Dearest friends,
It may be a bit late but just the same Jean and I wish you all a terrific year 2005. Already 2 months gone but still 10 to go!
Due to lack of communication between Jean and I, this newsletter is not as detailed as the preceding ones and there are not as many photos.
On August 30th 2004, Jean leaves Addis Abeba to walk towards Sudan. He easily obtained his visa for that country, thanks to the Consular Services of the Canadian Embassy in Addis Abeba who had written a letter introducing him to the Sudanese office in Addis. We are so grateful to the Canadian Consular Services wherever in the world. They really show an important support to the wwwalk and are always ready to answer any question or help with any issue with regard to their field of activity.
In this African area, there may be many days without any communication at all between Jean and I. I am constantly a bit worried even knowing he is always careful and is used to even the most exotic situation. When I receive an email from him, I am almost jumping with joy!
In one of those rare emails written between the Ethiopian capital and the Sudan border, he says that the people he meets are extremely nice and that he feels like a pampered child. He crossed over to Sudan on October 12th.
I must admit that I was almost worried sick whenever I thought about him walking in Sudan. At that time, the troubles and atrocities happening in the Darfur region, in the south west of the country, were very much on everybody's mind. On October 18th, he writes from Gedaref:
"All is well! Sudan seems to be the safest country for me since I left Montreal! The people are extremely welcoming. I love them and they love me. This Islamic culture is very exotic! It is so safe that I could walk as much during the night as during the day without any problem at all. It is the fourth day of the Ramadan and food is rare during the day but plentiful after sunset. I am fasting like everybody else and they invite me to pray to Allah"
After reading that, my worries about him went down drastically! He was well taken care of!
On November 8th, I receive an email from Khartoum. He had been slowed down by an important intestinal infection but a Sudanese family took care of him, as they would have their own child. From Khartoum, he also sends me 13 rolls of undeveloped photos because he did not want to spend the money on it as we were told there was no way he could get money while he was in Sudan. I had them all developed in Montreal but as I am completely ignorant as to when and where they were taken as much as what they represent, I cannot share them with you.
In each of our communication, Jean keeps on telling me that the Sudanese people are very kind and peaceful. True that he is far from that dangerous Darfur region!
On November 28th, he meets people working for a company named Sudatel and on the photo that they sent me, I am quite astonished to see my Jean sporting a long beard.
On December 3, I get this email:
"A short message to let you know that I am going through a wonderful experience on this road. I will be in Dongola in 5 days. I am writing to you from a laptop in the desert, thanks to good South African people on an expedition from London to Cape Town."
Jean crosses the Egyptian border on December 29th and arrives in Aswan the next day after some 20 odd hours on a ferry on Lake Nasser. He stays in Aswan for almost a week and waits for an approval from the Egyptian Security Services in Cairo before he may start his walk along the Nile. The Egyptians are very much concerned with his safety, so much that he always has an escort with him.
On January 25th, M. Mohamed Zaki from Qena sends me this photo taken near the wonderful temple of Dendera.
At the moment, we are planning our yearly reunion in Alexandria, in Egypt around the end of March or beginning of April. Even if nothing is confirmed yet, we hardly can wait to be together again!
Till next time...
Luce