Sound

We arrived in in the Sudanese town of Gadarraf after two days intensive cycling from the Ethiopian/Sudanese border town of Galabat. We had to be very minful of these couple of days ahead because of the unknown nature of the sudden change and rise in temperature. This was due to the sharp descent from the Ethiopian hills to the billiard table-like desert terrain of Sudan. There was a degree of uncertainty as to whether or not we could cover enough kilometers, be off the road and safely in the shade before midday before it became too hot to cycle, as was our intention. We therefore began our cycle each morning as near to 5a.m. as possible. All this was compounded by the fact that we had being nursing varying degrees of minor illness as a result of some bug picked up along the way, probably in the border town of Galabat. In hindsight, an extra day or two resting would have been the better option in this case.

Burnsy did go ahead by bus thereby allowing him enough time to recover in Gadaraf. Maghnus and I arrived eventually as planned having learned much during these first two days about the do’s and don’ts of cycling in the heat. As arranged, our first port of call was email access in order to let each other know where we had booked into for the couple of days break, depending on who arrived first. We checked into the ‘Amir Hotel’ later on and as it turned out the only room available to us was one of the ‘VIP’ rooms. Although this room was a bit more expensive than the others, the ‘VIP’, which was hand painted/daubed on the door, roughly translated as a shower and a huge ‘Apocalypse Now’-type ceiling fan which circulated a cool breeze around the room. We’ll take it!

The next mornings sleep-in, after the Muslim call to prayer, took the form of snooze, wake and some sort of in-between state. During one such in-between state I heard what I thought was the sound of a nearby, fast-flowing river. Wishful thinking perhaps! This was also reminiscent of the sound of the waterfall under which we had a badly needed shower, which we shared with some Ethiopians, just before our ascent of the ‘Blue Nile Gorge’. This was our last creature comfort before the climb. One way or another, refreshing thoughts of rest and a cool breeze filled my half-sleep.

This cooling breeze turned out to be the breeze generated by the large fan overhead. What I didn’t account for then and what came as a surprise to me later was that the sound of the ‘river’ and the ‘waterfall’ was in fact the sound of same fan. The similarity of sounds in this case was remarkable. Both sounds were hypnotic and both suggested respite & relief from the heat. Later, and again in a semi-sleep state, the same sound of the fan brought to mind the silence of the bicycle but for the purring sound of tyre against tarmac evident only at cruising speed. This sound is never to be heard at lower speeds. (cruising speed also generates a cooling breeze). The feeling of ease and rest was again being evoked by the same sound. Since then I have tended to seek out such repetitious sounds during, and to aid, our midday ‘siesta’. A The purring sound of a long awaited fridge containing cool drinks, for example, can nearly do the same trick. An electric fruit blender, for which the Sudanese hold in high esteem, can come close. Proximity to the source of such sounds, as above, is crucial for the desired effect. Don’t get too close to the fan!

The privilege of being able to undertake this trip by bicycle does surely activate all the senses. Only when the logistics of any stretch of this journey are taken care of can the value of any given environment be fully appreciated. It was only after the initial three to four problematic days in Sudan that we could begin to appreciate. Much more reserved than their Ethiopian neighbours, the people of Sudan that we have encountered have extended hospitality and a sincere welcome to us. A couple of days ago we stopped by a village marquee because of the surrounding activity. We were hoping to get shelter and shade and a ‘Merinda’ orange or coke. Coca-Cola or Pepsi, it didn’t matter. It turned out that the marquee contained a wedding party around the time between the ceremony and the reception. From eight to eighty, extended family and friends welcomed us and a platter of tasty and varied food was produced. Three beds were organised for us in the shade and afterwards when we awoke another platter of food arrived. These few hours took gate-crashing a wedding to new levels of ease! The ease at which we were made feel at home was a bit surprising and we were also invited to stay for the all-night party later on which we had to decline because of our mission to get to the once-a-week ferry from Wadi Halfa across the Nile to Egypt.

The Sudanese value the shade, ice cool drinks, water, their fruit drinks, their outdoor beds and spinning fans as much as we do and are more than willing to share. They seem to welcome outsiders or foreigners proudly, all far indeed from the present media portrayal of Sudan.