Kassala, Sudan - Monday 15 January 2007 - On the road to Khartoum

Betsy and me wild camped on Sunday night, on the roadside between Kassala and Khartoum. To say it is bush camp would not be right, as there is not many bushes to hide behind.

There was little hope that I got to leave Kassala with my registration papers and license plates, but thanks to the Security Authorities I left with both. My plates are still BETSY GP, and it means that I don't have to drive all the way back to Kassala after visiting Khartoum. Saturday was spent waiting for my costumes papers and police clearance and after eight hours in different departments and standing in queue in numerous offices, I got nothing but bad news.

The police chief in Kassala had no choice but to ask me to remove my South African plates and to hand over all my vehicle documents. He told me that he was only following the rules. After half an hour discussion, he recommended me to go to the Security Authorities the next morning and see if they would let me travel. After five hours more waiting the next day, I was home free... This means I haven't seen much of Kassala yet and there is also no pictures, as I was strongly advised not to take any picture without authorization. Which can be obtained in Khartoum. Lets see what happens.