Osama, the manager of the Tuya hotel in Abu Simbel, is a really helpful man. He found out that I would have to be at the ferry around 06.30, to sail across Lake Nasser to Quasar. He then asked the young man, Mohamed, who had checked me in the day before, to arrange for coffee at 06.00 and also get me a breakfast packet to take along. He also called a friend in Wadi Halfa, where I could stay the first night in Sudan. As if that wasn’t enough, he gave me the name of a person at customs on the Sudan side, I should ask for when I arrived there. 

The next morning there was no young Mohamed to be seen anywhere, so I quickly packed the X-Country and drove the 500 meter down to the ferry terminal. There must have been 100 big truck waiting. All packed with various goods made in Egypt, building material, rice, cement and so on. I drove past the lorries straight to the front, an stopped at the gate. I had been told that I did not need a ticket, that motorcycles went along for free, and half an hour later the gates were opened and I could drive onboard as the very first. The ferry, owned and operated by the Egyptian Army, could only take 6 trucks at a time, but there were a couple of them to clear the backlog. A few minutes later the ferry was on it’s way across Lake Nasser, a trip of just over one hour. The lake is 350 km long on the Egyptian side, and 150 km on the Sudanese side. An incredible experience to weave our way through all the islands that some years back were standing proudly in the desert, and to think of all the submerged villages, buildings and monuments we were sailing over.

An hour later we reached land, no quay, just a sandy beach, dug out next to a dune by a Caterpillar. The rear end of the ferry was lowered and we could all drive off onto the sand, and up to the road a few hundred meters away. Toward the very end of the trip, someone did come and ask if I wanted to give some kind of donation - how much was up to me. They accepted whatever I gave them. I had a really pleasant journey, chatting to the lorry-drivers and also the captain. I was even served a cup of Egyptian tea along the way!

A short 30 km drive, and I was at the Egyptian border, with numerous trucks waiting to cross into Sudan. Again, I just drove to the front. I would have to wait 2 hours before the gates were opened at 10.00. It didn’t take long before a couple of the drivers came up to talk to me, very curious about me and the bike, many wanting their pictures taken with me and the motorcycle. They looked at me and just said “Facebook, Facebook”, and shortly after a driver showed me his phone and the picture he had posted. This is one time, where I really regret not being on Facebook!! These incredibly nice “salt of the earth” type of people, asked me to come to their truck for tea or coffee, and in no time at all water had been boiled in their neat and well organized kitchen built into the side of the lorry, and we were all enjoying “high tea”. Despite the serious language barriers the two hours went quickly, and I could drive into the lions den - Egyptian customs. 

I had not hired a so-called fixer, and managed pretty well. Nevertheless, it still took 3 hours before I got the final stamp and could exit Egypt. A country that has given me some fantastic moments, both in terms of people I met, and also the many amazing sights. It has also been the most frustrating country I have ever been to, when it concerns bureaucracy, administrative offices, and bribery. I think the way to enjoy Egypt would be to book a preplanned trip. Fly to Cairo, and be guided around to all the sights. 

The IMF’s forecast for Egypt is a lot brighter than my own prediction of where this country is heading. With a population of 100 million, Egypt is ranked 3rd in Africa after Nigeria and South Africa, when it comes to GDP. They have also taken some “hard medicine” the last couple of years regarding their currency, the Egyptian Pound, which saw a devaluation of some 50% two years ago, making Egypt a pleasure to visit as a tourist - everything is cheap here! Even a cheap country can be hard visiting.

200 hundred meters from the Egyptian exit I now faced a much more modest Sudanese customs building.