19/02/12, stage 21, Al Qadarif to Metema

I had a lot of fun today 🙂 Started out with Vik early in the morning and soon the road turned bad. Like bad. Like corrugated and immensely potholed bad 🙂 And my bike just loved it 🙂 most riders slowed down and tried not to be shaken off their bikes while fighting the 42 degree heat and cross winds, but I just flew. My 52mil almotions and my front suspension really shone today 🙂 At some point I passed the three new British sectional riders who were circumnavigating the potholes and I just soared past them and took the potholes head on. Just me showing off 🙂 I had a lot of fun today 🙂

Today was our last day in Sudan! I really liked Sudan! I’m going to miss Sudan… I liked how people were travelling in the back of pick up trucks and when they passed us and I waved at them, they all simultaneously stuck up their hands and waved back and smiled! I liked how the children came running to the road when we passed them, enthusiastically yelling hello hello hello! I liked how Sudan is so much more than Sand and Desert and feels really African! I liked how herds of goats, sheep, cows and camels just randomly crossed the roads. I liked how friendly and inviting and caring the people are, stopping for me in the desert when I was not doing too well or rolling out a mat for me to ly down. I liked how people put strangers before themselves, even though they do not have too much themselves. I liked the darkness in the desert and the brightness of the stars at night. I liked the many beautifull sunrises and sunsets we had. I liked morning prayers and I like how the Sudanese prove us westerners wrong in fearing Islam while there is really nothing to be afraid of.

I wish the people in Sudan all the best. They are not going through easy times right now. I hope the country gets to live up to its potential, because right now a lot of it is sadly unfullfilled. And I hope that we westerners can become a little bit more inviting to strangers, instead of being prejuidiced and biased and fearing without knowing what we fear. I’ll miss beautifull Sudan and its besutifull beautifull people. Tomorrow we’ll cross into Ethiopia, the next chapter of our amazing journey…