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Africa
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| Cairo to South Africa Overland (Summer 1984) |
Postcard from Bill to his parents sent from Rahad el Berdi, Sudan
26 July 84
Mom and Dad,
Just a letter to let you know you won't be hearing from me for awhile. Traveling has become very difficult because of the rain. Actually, it doesn't rain that much but the roads have no bridges here and nothing dries out.
From Khartoum I took the train to Nyala in the west of Sudan. It took four and a half days for 820 miles. I had to ride on the roof the entire trip the train was so packed there was only sitting room even on the roof. Three people fell off, one was killed when he fell down in between the cars the other two survived with broken bones.
Everyone said in Nyala that there were no cars to the border (180 miles). So myself, a girl from Holland and a Danish couple started walking. We got a ride in a Land Rover after 15 miles for about another 20 miles. Caught a government truck at 8:30pm loaded with gasoline.
There was so much mud and the ruts were so deep that once we went around a curve and the truck came so close to tipping over that the girl from Holland and I were thrown out into about two feet of mud and a bunch of thorns.
We stopped about 1:00am when we came to another truck stuck in the mud so thoroughly that the rear wheels weren't even visible. Amazingly enough, they eventually got it out.
We arrived in Idd el Granham at 9:00am. We were told there were no rides so the Holland girl and I started walking the next morning to Rahad el Berdi the next town about 35 miles away. The Danish couple were too whipped to make the trip. We walked a day and a half covering 25 miles when a Land Rover came by and gave us a lift.
The next section of the trip is from Rahad el Berdi to Am Dafog about 75 miles. There really is no transportation to there other than animals which were too expensive for us. A donkey is about $30, horse about $125, camel about $200. There is a river that runs from here to there so right now we are building a raft.
The locals say the trip is dangerous as far as animals go and advised us to buy spears, which we did ($1.75). The topographic map of the region shows elephant tracks so the trip should be interesting. This girl from Holland, Hatty Groendyk, is very tough and about the most useful girl I've ever met.
Anyway, you can tell that it is going to take me a long time to get to Nairobi, maybe two months or longer. But I will call or write when I can. I'm having a great time in the mean time,though.
Dad, happy birthday and tell Anthony happy birthday too. I hope to be sending some really good stuff from Nairobi. Take care and tell everyone I said hello.
Your son,
Bill |
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| Getting ready for the trip from Rahad el Berdi, Sudan to Am Dafog, Central African Republic with camels and spears. |
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| Resting before crossing one of the many flooded wadis - this one more than a mile wide. |
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| Bridge over the Nile river at sunset |
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| Khartoum skyline |
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