From Port Sudan to the Taka Mountains
A 6am departure from Port Sudan, military checkpoints playing games of patience, a truck swerving off-road past armed officers, and a 300km hilux ride with seven strangers.
After having set off from Port Sudan at 6am we arrive in Kassala late at night after having spent many unnecessary hours waiting at military checkpoints playing a game of patience with aggressive officers... Seeing who would get bored of each other first. A truck running through the checkpoint by going swerving off road serves for some action with officers beginning chase on motorbike. At least not all eyes are on us now and we soon find the next lift...
We appreciate everyones generosity from people meeting us on the street and inviting us to tea, dates and coffee to all the people taking us some stretches of the way. Travelling through the surrounding mountain roads at a speed between 10 and 30 km/h gives us ample opportunity to get to know each other. After being invited yet again to dinner by a complete stranger we jump in the back of a hilux with 7 other people to complete the last 300km of our journey.
As the sun rises on a new day we explore the city...
...as well as the surrounding Taka Mountains by nightfall.
A friendly dad and his son take us back to the city unfortunately running out of petrol on the way. Luckily we are just a few hundred meters from the next petrol station... well, at least a place that would sell us a 1.5l plastic bottle filled with petrol. Being so close to the Eritrean border we are told we can't leave without having been invited to some traditional jebbana coffee with cinnamon.
The impressive Khatmiyya mosque and tomb
The view from about halfway up the Taka Mountains.
We spend the last day walking around the local souqs and sorting out bus tickets to our next destination: Khartoum.