Diary: September 3rd Email

I've been in a bit of a quandry for the past couple of days,
Trying to decide what to do.
There was no way for me to enter Egypt without a Carnet, and even
with one it would cost as much as the shipping to get through to Sudan
alone.

I looked at getting a transit Visa for Saudi and then getting the
ferry to Port Sudan, but I was told there was no chance at the moment. All
the other overlanders I have spoken to have tried and been refused.
I had really set my heart on shipping to Port Sudan, and then
traveling overland with train, boats buses etc to collect Maggie, but this
was fraught with complications. The main one being visas. I'm sure I could
get a visa for Sudan here, or in Egypt, but I have a friend coming to join
me for a couple of months, and I had visions of a night mare scenario where
he is refused a visa and I've already shipped the vehicle! My friend only
has a set amount of time, and I had no idea how long the Sudan-Ethiopia
section would take. It all depends on the weather and paperwork. The thing
that finally made my mind up was that it only cost an extra US$50 to Ship to
Mombassa.

I'm sure this is a decision I may regret for a long time, but I'm
going to apply for Ethiopian and Sudanese visas in Kenya and head north for
a couple of months.

Off to Wadi Rum tomorrow, going spend a couple of nights camping
out in the desert. I'm really looking forward to it, we'll see if I know how
to use the GPS now! (Click here for more Wadi Rum photos)

It's onto Petra for a couple of days, and then a dip in the dead
sea.
Got to go now people, time running out!

Colin & Maggie