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| Day 87, 2011/07/27 |
Perhaps one of the most important lessons I have learnt on this trip, is that too much information can be counter productive. I recall my Moyale road incident where, I had heard soo much about that road that, when I eventually set to traverse it, I was a nervous reck from the information overload I had experienced in the days leading up to it. Actually knowing less, would have meant far more peaceful nights rest before and hence, far more tranquil experience.
Well with regards to the ferry crossing, the fact that I knew almost nothing was a true blessing in disguise because, if I perhaps knew how bad that boat would be then perhaps, I would have worked myself into a state before boarding.
However, before we could board the boat, there was the problem of loading the vehicles onto the barge that needed to be attended to. We all met up with the Cytech crowd in town at about 1130 and made our way to the port. After dealing with the Sudanese customs officials in the blazing sun, it was off to the barge to load the bikes and cars. The peer, from which the boats and bikes are loaded is about 5 km away from the peer where you board the boat. Why different peers, who knows? The loading was a nightmare! Firstly, there is nothing like 20 bikers trying to do a task together! Especially, if these people are all confident strong personalities. You guessed it, there were hence 40 different opinions on how it should be done. Add to that, 50 degree heat, with a baking noon day sun, and you have a receipt for a number of heated discussions. Needless to say that, eventually sanity prevailed and we managed to load all 19 bikes onto the barge without any of them suffering any damage.
Then the cars, and that is when the pawpaw hit the fan. The ship owner had no problem with Dave's car however, the Cytech vehicle, was in his mind too big for the barge. He claimed that it would not fit. After proving that it would by taking measurements, the owner then changed his tune and then said it would make his boat unstable. This was naturally all a load of nonsense, he was looking to try make some additional money off the situation and boy did he. After numerous arguments, several phone callas to Mazan etc, and a couple of hundred dollars, the Cytech vehicle was eventually loaded. Amazing how a couple of hundred dollars can make a ship all of a sudden stable! Amazing!
It was about 3:30 pm by the time we managed to finish loading all the vehicles, and we still had paper work to sort out before catching the ferry at 5pm. So quickly back to the port to pay Mazan for his efforts, to collect our carnets and then off to the ferry peer.
Thank god we had asked a couple of truck overlanders to save us some space on deck because, by the time we got there, the boat was almost full and all seats in the cabins had been taken. Not that one would want to actually take one's designated seat,it was soo dirty and rundown. So the option of sleeping on deck, squeezed between a number of locals, in the baking sun, was far more palatable than a dingy, dirty,stinky, AIR-CONDITIONED cabin. Dave and Naomi brought a couple of tarpaulin sheets with them and we soon managed to erect our own shelter on the deck, out of the blazing sun.
It was not long after boarding that, the boat set sail and for the next 20 odd hours, this shit hole would be home!
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