Sunday August 30, 2009

After an uneventful mornings ride I spotted Christian, a part Norwegian part Austrian, walking to Ethiopia. I had been on the look out for him since Mustafa, the friendly ambulance station attendent, said he had passed through a few days ago.

I decided to walk with him for the rest of the day. I found Christian disliked the police even more than me. His strategy was to wave a finger at them, intimidate them, and generally put them in their place.

We found some excellent food in a retaurant and then Christian made a copy of his Sudanese map for me. I felt reassured about my upcoming desert crossing, knowing that Christian is unconcerned, and he will be attempting it on foot. However Christian did tell me of a friend who experienced 57 degree heat out in the Numbian desert, I hope I don't experience this.

Christian had been told of a short cut to Luxor, over a mountain. We sought out this road despite the police's best efforts to deny its existence and force us down another road.

As dusk fell we reached a police checkpoint at a cross roads. The short cut was to the right, and according to the Police (a dubious source) it seemed to save 20 km's, but was on a poor surface and climbed a hill. Christian turned right ad I opted for the longer, but flatter and tarmaced road ahead. We said goodbye.

Just as I passed by the sun set and the police started to feast. They invited me to join in. It was good food and felt sorry that Christian had missed it.

Then the police chaged their minds and brought me in a police car to force Christian to turn around. Apartently the road was unsafe for him. Yet when we asked to sleep at the police station we were denied, and forced to walk on into the darkness, which made me question if our safety was really their motive. We slept by a well at the side of the road.