Why do fish eat soap?

On Friday 15th October 2010, we finally left Khartoum. We loaded the two horses onto a 2 ton truck and ourselves into a beautifully airconditioned Pajero! Colin Smith, his son Cameron and our faithful friend Nicholas Tutt came along for the ride! Colin drove us the 300 odd km to Kosti (western side of the white nile). He very patiently drove at snails pace behind the horses and waited everytime the truck was stopped by the cops, every 5 minutes, or so it seemed! After 6 hours we finally arrived at the last point we had ridden to back in March...

The horses were happy to be unloaded! We led them 1.5km down a dirt road towards the river to the ADRA Way Station. This is a large camp for Southern Sudanese who are returning to their homes by barge. They are able to stay there while waiting for the barges that don't run according to schedule! ADRA and other NGO's have set it up so they have shelter, medical care, water and food. The reason we were lucky enough to stay there is because the director of ADRA sudan, Llewellyn Juby, kindly organised it for us!

Colin, Cameron and Nick helped unload the luggage and had to rush home before it got dark... nobody likes to drive in the dark here! We settled into our tent under a big roof and took the horses down to the river for a drink.

Every time we start or restart our journey, it rains... and this day was no different! We had a huge storm that night! Billy refers to me as the rain goddess... and maybe I am!

We spent 3 and a half days at the way station, chatting with the people about the best way to travel south, playing cards and swimming (and washing) in the white nile... this is where we come to those pesky fish! We noticed the fish were getting very excited about the soap flakes that I washed out of the soap dish, but didn't think they would want to eat the soap off our bodies as we bathed... but they did! And their teeth were sharp! Ouch! So not only did we have to deal with biting horse flies, ticks and mozzies but also with fish who liked to nibble our toes!

Having lived in luxury for the last 3 years with air con, I am finding it difficult to adjust to the heat... Billy however always looks unflustered... he could be at a spa!

This was our first opportunity to see NGO's at work here in Sudan. Every day, a number of vehicles from WFP, FAR, HAC or ADRA would arrive at the camp bearing gifts of food and water containers or ferrying people and all their wordly goods to and from the camp. WFP did ask us if we too would like some rations... but of course we couldn't accept... but it did make us smile.... :)

Our original plan was to travel south down the western side of the Nile from Kosti to Renk and then ferry the horses across the river and complete the rest of Sudan on the eastern side of the Nile. However, after chatting with a number of Southern Sudanese people who told us of the mud, water and horse flies we would have to deal with, we have decided to travel from Rabak (across the river from Kosti) all the way down the eastern side of the nile... There was also some doubt as to whether there was a ferry big enough to take the horses across the river at Renk... and I don't fancy swimming across!

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the ADRA way station, but I do have some colourful memories...