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"Never forget where you've come here from" </br> Take That

Aswan, Egypt to Khartoum, Sudan (1 March 2002)

Roundtheworldbybike
2005-11-18 10:53:49

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Deciding to cycle round the world was a decision prompted by heady notions of adventure, challenge and self-discovery. Five months on the road had quickly rotted those glossy illusions. The sickly-sweet ‘qualities’ that litter and light up job application letters had decayed to the sordid bones and leering skull of reality: the only thing keeping me going now was stubbornness, fear of failure and sheer bloody mindedness. No doubt though if I make it to Cape Town the show-boating glamour traits will re-appear once again to grab the glory.

The Ferry from Egypt to Sudan should leave at 3pm. At 4pm the doorway, gangplanks and jetty were still all packed solid with sacks waiting to be loaded. Absolute chaos. Heavy sacks were dumped on top of boxes of soft fruit, rainbows of stacked plastic chairs jumbled amongst bags of already spilling sugar. Someone had happily raided an industrial sized box of chocolate wafers. The irate captain liberally sprinkled the workers with clouts round the head as they heaved and shouted and pointed at the never-shrinking mountain of cargo on the dock. Somehow I had heaved my bike through the scrum and had seized possession of a small strip of bare deck. It was to be my home for the next 24 hours (plus however long we were delayed whilst the weekly debate of how best to convey a sack through a door raged on) and I was ready to defend it bravely from encroaching piles of cargo and the really fat bloke (who MUST have been the one raiding the chocolate wafers!). If I should die, think only this of me….

The sun set. Eventually the tumult and the shouting died; the captain and his ship could depart. 9.30pm. Below deck degenerated fast. Amongst the old suitcases and cardboard boxes tied with string were squashed hot families, sprawled comatose, shrieking, playing dominos (out here a VERY noisy sport, often verging on full contact), sleeping, eating, stretching or scratching. Food was served in the canteen by ...