Day 15 - Jan 23

Whew what a day.  It started out as one of those off days and went even off-er (probably not a word but my brain is too tired to be articulate).  Had a rough night of sleep which led to a rather disorganized folding up of my wayward home (tent).  By the time I got settled and ready, everyone else had left camp.  So off I set on my own.  Cycling straight into a headwind!  Mile after mile or more appropriately kilometer after kilometer slugging it out.  I was out on the bike for eight and a half hours battling the wind.  Luckily it slacked at times which allowed me to pick up some easier kilometers but then it would come back with a hard push.  The temperature hit 93 degrees by the noon hour and I had plenty left to pedal.  That and my soar shoulder is now in full rebellion.  It is refusing to reach for the handlebars.  Or I should say that is making it difficult by injecting a high degree of discomfort into what should be a required riding position.  All of this is adding to an accumulated fatigue status which is typical for this point in a long distance bike trip.   One more day and then a rest day in Dongola!!! 

Enough of the complaining.  One thing that is great is that every now and then you will be riding along and it hits you... I am riding in the Nubian Desert of Africa!  WOW!  When it hits you, it snaps you out of the aches and pains and brings you into the moment.  A fantastic place to be.

Our camp last night was just a short distance from the Nile.  A couple of us went to see the sunset over the Nile.  It was breathtaking.  We did misjudge how fast it gets dark though.  When the sun sets there is no lights at all.  It is dark as dark can be.  You can't even see 5 feet in front of you.  We tried with a small flashlight to navigate  our way through the vegetation along the banks to get back to camp.  At one point the frogs that were loud in their croaking stopped.  I told the others that typically means there is a predator about, in this case a croc.  We picked up our pace and got even more lost.  Finally we emerged in the middle of a local village.  They were quite surprised to see us come up from the river.  A couple of the women pointed us in the direction of camp and we made it home an hour or so later.  

Speaking of the Nile....  we road along the Nile most of today.  On our right we could see a lush tropical green valley and on the left, stark desolation.  At the end of the day, hot, sweaty, dehydrated and crusted in sand and dust, I headed down to the Nile with a bar of soap.  I dipped in the Nile which was freezing and felt soooo good.  Then I soaped up for my bath in the waters of the life giving river.  My first shower/bath in four days.  Amazing how such simple things can feel so good!  

This is a home in one of the villages.  It is in the foreground and made of sticks and brush bound together to make it.

Behind it is another of one of the richer of the village.  It is made of bricks that are a mix of mud and straw then baked in the sun.  Once the structure is built they then cover it in a coating of mud paste.  Some are then painted bright colors with gates to a compound area.

Here is another example of a thatched hut/home.

This is a picture of a gold camp.  It is a collection of ragtag shacks.  Way back in the days of the Pharoahs, Nubia was the land of gold.  It provided the gold for Egyptian kings to decorate their pyramids, crowns and jewels.