In the morning we are already on board the passenger ferry to cross Lake Nasser. Lake Nasser is a result of a huge Dam built to provide water. Katzmat which is the name of the cat and Tara have been travelling so far for around a night on the lake, we will be sailing one day and one night and should arrive together with the barge at about the same time in Wadi Halfa.

The ferry is being loaded with food. On board, we meet the three English biker we met in Cairo before. They make themselves comfortable on deck. You could also book cabins, but below deck, it is certainly sticky and so we spend the ride on deck.

Bine and Bodo find a wind-sheltered spot behind the chimney, we make ourselves comfortable below the rescue boat, which gives some shade as the sun burns relentlessly from the sky while a cold wind is blowing.

Since the early morning hours, the ferry is loaded continuously. Especially with food, we are confident that there will be meals.

We had already to be on board in the morning to try to get places, the vessel is to depart in the evening, so we have to wait. We observe the loading of the goods and the activities on the ferry.

For lunch there is a hot meal. We are served chicken with rice, vegetables and chapati, an Arabic bread, all on a metal tray. The food is delicious and shortens our waiting time before departure.

In the afternoon the loading of the regular barge starts. This will arrive in Wadi Halfa two days after our ship’s arrival.

It has space for three vehicles loaded transversely to the sailing direction.

Now come the Dutch with their Toyota Hilux. All old friends. Also, the young German couple with their three-axle Volvo emerges. We have met them in Cairo. They want to get until Nairobi, park their car there, fly back to work and continue their trip to Cape Town the following year.

There are only a few lunatics who undertake this crossing of Africa, and so you know each other, you meet again and again and exchange experiences. Those who start their trip in Europe start from there in autumn, so they come during the cooler months through the desert and reach Malawi and Zambia after the big African rainy season. We have planned like that as well but it will come differently.

Meanwhile it is evening and the ferry leaves. A whole day we spent waiting on the ship. Our journey takes us further on over Lake Nasser to Wadi Halfa, the port of entry into Sudan. From Wadi Halfa we want to go along the Nile to Dongola and continue along the Nile bow, then through the desert to Atbara. From there to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and to Metema into Ethiopia.

Finally we have survived the night on the crowded ferry, although sleeping at the edge of the ferry close to the water without railing should not allow a pleasant sleep, but we were tired. But we were well off, had at least space to stretch and the muezzin at 5 clock in the morning was bearable.

After morning coffee, the call comes to the doctor. Yes, all passengers must undergo an examination. The doctor measures the temperature, only those with no fever may enter into Sudan. We have quite a lot of fun with the physican, he takes it on the bright side as well.

In the distance from the middle of Lake Nasser Abu Simbel comes into sight, which is still in Egypt. Light illuminates the rock in the morning light. There are two temples, the great temple of Ramses II and the Hathar temple.

As we get closer, we can see the four seated statues of Ramses, who look majestic to the lake, earlier here was only desert, the lake was not there by then. We must hand over our passports because we approach Wadi Halfa. We can not wait getting Tara back healthy.

Suddenly in the distance we see our barge. We are trying to recognize anything. While we can see Bodo’s and our car, we cannot see Tara the distance is too far. We have to wait.

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In the morning, we’re early in the harbor of Aswan. We must handle all the customs formalities, our Carnet de Passage must be stamped correctly, this will take some time, then comes the loading procedure and the captain we need to visit, because of Tara.

Bruce an Anglo-South African, which we have previously met in Aswan observes skeptically the whole action. Formalities take time, and we only continue slowly.

It is already late afternoon by now and we start loading the vehicles. On our barge are two Overlander Trucks, our camper van, Bodo’s Truck and the SUV of Bruce. I wonder if we all fit on it.

The Overlander trucks are the first, they might have rented the barge, next is Bodo’s turn.

Bruce is still ahead of us in line, we are the last, an impenetrable system. Vehicles must be arbitrated. Even when buying the tickets in Aswan Mr. Salah from the ferry company had to measure the vehicles as every inch matters. At the first sight of the barge I am full with horror, the loading bay is in a memorable bad condition, even the barge itself makes no safe impression on me, I wish I could turn back now, but it’s too late, our vehicles have left the country officially.

All come running to see the spectacle of loading. It is truly a spectacle, because one has the impression that the sailors are not sure of what they are doing, because it is much debated. The Overlander Truck must return again and has to embarque the barge in a different angle.

Miraculously, it is finally at the barge, here many things happen Inshala, Allah will sort things out.

I insist to embarque the barge in reverse, so that the sliding door is facing the ship’s center. After much discussion, I can finally prevail only with threats. The mood is tense. They do not understand that the sliding door can not directly open to the water, otherwise when our dog gets out and in, there is the risk that she falls into the lake. I have to chain our dog to the car, because Tara must be able to get inside the car during night as they are pretty cold and must be able to get under the car to be protected from the heat of day.

The loading dock is unbelievable. It would have been possible to buy for little money two regular wooden ramps. But the operator does not seem interested and promptly the ramp breaks while I drive over it. The result is that the frame of our camper van is damaged. No compensation of course.

After much tinkering and getting other creative tools, it is possible eventually to bring the vehicle onto the barge, now it has only be brought into position.

The parking is precision work and it gets pretty tight on the boat. I have the impression that the vehicle widths were not calculated.

The drivers of the Overlander trucks have simply disappeared, so the trucks can not be moved, too bad for us and so it is much harder with the shipment.

Finally, I am standing in the parking position. Tara needs to be supplied with food and water, sliding door opened, the promised supervisor did not appear, so I ask the captain to give attention to the dog, luckily he is related with Ashraf.

Bodo finally came as the last on the barge, he hangs over a little with his back, stones are put behind the wheels so that it does not roll off the barge when heavy waves.

The wall is wound up, and the pontoon sets off. I have a bad feeling, I’m very concerned about Tara, will she survive the two days, will the captain really feed her, I am waving her goodbye. Bodo is concerned about the cat. It must stay in the car, locked, windows can be opened only a crack, otherwise the cat escapes, we hope that it is not too hot in the truck.

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In the morning we go with him and his son in an open pick up down to the Nile to make a Nile cruise.

Of course, we attract a lot of attention because foreigners are only rarely seen on this side of the Nile, and so the children shout and wave friendly.

We are very happy, because a ride on a felucca is certainly a highlight of our trip. The morning air is cool and the wind freezes us, but to the Nile it is only a stone’s throw away.

On the shore there are several boats, including that of Ashraf. It was a gift from a friend to him and the Captain is enormously proud of his ship. On the boat all the preparations for departure are already going on. It is cleaned and polished, food is loaded on board and the pillows are placed.

Not only his son but also his cousin comes with us on this exciting Nile cruise. He is responsible for maintenance of the felucca, and he takes his job very seriously. He is passionately at work.

We can not help and thus we enjoy the atmosphere at the bank. A Nubian boy is scrubbing the deck. He is also the cook and he will spoil us culinarily. Our plan is to sail up the river Nile to the ancient dam, and we want to visit a village as well. Ashraf’s son is charming and already knows how to fascinate the ladies! Last but not least, the sail is hoisted. The captain himself is climbing up the mast. The hoisting of the sail requires not only skill, but also power, for everything must be done by hand.

The cabin boy pushes the boat from the shore. Now off we go on our Nile cruise. It will be sailed directly from the shore. There is no engine, as is common in sports or recreational sailing yachts. We learn much about the Nubians and the felucca. Ashraf tells us about the history of his people and the Nile.

Ashraf’s family on one hand lives in Egypt, on the other hand, in Sudan. Even the Sudanese part of his family owns feluccas, which transport goods on the Nile at Dongola. Feluccas have a long tradition on the Nile. Even in the days of the pharaohs they were built, were originally made of papyrus , and soon they have reached their present form, and since that time have not significantly altered.

We are fascinated by the felucca ride. Quietly the boat glides across the water. The landscape is passing slowly and steadily, there are interesting things to observe. Many new impressions collapse on us, occupy our thoughts. Many things Ashraf must explain, a lot is new to us.

Frantically boats with tourists pass, they have unfortunately not the time to navigate the Nile slowly and leisurely.

In many places, the dunes reach up to the banks of the Nile, only where the desert has been reclaimed by irrigation of farmland, it is green and allows survival.

Finally, we anchor at a Nubian village. The team remains in the felucca as we climb up to the Crocodile house. It is a typical Nubian mud house, which serves as a restaurant.

Bodo admires a crocodile, which is kept in a wretched dungeon. In the past there have been crocodiles here in this section of the Nile. Today, however, they are extinct here.

We refresh ourselves in the shade of the patio with a cool drink, before returning on board the felucca. The shoes must be put off before entering the felucca.

Now we go direction of the old dam. We are still less than 10 minutes on the river, when we run aground in a difficult part of the Nile.

Well, the boat has to be freed from this unfortunate situation. The captain leaves in this case first the sinking ship to save what can still be saved.

It really stucks heavily at the rock and they cannot get it off the rock. Thank God the body is not damaged and no water spills into the boat.

Finally, it is possible with united forces and violent swings to get it free from the rock.

The captain must strengthen himself after this horror with a cup of tea. Finally we were lucky.

The waters here are tricky. On one hand, the Nile is not very wide here due to a number of rocky islands thus strong currents prevail here, that squeeze through the rocks and take on a high flow rate. Furthermore, there are rapidly changing wind conditions and the captain has to maneuver the sailboat quickly and skillfully. Although it now goes downstream, we sail against the wind, making an incessant cruising necessary. Undeterred by the events the boy is preparing tea and makes himself ready for dinner’s preparation. It soon will be served.

We are approaching again the center of Aswan. Many boats anchor here. In the middle of the Nile there is the island of Elephantine. There is a so-called Nilometer. The Nilometer served to indicate the water level. Through a corridor the water gets to a basin where the measurement scale begins. They measured in an old Roman system. Elephantine Island can be reached from the center of Aswan with small ferries. There can be visited historic places of worship. Here also the great Nile cruisers anchor, Aswan is the last stop on the Nile, further up the river can no longer be sailed by these ships.

At full speed we are provided with the ingredients for dinner. Ashraf’s second boat comes to the felucca. Now the cook starts with dinner. We are surprised that there even is an oven at the felucca. The harness is stowed in the bow, the cooker runs on gas. For dinner we anchor on the banks of the Nile. The felucca is constructed that way it can get to almost any type of shore. Ashraf looks for an idyllic place.

On the couch cushions, a blanket is spread, we eat sitting on the floor as is usual with the Nubians. A tradition that has already maintained by the ancient Romans.

There are wonderful fish and delicious side dishes, what we did not expect and are happy about this surprise. We enjoy a delicious meal with great views of the Nile and the passing ships. Immediately after the meal we have to continue with our Nile cruise again, because the wind has subsided and we are proceeding with difficulty. Fishing boats we meet in the light of the slowly setting sun.

Sadness is coming up, it will be one of our last days in Egypt. Tomorrow is the day that is so much feared by us, we have to load our cars onto the ferry and our dog Tara must be left alone on the boat for two days.

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With Ashraf we go to Aswan, at the Mercedes, the oils must be changed and seals have to be renewed. The road is not paved, and the dust is terrible, I wonder how people can survive here in this dust.

Again the ferry comes to my mind. Today is Wednesday, the ferry will start Monday, we still need to go to the ferry office, I would like to try that Tara is with us on the passenger ferry, or I can go with her on the pontoon. If we do not find a solution, we will return and our goal Cape Town has failed. We do not want the animal to suffer. There are still some formalities to be done. Our Sudan visa had expired by the delay with our diesel problems in Tunisia, and must be renewed. Then we have to be unsubscribe from Egyptian immigration and bring back the number plates to the police. Still a lot to do!

But for now the truck has to be maintained.

Ashraf is a respected person in his village, almost like a village chief and has many contacts, also knows a lot of people in Aswan. He knows a good workshop he brings us there. Furthermore, we learn that the captain of the pontoon, where Tara would have to go with, is his Cusin, and he would talk to him so that he takes care of our dog. Feed her, give water and go for a walk on the pontoon. This gives us hope.

For centuries, Aswan was Egypt’s southernmost city and the gateway to Africa and to the now flooded Nubia. Moreover, it was a prosperous trading center on the crossroads of ancient caravan routes, which can unfortunately not be seen today. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is relaxed here, and all travelers who want to continue to Africa, must stay here a few days for a break and wait for the ferry.

Aswan has about 500,000 inhabitants and is the fourth largest city of Egypt. Rain is very rare in Aswan and can even fail over decades. The temperatures are high here, from June to August to well over 40 degrees centigrades, even in January, the temperatures are climbing to 25 degrees. Due to the absence of rain, the whole city is enveloped by a layer of dust, people have learned to live with it, we learned as well.

We are the garage and the workshop appears to be well equipped. Bodo goes to work immediately and checks the oil levels.

It should be replaced engine oil and filter, gear oils and axle oils must be renewed and a seal must be replaced, because here, the truck loses oil.

Ashraf is very helpful and translates between Bodo and the mechanics. Spare parts are of course not in stock, also there is no oil, all this needs to be bought before.

While the discussions are in progress and the mechanics get the parts, Ashraf proposes to go to a canteen to have lunch.

We are admired here because foreigners never eat here. The food is excellent and consists of sauces, stews, bread and eggs.

Ashraf has a felucca and we agree with him, to spend a day with the felucca on the Nile.

Back in the workshop, the truck is almost ready, everything was done properly and we are glad that everything worked out.

Now it goes back to the campsite to the other bank of the Nile, from here we will start our felucca sail tomorrow.

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Next morning we move towards a Nubian Village near Aswan. The collecting taxis are already on the way as well. These are pickups, which have built up in the back a cab and cover the local transportation. Most are open at the back, up to 12 people are transported on the truck bed. Would you like to get off you stamp your foot or knock on the window of the cab, then it stops.

In some places there are also three-wheeled bubble cars that are operated as taxis, but only find use in urban areas.

The journey is varied and leads through villages or directly along the Nile. Since the road is good, one must not focus so much on the road and we see several interesting things on the roadside.

Here, as throughout the whole Arab world, transports are quite unusual. Cattle are transported on the pickup, a strange sight.

After only a few driving hours and wonderful views of the Nile, we are approaching the city of Aswan. We plan to go on the other side of the Nile to a camp.

Shortly before reaching Aswan we cross the Nile on a fairly new bridge to Adams Camp.

Adams Camp no longer exists, but we find a very nice alternative at a Nubian Guesthouse of a Captain called Ashraf.

In the courtyard of his house, we can find accommodation, there are already a dutch couple who we had met in Cairo for the first time.

The location of the camp is great, on the edge of a Nubian village in the middle of the desert.

Ashraf also rents rooms in Nubian style. They are rooms in traditional mud houses. You will sleep on carpets on the dirt floor, as still practiced by the Nubians today.

Special luxury is a ceiling fan, which reduces the heat, if there is electricity, which here is far from normal.

The rooms lead directly into the courtyard, meals you have outdoors under a thatched canopy.

Toilets and bathroom are across the court in an extra building, theoretically there is also hot water if there is electricity. The rule should be that we draw water from a provided barrel.

Next day we climb up the nearby hill and enjoy the panoramic views of the Nubian village and the slowly flowing Nile.

About Nubian architecture we know very little abroad. The traditional houses are made from mud brick. In Nubia the roofs are often dome-shaped or arched. Further south they are mostly flat. They are plastered or painted and beautifully decorated. Nubians have their own marriage traditions, the celebration will take up to 15 days. On the first night the bride and groom celebrate separately with friends and family. The second night the bride moves her party into the house of the groom and all are dancing until the morning. Then the bride goes back into the family home. Her hands and feet are painted with henna. Even hands and feet of the groom are decorated with henna. On the third day the groom takes his guests in a procession to the house of the bride. The whole day is sung and danced. The bridegroom is three days in the house of the bride. Then the couple is building an own house.

The settlement area of the Nubian extends from southern Egypt into northern Sudan, and was a homogeneous area of settlement. The Nubians were originally Christians. In the 12th and 13th century the attacks Egypt against Nubia increased. 1315 the last Christian king of Nubia has been replaced by a Muslim and a majority of the population converted to Islam. When the Sudan was in 1899 English condominium, a border was drawn between Egypt and the Sudan, 40 km north of Wadi Halfa and Nubia so was divided, thus many Egyptian Nubians have relatives in Sudan, as well as our friend Ashraf.

The Nile has always determined the fate of the Nubians. When the Aswan Dam was completed in 1902, and increased in 1912 and 1934, the water of the Nile rose slowly from 87 meters to 121 meters. However, many buildings were flooded. In the 1930s many Nubian villages disappeared under the water masses. Many homeless Nubians moved to Egypt, where they bought land and built new villages. Most Nubians assumed that the flow patterns would not change and remained at their original homes and rebuilt their houses on new land slightly higher.

But the water level rose again. Date plantations, the main income of the Nubians, were destroyed. Many Nubians were forced to seek work in the north and left their families. Less than 30 years later the building of the new High Dam forced people to move again.

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Today we visit Hatshepsut Temple. The Taxi driver expects us at the entrance. With hiking boots and plenty of water equipped we start. Mohammed is delighted, because we really have appeared, he says, that he is sometimes ordered by some tourists but then they do not show up what may well be due to an aggressive type of advertising of this guy. In brisk ride in the old rickety Peugeot it goes to the other side of the Nile.

After a short trip, we face the huge building of Hapschepsut.

From the desert plain rises over several terraces, the temple complex. This temple is perfectly built into the limestone of the eastern slope of the Theban rock. Around the temple there are a number of cave tombs.

The Hatshepsut Temple is one of the most beautiful monuments of ancient Egypt. Over a 37-meter wide access you get to the three huge terraced courtyards. The steps are each disposed through colonnades. Ramps link them. The excavations began in 1891 and lasted five years. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Tutmosis I. Due to lack of succession to the throne Hatshepsut was appointed regent. She ruled for 15 years with the support of the priests.

On the way back we stop at the huge Colossi of Memnon . The two 18 meter high sitting faceless statues are remains of the funerary temple of Amenhotep III.

The temple was said to be huge but due to its location in the flooting zone of the Nile nothing but the statues are left any more.

With the visit of the statues we end our stay in Luxor. Tomorrow we shall continue along the Nile to Aswan, where we have to make bookings of the ferry across the lake Nasser.

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From the Old Town you can see the Luxor Temple, the second of the highlights of the city.

The Luxor temple fulfilled two tasks. At New Year the Set Festival was celebrated. The statues of the gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought here in portable boats from the 2.5 kilometres distant Karnak temple . The celebration lasted for 11 days initially, then 27 days. The second task was to renew the deification of the king, which was done each year from the accession to the throne and was celebrated here in the temple.

Well preserved is the first pylon, which was built by Ramses II.

The pylon is decorated with representations of the heroic deeds of Ramses. In front of the 24-meter high wall are some colossal statues of Ramses II and an obelisk from rose granite.

Well preserved are also the colonnades and the courtyard of Amenhotep III.

Interestingly there was built a mosque in the middle of the temple later. This is the Abu al Haggag Mosque, which was dedicated to a local saint and Sheikh. The entrance is outside the temple area.

We want to sit a little while at the Nile bank and watch the activities here. The ferry connects Luxor with Guma , an important link because the ferry brings the employees of hotels and tourism businesses from their homes over to Luxor to work. It is quite interesting that the ship was built in the shape of a sun bark, and has quirky tips.

The Nile was to the 19th Century the only way between Northern and Southern Egypt. For centuries it was the most important transport route.

There was no easier and faster way to transport goods, to send messages and to travel to other parts of the country. Probably the first boats were simple made from papyrus , these boats were used for hunting by the pharaos and used to travel only short distances. Even more elaborate wooden boats were known. They had several oars, a long, narrow sails and a rudder. In the Middle Ages the Nile was sailed by 36 000 ships. The simple sailing boats are called felucca.

A trip from Cairo to Luxor would take two months with favorable wind. Traveling on the Nile has dramatically changed when Thomas Cook in 1869 brought his first tour group to Egypt and housed them on two steamships.

Thus the package holiday was born. Instead of the simple steamers, huge cruise ships now cross the Nile with the comfort of stylish hotels.

The schedules are strictly observed, because the Nile is much traveled.

But we do not want to make a nile cruise, but have ordered a taxi driver to the campsite because we want to go to the Temple of Hatshepsut.

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Most houses are situated along a tributary of the Nile. It is interesting to observe how people live here. Here at Luxor sugar cane is grown. Again and again we see the tractors with trailers fully loaded to deliver the harvest. We are heading to the only camping site of Luxor. We want to stay here a few days, because there is a lot to see in Luxor.

The site is not exactly idyllic, but right in the center. Here we meet a German / Mexican couple who is traveling with a tent and bicycle through Africa. After all, we are not bad here, have hot showers and electricity supply. Actually it is not a campground, but rather a hotel with patio, rented to campers. This situation, we will have even more often, for campsites are rare in Africa.

The Nile is wonderful and great atmosphere prevails on its banks. The Nile rises in the mountains of Rwanda and Burundi, and flows into the Mediterranean. It flows through Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and finally Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. 6671 km from its source, he lays back down to the sea and belongs with the Amazon to the largest rivers in the world.

Immediately on the banks of the Nile are also major attractions such as the temple of Karnak. I am completely amazed how things have changed here after 25 years. The tourist influx is huge and it is difficult to enjoy the ancient atmosphere. The Karnak temple is not only a temple but a collection of temples, obelisks and pylons. It covers an area of 1.5 km by 800 meters. During the rule of the Pharaohs 80,000 people worked here. For over nearly 2000 years it was rebuilt and changed.

You enter through the avenue of rams, and here originally a canal was leading to the Nile.Through the avenue we get to the first Pylon, which has remained unfinished.

The Great Square is the widest square of the temple complex, on the left there is the temple of Seti, in the middle the Kiosk of Taharka, far right a columned arcade. Most impressive is probably the great Hall of Columns. 6000 square metres is the base area, a spectacular sight, a forest of 134 towering columns. They were originally painted in bright colors and the hall was roofed. Also impressive is the pair of obelisks in front of the former entrance to the main temple. We stroll through the site and are overwhelmed by these huge buildings.

From the intense cultural pleasure tired we have a culinary pleasure: Falafel sandwich. Falafel are fried balls of mashed beans or chickpeas, herbs and spices. It is thought that the recipe originated here, from the Christian Copts created as a fasting meal.

Falafel food stall

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We spent a lot of time shopping and so it is getting late and we need soon accommodation. We are now already 90 days on tour and we get increasingly doubts whether we will be in Cape Town in 142 days . We are slowly getting used to the traffic rules here and thus we find a line of “no overtaking” also as just a street decoration, as the locals do

On the roadside suddenly a sign to a campsite appears. We turn off and find ourselves on a beautiful desert camp.

The owner is a nice guy, but can not speak English nor do we speak Arabic, but we have fun together. He even has a small kitchen where he prepares tea for us. We welcome this invitation and sit for some time together with him.

The accommodation consists of simple bed frames under the open sky, we do not qualify, because we sleep in our vehicles directly at the dunes.

It will be one of the most beautiful bush camps in the desert.

Next morning we set off to our last part through the Libyan desert. We want to reach the Nile at Luxor in the evening .

To Luxor it is 300 kilometres, which should be done on good asphalt roads in 4-5 hours, provided there are no car problems. First we have to get from the camp to the paved road. Wistfully we leave this beautiful place. Through soft sand passages we have to get momentum, so we do not get stuck in the sand. To prevent this, we reduce tire pressure depending on the difficulty of the terrain to 1.5 bar instead of 4.5 bar. On tarmac, we increase pressure with our compressor.

Our days are numbered in Egypt. We will then have to overcome one big hurdle . The Lake Nasser reservoir. The loading of the vehicles will be a real horror, as the vehicles are only loaded on to a pontoon, while the passengers must ride on the ferry. For us it is even more risky, because our dog Tara has to travel on the pontoon and we have to go with the passenger ferry. The problem in fact is, that the pontoon sails for two days, and the ferry takes one day, which means the Tara has to be two days and nights without us. The conditions and circumstances are very unclear. We hear many stories of dogs that were lost on the way, of course we are concerned about the question of food, water and Tara must also do her business. The closer this day comes the more anxious we feel, as we do not want to lose Tara. We must find an alternative, which we do not know yet.

The decision as we organize the ferry, we suppress for the time being, we are now on asphalt and want to Luxor. Only in Aswan a solution has to be found.

The road is excellent and we are progressing well. We can make speed after a long time we really press the gas pedal and the scenery flys past.

Because of good roads, we already reach the Nile Valley around lunch time.

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