Felluca Time

I have been in Aswan for 5 days now, we have had to spend this amount of time here trying to get all the visa's ready for Sudan. The main problem has been trying to get the truck successfully through customs. The truck now is on its way om a cargo ferry, I hope to be seeing it again in a couple of days.
To help pass the time I have spent the last two days and nights sailing up the Nile aboard a felluca. The felluca is powered solely by sail so it has been an extremely relaxing way of spending the time. You simply laze on the mattresses thrown on the deck of the boat and when night falls, you unroll the sleeping bag and sleep on the deck. Even though there was 13 people on our boat and the kitchen area consisted of one camping gas ring, the captain still managed to prepare three gorgeous meals a day. Sudan is an alcohol free country (if caught with alcohol you get 40 lashes) and there was a fair amount of alcohol left from our bush camps so a giant punch was made. We were sailing up and down in the sunshine, drinks in hand. Did a bit of swimming in the Nile, very strong currents. By the time all the punch had been drunk most people were dancing in the Nile. Surprisingly given the state most people were in by nightfall, only one person managed to fall off the gangplank into the river. Still giggling over it now!
Well the next part of the adventure starts here. We will be crossing over to Sudan by passenger ferry. The ferry has 200 seats and often sells about 800 tickets. We have to arrive when the ferry opens for bording just so we can ensure we have enough space to sit down in. The ferry is due to leave 8 hours after first bording and the quickest it has taken it in the past has been 10 hours. Then we have to de-embark and customs have to check everything, this is expected to take a good 4 hours. I am expecting to spend 24 hours in a very cramped environment jostling for space with families with luggage and screaming children with no toilet facillities. Its going to be fun! After Sudan its Ethiopia and I have no idea what internet access will be like in either country so it could be a while before my next post!