Becoming part of Youssef's family
We hitchike with a truck delivering supermarket goods which stops at a village just before Wawa. Surprised to see foreigners here many people come to say hello. A kind man named Youssef invites us to stay
After spending some days with Youssef and his relatives we decide to go on a day trip to visit Soleb Temple. Youssef tries to organise a gallon of petrol needed for the boat to get there however there is no petrol in the village. We pay a guy from another nearby village although we will need to wait for a couple of hours for it to arrive.
The Temple of Soleb was constructed during 1378-1348 BC. It felt strange to walk up to the reminants of it... no museum, no guards just the temple remains in the middle of the desert.
A short climb on a nearby dune results in an amazing view of the vast landscapes and luscious green river banks along the nile. I get to take us back to Youssef's village.
Back at the village shop we arrived at a few days ago...
After visiting Youssef's cousin to watch a football match we go back to take a break from the afternoon sun. Enjoy some of the cold nile water gathered in clay pots. The surface allows a higher volume of water to be in contact with the clay aiding the natural cooling process. They are also often placed along streets so that travelers can freely drink clean, cold water.
Later that day we explore the rest of the village. Meet up with some local people and are introduced to some black marker araqi just minutes after visiting the local mosque.
Youssef is a fantastic cook and introduces us to all sorts of traditional sudanese meals.
As our time with Youssef comes to an end we head back to the main road to hitchike further south. In the blazing sun it becomes clear which one of the bottles is nile water and which isn't. After a few vehicles go by we find ourselves a ride towards Sabu.
