Day 20 - Wadi Halfa

a fitful sleep on deck, but not at all bad. Sometime during the night, we passed the Tropic of Cancer, so we are now definitely in the tropics! Sailed passed Abu Simbel at 08.00 - rather different to Marian's and Pat's arrival on Pat' birthday but still very impressive. I have the strong feeling that the boat - and passengers - also do not bear a great resemblance to that occasion. We have the feeling (but no internet to check) that just two hours earlier, the sun had shone on the face of Rameses himself.

We arrived in Wadi Halfa near the other end of the Lake at 13.00 in - of course - the scorching heat but - of course- took some 2 1/2 hours to disembark and clear customs. It is amazing what the Sudanese bring in from Egypt - just about everything from a baby walker to everything electrical. Ian got into a long discussion with a customs chappie as he said he was an atheist - not the thing to do in these parts! (The ferry does this trip every week, but we still managed to ram the quay).

I think we have to say that this is a one hit town, but here just for one night before we head off into the hinterland. Our "Brandt" guide to the Sudan (recommended by Michael Palin) says "as a place to enter or leave Sudan, WH is undoubtedly a disappointment". Before the waters of the Lake drowned the old town, WH had a Corniche along the Nile, and old houses built in the traditional Nubian style with massive gates and painted walls - sounds a very definite improvement! The new Wadi Halfa "is a forlorn place - seemingly kept alive only by the arrival of the weekly ferry from Aswan"