Sudan - Libyan Desert

The start of our journey around Northern Sudan - the road leading out across the Libyan Desert-Omdurman to Al Moultaqa (Abu Dom)	Around 320 km across the Libyan desert vs over 860 km following the river around the Great Bend of the Nile	Goat herder leading his flock towards a village	Dusty track across the open desert northwest of Khartoum
Libyan Desert northwest of Khartoum	Thatched Rondavels typical of Subsaharan Africa	The Northern Arterial Highway	شارع شريان الشمال
Termite mounds perhaps...	The first - of many - camels	Hobbled camels grazing on the side of the road	Sand dunes - the Libyan Desert of Sudan makes up the eastern portion of the Sahara Desert
A giant herd of camels crossing the desert	We stop and wait for the camels to cross the road	Camel leading the way	The Northern Highway from Omdurman across the Libyan Desert
The four camel herders stayed near the rear of the herd	The lead camel seems to know where he's going...luckily traffic is light	Herd of camels in the Libyan Desert of Sudan	This is the largest herd of camels I've seen underway
Sudanese camel herder bringing up the rear	...much more authentic than those guys at the pyramids...	Camel Crossing	Herdsman hurrying the stragglers across the road...a bus is coming...
Large herd of camels crossing the Northern Arterial Highway, Libyan Desert, Sudan	These camels were heading southwest rather than north towards Egypt like the later herds we'd see	Large herd of camels crossing the highway northwest of Omdurman	The herd continues on off into the desert
Herd of camels in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Sudanese man on a camel	Sudanese camel herdsman	The herd is safely across the road
A little dog is following the last two camels across	They seemed to enjoy putting on a little show for us	The elder of the camel herders	Striking a pose for me
The iconic desert scene, Sudan	...and no request for baksheeh...this isn't Egypt...	Five men to control all those camels...	Abu Dulua toll gate ahead
Sudanese bus speeding across the desert, Al Thoab الثواب	Mosque with an impressive minaret, Abu Dulua	Roadside Sudan	Libyan Desert mudbrick village
Sudanese villager selling watermelons along the road	Libyan Desert	Accident ahead...	...the overloaded bus looks in pretty good shape...
...as opposed to the shattered SUV - I don't think that was survivable	Camels near a small village along the Northern Highway	Small road-side village mosque along the Northern Highway	Libyan Desert
Black and white checkered water towers like this are common	Village with a mosque at km 128 on the Northern Highway	Village with a mosque at km 128 on the Northern Highway	Road sign for Umm Khoasir, at km 141 on the Northern Highway
Dust blowing across the Libyan Desert highway	Dust blowing across the Libyan Desert highway	The Northern Arterial Highway leading northwest from Omdurman and Khartoum	Sand dunes, Libyan Desert, Sudan
Libyan Desert, Sudan	Rest stop along the Northern Highway	Roadside rest area between Omdurman and Abu Dom	Petrol sold out of plastic jerry cans
Tea break, Sudan	Looking back in the direction of Omdurman - Sudan's Northern Highway	شارع شريان الشمال	Highway across the Libyan Desert northwest of Khartoum
Sand of the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Stop sign in the desert	Libyan Desert landscape, Sudan	A small mudbrick hut with a large sand dune, Libyan Desert
Libyan Desert, late afternoon, Sudan	Libyan Desert, late afternoon, Sudan	Libyan Desert, late afternoon, Sudan	Libyan Desert, late afternoon, Sudan
Northern Highway 171 km northwest of Omdurman	Line of six small hills ahead, km 172	Six small hills rising out of an otherwise flat desert	Libyan Desert, Sudan
Libyan Desert, Sudan	Mosque with an impressive minaret	Mosque with an impressive minaret in the middle of nowhere, Sudan	We had hoped to reach Old Dongala on this first day, but we got such a late start from Khartoum we weren't even close...
Mahmoud driving off-road to find us a nice campsite for the night	Lone acacia in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Off-road in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Off-road in the Libyan Desert, Sudan
Desert shrubbery, Sudan	Late afternoon looking for a secluded place to set up camp	Off-road in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Long shadow of our truck as we search the desert for a good campsite
Vast emptiness	Long shadows as we inspect a potential campsite	Panoramic view of our campsite in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Sunset, Libyan Desert
Rocky outcropping in the Libyan Desert several km away from the main road	Those six hills we saw from the road can be a landmark	Atop the small rise near the campsite, Libyan Desert panorama	Patch of soft sand
Don't get stuck!	Lucky...this time...	Setting up camp the first night out of Khartoum (hint...next time, Mahmoud, make sure all the parts are there...)	Sunset - it's going to be a dark night
Trygve and Karen setting up their tent as dusk falls	Red sky	Sunrise the next morning	Libyan Desert sunrise
Good morning as the breakfast table is already set up	Small rise near out campsite	Undisturbed sand	Campsite in the Libyan Desert around 200 km northwest of Omdurman
Morning in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	Morning in the Libyan Desert, Sudan	SudanDec09 966.jpg	Panoramic view of our campsite in the Libyan Desert
Camping in the Libyan Desert of Sudan	Camping in the Libyan Desert of Sudan	Sandy Libyan Desert, Sudan	Driving back to the main road
Passing a truck at km 224 northwest of Omdurman	Large sand dune, Libyan Desert	Small roadside village with a mosque	Libyan Desert, Sudan
Libyan Desert, Sudan, km 270 NW of Omdurman	Black hill as we near the Nile Valley	Sandy plateau just south of Al Multaga	Welcome to Al Multaga where we return to the Nile Valley, 303 km NW of Omdurman
Modern minarets, A Multaga Mosque	Obelisk-like monument at the junction of the Desert Highway and the Nile Valley road	To Al Daba, our entrance to Nubia	Main road on the West Bank of the Nile - straight on for Dongola, left for Merowe