Ferry to Egypt

Leaving Wadi Halfa was a long process! Both groups headed down to the ferry terminal around 9:00am. Once we got there we waited in a hot waiting room for about three hours until it was time to board the ferry. The boarding process was absolute chaos with people pushing in front of us and everybody was shoving at each other to get on the boat! This is because without a room booking there is limited space and almost no shade from the hot sun. Emma taught us one word in Arabic "Halas" meaning " that's enough". We were trying this out a lot at the start but finally gave in to the local way, bolted past people to the front and got a bit pushy. We all new we needed to sit on the roof under the life boats or there would be no shade for us either. Arriving on the roof of the boat, people are already under the lifeboats. We tried to join in but the people just kept piling in around us. In the end we found a spot along the railing and strung together some tarps. Like a bunch of kids in a play fort, we began waiting to set sail while playing cards, reading books and exchanging stories from the road. It was a long hot wait! The boat didn't sail until around 5:00pm! As we set sail, we got a glimpse of the Oasis trucks on the barge and some good views of lake Nasser. Just before arriving in Cairo, Andrea and I took out the braids in anticipation of the showers we were so excited for in Aswan. ( After six days bush camping). We look pretty funny but the braids really help keep the hair under control when it can't be washed for days on end!