Camel Portraits - Dongola

Camel Portraits - Dongola

Camel Portraits - Dongola

I find two other tourists while in Dongola making a total of three tourists that I've seen since I left Khartoum a week ago.  They are from Holland and traveling with their own truck,

The manager of their hotel invites us to go see some camels, and we are given a ride to the outskirts of town.

When we arrive, we find almost 100 camels.  The camel herders are gathering 700 camels in total here in Dongola, before taking them on a 2-week trip up to Aswan, Egypt.  While here, the camels will stock up on food and water.  The caravan will carry some food, but for 9 days there will be absolutely no water for the camels. 

I half wish that I could join them.  Traveling by camel caravan, with 700 camels, through the middle of the Sahara would be an amazing adventure.  But there are too many problems.  I'd have to illegally overstay my Sudanese visa, and I'd have to illegally cross into Egypt through an un-authorized border.  Chances are that I would be arrested on one side of the border, or the other.

But the biggest problem is simply that I don't like camels.  They are loud, smelly, and they are horribly uncomfortable to ride. 

Thanks, but no.  The trucks are not great, but I'll just keep heading north as I have been. 

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