I had a few firsts today that made me stretch outside of my comfort zone of what I consider normal—relatively speaking.

First, cycling through the Sudanese desert, or rather just Sudan to start with. Few months ago, I was close to cancelling my tour through Africa because I was concerned about terrorism and potential issues in Sudan. Here I am, and I can tell you this doesn’t look like a terrorist place to me. There’s also a lot less staring and honking than we had in Egypt. It feels at lot more relaxed down here.

Next, as I mentioned yesterday, I was a bit worried about the heat and headwind. Well, it was a tough cycling day, but it could have been a lot worse. The morning until lunch was actually going very well. Ed and I were the first ones out of camp. We kept busy chatting while cycling, it wasn’t too hot yet, and we also had a fair bit of tailwind that allowed us to go fast and get most of the day done with before it got too hot.

After lunch, from about 11am, the heat kicked in. I went ahead as Ed stopped to take photos, and so was on my own again for most of the time. My feet felt numb, my butt felt sore, my face felt hot, my energy levels drained. I didn’t push myself too hard and took frequent short breaks, had two energy bars, and put in very low gears when the wind went against me. It was a tough day, but in the end I still made it to camp without big drama, as all of us did. Pole, pole (Swahili for slowly)—as the guides kept saying while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro—also works in the Sudanese desert!

To continue my list of firsts, we are camping close to the Nile today. I hadn’t planned to go anywhere near there, having read about crocodiles and all kinds of worms and parasites in the Nile. “Crocs have been sighted before,” our whiteboard read, but “there are no worms in fresh flowing water,” Tallis corrected my fear of bilharzia. “I suggest you don’t go there alone,” he advised. I didn’t ask why, but waited for Ed to join. Wynand was also scouting for a way down to the Nile, poking a long stick into the grass ahead. “This is the kind of territory for snakes,” he commented.—“Oh really, you think there are snakes here?”—“Yes, snakes swim in the Nile. And they got the Egyptian cobra . . .”—“Really? Could the cobra kill you?”—“Oh yes. Out here, it would be too late by the time you get help.”

Not sure why, but accompanied by two guys I felt safe nevertheless, and was highly rewarded for my courage. Washing myself and my clothes in the Nile turned out to be the highlight of my day. It looks stunningly beautiful down there, surrounded by palm trees. The water is relatively clean, though you can’t see down to the bottom. Some of the guys would jump all the way in and go for a swim. I stayed at the shores—enough of a comfort zone stretch for me.

Finally, we had our first sand storm—though Tallis claims this was no sand storm yet. It started as a heavy wind that we all thought would calm down by the evening, but it rather picked up significantly as the sun went down. Lying in my bed, with the walls of my tent flapping like crazy, I pictured my tent collapsing onto me, my bike being lifted by the raging wind and falling onto my head, or suffocating under the sheets.

Muzz’s tall standup-size tent had to be taken down, more pegs and guy lines fixed for other tents. I convinced myself a few times that my pegs sat firmly in the ground, and that my bike lying besides it was too heavy for the wind to pick up. Afraid of disaster, I didn’t dare to put in my earplugs this night, and so the wind kept waking me up again and again. By the morning, the wind was still howling like crazy, but all tents had withstood its force throughout the night. Next time, I’ll no longer fear that “little bit of wind.”

Stage 12: Wadi Halfa – Fakra (Sudan), 149km

Road & traffic condition:

Great tarmac and hardly any traffic as usual. Though some crazy bus drivers going at formula one speed—always moving to the other lane though, thankfully.

Weather:

Hot during the day, cool from late afternoon, and chilly cold early morning

Culinary highlights:

Beef patties, mixed salad, green beans, and mashed potatoes—feeling spoiled again!

Group highlights:

#1: Our first sand storm, that was no sand storm yet (according to Tallis). Sand everywhere inside our tents, seeping through the mesh.

#2: Washing in the Nile (for those who dared)

Personal highlights:

I didn’t have any soap for washing (packed away in my permanent bag). Wynand kindly offered me his soap, though I thought perhaps I could buy some locally. There were some locals selling drinks. I asked our Sudanese support to help me ask whether they have any soap. The guy nodded and sent his son off into the village. Few minutes later, he returned with a big, brand new bar of soap! “How much is it?” I asked several times in English and Arabic. The guy just shook his head—he was offering it for free! So I gave him 10 Sudanese Pounds (less than a dollar). He first refused to accept, then wanted to give me change. What amazingly welcoming people!