport on your body so you can go anywhere if and when neccessary. More important than your underwear , I say.

On the Sudanese side I was directed to a hut for the customs.  They checked chassis nr and engine nr, looked a bit in the luggage and signed the Carnet de Passage.  15 minutes and off to Immigration and security.  No problems , all-in order and 15 min later I had a stamped PP and off to the Ethiopian side.

Directed first to immigration.  Also in a shed you do not want to keep your pigs in and just as dirty.

2 young chaps helped me and stamped the PP within 5 minutes. Holland and football always works.    Van Basten and Gullit for the elderly and Robin van P.and Robbe for the yoiung ones .  Off to the other side of the road with even more gruelling accommodations for customs.  Nice young lady helped me to fill the Carnet while she said that it is not really required in ETH.  I checked that later in the list of countries and she was right.  Now I have to have it stamped again at the exit in Moyale.

She checked all bike numbers, luggage and after 15 minites I took off into Ethipia.  I can tell you I was happy that  the border s… t. as at Wadi Halfa was over.   Both sides within an hour.   Super !!

Had planned to go to Gondar since there is no hotel before that.  Was rather worn out , because of some border stress and the road to G seemed endless.  But the riding was great, nice mountain roads like in the heart of Spain.   The winding roads and with good tarmac.   Hardly any traffic but many fuel lorries.  I saw six fuel combinations, that is lorry + trailer completely burned out and not long ago.

Wonder wich side they carry the fuel, to or from Sudan or just for the border town. 

Approaching the town you get the usual increase of people on the road but more than that are the animals roaming on the road.  You must be very carefull not to hit a cow, goat, dog or sheep.  The people seem to live all along such road.  Going to Addis this might be confirmed.  You just ride all the way through towns.  In fact in Belgium is the same .  Houses are built there all  along a Steenweg.

I had booked a lodge that, I thought , was on the entrance to town.  Could not find it, traffic was horrible with all those tuk tuks that jump like flies.  I asked a student for a good hotel with wifi.  He directed me up a hill to the Goha hotel and I put me up there.  Good choice but wifi mediocre .   Beautifull  view over the city.

I decided to move to the lodge that I had booked for 1st Feb and drove to the road back to the border.  Google Maps showed as if it was there.  Went for 30 km on that beautifull road and did not find it.  Rode back to the junction south of Gondar and asked a police woman who directed me nicely on the parallel road to the airport and 2 km further found  the lodge.  Less impressive than they show it on the site.

Wifi was off since there was no power.  They asked for 90 dollars while B. com indicated 45 dollars for a standard room.

They called the woman owner in Addis and she agreed for me to have a luxury room for 70 and I agreed.  Wifi is back now so I can enjoy myself with the laptop.

Tomorrow I go for an insurance card, so called yellow card like our green card for all the coming countries up to SA.   Handy but no value since an accident is a matter of cash. But I must have an Insurance to avoid hassle at a police roadblock.

Also needed a local SIM card and biscuits cause the ones from AH are finished.   Stll a pot of Calve but the Kanjer stroopwafels ended today.   Pity, I love them and give plenty energy together with a real coca cola.

Plan is to ride on as from Tuesday for the 750 km to Addis in 3 days, maybe.

To be continued.

One other thing that has really struck me all along from Cairo to the Sudanese border  with Ethiopia is the plastics everywhere , hanging in huge quantities on anything it can cling to.   Every bush, tree, fence, pole, grass is litered with plastic hanging on it.   Most towns dumb their refuse outside the town somewhere in the desert and put it on fire.  That smell you meet at every town and city depending on the wind and I hate it.

Wonder what the future will bring because this is not going to stop.  It will get worse.

Let’s see how Ethiopia deals with this refuse and the other countries to follow.

It is 16.05 hrs, its  nice and warm and my mouth is dry like sandpaper.  High time for a Wahlia.

Cheers.

28-01-2018 om 00:00 geschreven door Paul Kemp  

Hi everybody,

It’s now Thursday 25th Jan and I am in Khartoum since yesterday.  In my earlier blog I had stated that I would be staying in Atbarah for an extra day but in the evening of  Tuesday I looked around and got the creeps of that hotel and dirty room with another horrible bathroom smelling after all that goes through.

it.   Told myself , if I can get holsd of petrol wednesdaymorning I am off to Shendi = hafway to Khartoum.

Indeed, I found petrol before 9 and took off to Shendi.  The road was no comparison to the desert roads, much more traffic, mainly lorries and long disatnce busses and therefore a much more bumpy one with the occasional bad stretches and dangerous potholes.   However I flew through since with a bike one can avoid a pothole while with a car you avoid one on the left side but hit one on the right side.

The lorries did behave reasonably correct sine they are heavily loaded and can’t go fast and manouvre quickly.  On the contrary those busses you must watch out for.  They drive like mad and do not see any other road user.  As a bike I try to stay away from them since I am no match except for speed.

They are just ludicrous as many bus drivers around the world, even those from “ De Lijn”  in Belgium drive like mad with , often, no passengers inside so why the hurry ?

I arrived at Shendi at 11 AM already and felt good so I pulled the throttle and continued to Khartoum that I reached by 14.00 hrs.   It was 30 C and the bike did not like the slow traffic.while my underworld was also cooked or fired.   Quicly went to the area where i had seen hotels on a map and found The Regency, an old English heritage where , since that time, not much has changed or was maintained.

I do not disloke such old hotels provided its clean and not smelling after wet and rotten carpets and  leaking bathrooms.   Not the case, quite acceptable so I dove in.  Rather tired from those  4 days of suffering.     I ate like a dockworker , nice  veggie sprigrolls, lambcutlets and fruitsalad.   Was nicely filled up.  Went to bed by 10 Pm but had problems to catch sleep since my room was next to the disco of the neighbours.   Noise till 1 Am and after that I slept irregularly.  Could also be from the withdrawelsymptoms of no alc in Sudan.  Who knows ?

Khartoum is the usual big, dusty, hectic city with traffic jams all day through so I have the bike parked in front of the hotel entrance because the manager wants to show it off and I will not move it until I leave on a nice cool morning which is good for the bike.  The town reminds me of Kaduna in Nigeria.

I was told in Wadi Hakfa, only on my 2nd visit for the lost paper,  that In Khartoum I had to register again at the  airport.  So this morning I took off with a completely rotten taxi to the airport.   Once there I found some officials and asked about the registration.  They brought me to an office with a man in uniform with lots of gold stars on it.  He and also the others looked as if I was from outer space and as if I was the first one to do this while I know that all overlanders do this.  Strange feeling and agian I was told there was a problem.  I belivee its the word they know best or is  their  only Engllish one.  My reply was for them to solve it since I KNOW NOTHING,  QUE ?!!

I had to go to other offices at another airport and an office in town. Told them I would not do this without somebody from them to come with me.  It is their  cooked up nonsens, right ?

And yes a big guy in uniform without stras or stripes went with me to a building at about 100 meters .  Witioin 15 minutes all was done, I paid 535 SDG = 40 dollars and I had another stamp and sticker in my PP.   But before that they had produced again 5 papers and 4 copies of , God knows what, before the sticker was issued.  Fortunately I did not get all those papers to carry again.   Where did they learn this absolute useless way of administration.   I think its to keep people at work otherwise they roam the streets.

Now back in the hotel I do this blog and look out for lunch ( without a nice cold beer ).

For the rest I chill, make coipies of the papers I need for the Sudan / Ethipian border and enjoy my crackers with pindakaas, yes , all still from Belgium same as my dutch stroopwafels.  Trick is to take enough to your liking and not eat them all at once.

I  had  the plan to stay till Monday but I am now already down to leaving Saturday but to cut the km’s to the border in 3 piececs of approx 250 each.   Hope the hotels are not of the sort that I had before geting here.

One thing that has struck me since the border with Egypt and that is the high number of cow skeletons along the road in various stages of decay, from fresh to real skeleton.  This is because Egypt has almost a continues supply through  Wadi Halfa from within Sudan.  I met a cattle trader in Abu Simbel who had just struck a deal for a 1000 cows in one go.   That is approx 25 full trailers with 40 cows each on it , standing loose so they fight, fall over and die on the long journey in the scoring heat.  Quite a number do not survive and they are thrown out of the lorries on the raod side so one gets a constant  rotten smel and  death aroma in the mouth.  Do not eat your lunch along the road side cause the flieis will also come for you.

The cows are not allowed to enter Egypt alive so they are slaughtered  on arrival in Abu Simbel.  I have seen many ways of slautering cows, sheep and horses in Africa and one must have a steel stomage to watch that.  I would not like to see that place of carnage in Abu Simbel.  Not one of those cows want to die while they smell the blood of those already gone.   They have never felt a rope so will fight like hell and they are big with very dangerous horns that cut you open when they  attack you.  I know the  African solution for this  but will not explain that in this blog.    In fact, I should forget that I have ever seen it.

One more remark to make is that I am surprised about the fact that nobody has asked me for money or bribe since i landed in Cairo till now.  Not at the borders, not on the road , not in towns and even not at roadblocks.  Surprising.  There must be stern  instructions from above.

At the roadblocks they ask often for my PP. However the guys are mostly in civil clothes.  I have now learned not to accept that.  I ask for their ID before showing my PP.  No ID no PP and it works.  I had 2 occasions yesterday that the guy let me go without seeing my PP.

Also I tell them that I am a tourist and not terrorist or criminal sio they should be nice to me.  That also works, ceatinly for the elderly ones amongst them.

It’s now 13.00 hrs and I go for lunch.

Than a nappy , if I can and  off to the copier for my document copies.

Bye.

25-01-2018 om 00:00 geschreven door Paul Kemp  

It is now Tuesday 23rd but I had no wifi for 2 days so I have to go back to Sunday 21st since a lot happened on that day.  I had forseen to reach Dongola at 400 km and one never knows how good the road is and possible other conditions. 

But in the night I suddenly remembered  that something must have gone wrong with my Alenis Registration form that I filled in on the Sudanese side and folded up in my passport.  After that I went to immigration to have the pp stamped.  Now, in the night I remembered that the form was not there anymore on returning the pp.  At that moment I did not realise this.   I checked all pockets but did not find it .  For that there is only one solution and that’s to return to the border at 25 km to get the form or a new one, if possible.  It was the right decision since I notice now that at every roadblock they only look at that paper and not the PP.   It’s a sort of travel  permit that indicates my route through Sudan.

I was at the border at 9 but it only opened at  10.  I called the fixer and he said he was on his way.

Before he arrived there was a young customs officer who spoke some English which is helpfull I can tell you.   I explained the loss of the paper in the immigration office.  He asked my name and went off returning after only 5 minutes with my original  paper.   Can tell you I was more than happy and quickly took of to Dongola at 425 km from there.  Nice road , no traffic and the wind in the back.

I had tried to get more fuel in Wadi Halfa since I was not full due to the border trip but In WH they said there is fuel halfway at ABRI and I believed it cause I wanted to go.  I should know now after 50 years Afrca that such message is only to please me.

I arrived in ABRI and , of course, nothing like fuel so I could not make it to Dongola.    Suddenly a man comes up and says that he might find some in town at the market so he calls somebody.  This person showed up and was the guesthouse manager of the only one in town and where you should only go if you do not want to sleep under the bridge.   But the best was he spoke English, sort of but he told me that he had phoned and nowhere fuel to be found.   But he said that the  town security officers have a

Reserve stock for emergencies so we could go there and plea for 10 liters which is what I wanted to be safe.

He drove a car from 1946, a Morris Minor and he took me along in it.  It showed its age and African service and repairs.  No more suspension, other engine and only max 30 km /hr, but it was a bit of fun in my nasty situation.   We arrived at the station and he went in , came back and said only 4 liters.  I said , is not enough , I need 10.   Go in yourself and make a dramatic story to sustain an emergency and ask for 10.

I came intoo a small and dark office with a bed and a desk + chair.   In the chair was the officer in charge with desert fighting costume and 3 big guys lying together on the bed.  Here they have beds evrywhere and like to leay on them for as long as they can. 

I made a story of a relative that I have to go and see urgnetly and need to be quikly in Khartoum.  He murmelled a bit and said it was ok but only with a can and not a car or bike at the petrolstaion since he does not want  to be accused of anything.   We looked for a container but did not find a small one in the market.  Suddenly the guy found one , blew on it and siad it was ok.  I looked into it since the engine does not fancy sand and other rubbish.  But it looked ok.

We filled it at the station and ,of course, it leaked at the seam on the side.  Thus we truned that seem to the top and went quickly to the bike smelling myself as a petrolstaion.

Dumped it in my fueltank , gave the guy 50 sud pounds and went off for the remaining 230 km.

Arrived Dongola but had no accommodation yet.  I had checked the travel guide but nothing inspiring.  I saw two hotels but I cannot describe how dirty and rundown they were.    People lying in beds all over the place with 6 or 10 in a room and I was offered such a bed .  Ran away and I asked  an older man if he did not know something better.  It is funny and understandable that those who speak some english are the elderly and certainly not the youngsters.   So an older man told me where the better one was and told another young chap to take me there.  He took a tuk tuk an I followed it to , I hoped, heaven.

But no, it was a large white building with plenty rooms but unfortunately not claned since time memorial, no bedding, no towels, no toilet paper, no shower and you only see no dirt when the light is off.  This was the best in town so I took it.  They had a restaurant so I ate again a fried half chicken to avoid any thing else to spoil my internal  pipeworks.  Chicken with bread for the second day.

I slept accordingly which was not much and looked at the ceiling as from 3 am to 7 am when I got up to prepare to run away from the place.   Not before an elderly man stopped  at my bike and asked where I was from.  He was a Nubian , tall and with stature.  He asked if I spoke French and since I do he was very happy and offered me a morning tea at a nearby stall, telling he studied in Lyon.

He welcomed me to Sudan and after al that I took off to Karima.  I had planned to stay in Karima and enjoy the super Nubian guesthouse run by Italians and costing only 180 dollars a night without the food.  I could not care less  since i was looking for an extra day rest , good food and all the rest. In Karima I found the place but it was deserted apart from a guard who could make known that they were in Italy.  Shop closed.

Rather diappointed I took my book again and looked for the 2nd best in town.  The Nassr hotel and I found it suddenly when I looked beside  me while driving through town.

First happy but a second later totally disappointed, again dirty as can be, no bedding or towels, stinking after sewers, urine and the sort.  At the reception the manager laid on a bed, the whole day I notice, and was as lazy as can be.  No one cleaning or doing anything.

Again a bad night.  The only postive thing was that he arranged for 5 liters fuel so I could make it to Atbarah with what I had left in the tank.  The total of 18 liters is enough for the 300 km I had to do but I do not feel comfortable.  You never know.  Thus when I took of this morning I went  to the market petrol staion and waited till it opened which it did at 8.30 while a row of cars  had grown into the Streets.

But I was first with my 3 ltr jerrycan and they helped me instantly.  Off to Atbarah, a town at 300 km on the Nile north of Khartoum which is still 300 km away.

It was the last  Long Nubian desert stretch that I had to do and I have known it.   All 300 km a strong headwind and sand all over  wth the last 100 km sandstrom straight in the face.  Am I happy with my screen and new helmet that I can close completely.  It also has an internal sunscreen so you do not need all of  these horrble sunglasses  that pain your head under a helmet and I loose them liberally, even at 150 euros each.

I, finally, arrived in Atbarah and looked for the hotel, classified as best in town, for what it’s worth.

But I saw suddenly a new hotel and dove in.  They gave me water and greeted friendly so I thought this si it.

No sorry, we are full for to day and tomorrow.  Sh.. !!

Off to the original best and it is worth its ranking.  Best in town so no bedding again, no restaurant, no towels, toilet does not flush, no windows in the room, dirty all over, naked electrics right under the shower etc.  It reminded me of our first times we stayed in the newly bought brewery in Bedele, Ethiopia.  Some of us even got ill after staying in their accommodation centre.  It was unbelieveable and now again.

I have not washed myself now since Sunday , eaten only chicken , well fried to avoid the tommy palaver,

Not slept more than 5 hrs a night so I wonder when it will bounce back on me.

I need a good rest for a few days in a good hotel and hope Khartoum can offer me that.  I will stay here another day also because wifi is good .   Hope i will sleep properly.

Thursday off to Khartoum and  the HOTEL with bedding, towels, shower, wifi etc = all the normal basic things one need from a hotel.

This evening I went to the market on foot and in the dark and ate a half fried chicken.   I almost dream chicken but the intestins do not complain which for me is essential.  Tommy palaver breaks you down and would force me to stay put in such hotel. 

I aslo eat bananas, apples, oranges.   Eat only what is fried, cooked or pealed or leave it = Rule nr 1.

Bye for now, I fall over.

23-01-2018 om 19:31 geschreven door Paul Kemp