Khartoum to Kosti

In the hope to gather more information about the situation in South Sudan, we decide to leave Khartoum towards the south and go to Kosti. Our plan is to cross into South Sudan and cycle to Juba. It would be widely interesting to visit this new country.  Kosti is the last bigger city before the border to the South. It lies still some 120 km before the actual border. But we hope to get a better understanding of the security, road and border situation from there. 

The road south is, to be honest, not very interesting, the landscape is almost the same for 300 km and the road is not very pleasant. More than once we have to literally jump of the road because a crazy bus driver is not willing to share the already quite narrow street (don't argue with a bus driver coming at you from behind at high speed!). It seems that the breaks on these vehicles are only to be used if there is a cafeteria in sight!

These mosques have some interesting shaped towers. It seems that people show their believe to these mosques by wearing the same shaped hats.... 

Where there is no water. Sudan is dry, dryer.....

When seeing us this lorry driver turned around his vehicle, stopped at our side, chatted with us and insisted on having this picture taken. 

This red thing is not a tinny beetle, it's Chantal.....

A cafeteria is preparing for the night. These rope beds will be the sleeping place for many truck drivers. 

Donkeys at dawn....

On the road we see a lot of sheep, cow, goat and camel herds..

This part of Sudan sees almost no foreigners. Although some chinese workers must have passed because a lot of children shout at us " Chinese" and greet us in with "Nihouw". Otherwise we are the sole attraction here. Here all the more,  Chantal forgot to put on her long sleeve shirt, before we stopped at this roadside market. This must be THE erotic event of the day!

Very nice picture, not so nice place to sleep. During the evening and night we got two uncomfortable visits from 3 youngsters, demanding money and being rather aggressive. After some resolute words from Yann and a phone call with one of your sudanese friends, the teenagers left us alone again. But the night was therefore not spend in a well deserved sleep, more in agitated restlessness. On top of it we had to fix three punctures in our tires the next morning. An acacia forest is definitely not the best place to be with a bicycle. 

People life in very harsh conditions here. 

The desert bus, it still exists and is still running. It definitely doesn't look like a very comfortable affair. 

Kosti, is situated on the White Nile...

....and therefore has fish on most menus. In Sudan almost everything is fried.The whole fishes will be dipped in this oil filled pans and then served to the hungry guest. 

In the old times Kosti was the gate port to the south. There were no reliable roads but there was always the river. From here all the travelers, conquestors and fortune seekers set out to sail to the south. On the old landing place we could still find alot of activities, although there were more fishermen and kids playing. There is a new port a little bit further down the river. Apparently the kids are from South Sudan and stranded here by whatever means. Until the end of April all the South Sudanese have to leave the North Sudan and return home. But this kids here have nowhere to go, they will be street kids where ever they go. So for the time being they stay here and wait. 

A reminder of the past is Kitchener's boat. He was a general in the time when Sudan was under the British government. He was here in 1898!!!!

On the way to Kosti, we observed military troop movements towards the south on several days. As we arrived in Kosti, the border to South Sudan was open, but all the locals advised against any onward travel. The officials of South Sudan (in Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Abeba) ensured us that it would be safe to enter the country, on the contrary all the people we asked on the ground or people who had lately travelled in South Sudan advised us against it. The situation was therefore not at all clearer and we decided that it would be too much of a risk to enter and try to cross the new country South Sudan. We will come back another time and hope that the situation will clear and that the people of South- and North Sudan will find peace. For our bicycle tour this means that as we leave Kosti we will head eastwards towards Ethiopia.