Pole to Pole

Sudan, the biggest country in Africa, is an overnight ferry ride from Egypt.

But life here is very different.

Sudan does not encourage visitors.

Do you know how I get to Wadi Halfa?

- Wadi Halfa. Is there a bus? - Bus?

Bus or... Where's the bus?

Bus?

- I want to know how to get to Wadi Halfa. - Halfa?

- OK. Halfa is near here. - I thought it was here, but it's not.

- How far? - I don't know. You'll have to ask.

- It's too far to walk? - Too far?

- Walk or bus? - Car.

- OK. Where's the car? - Near here.

OK. If you point the way...

It all seems to be going swimmingly when, suddenly, my guide isn't there any more.

I've been in unfamiliar places on this trip,

but never felt quite such an outsider.

What is this country all about? Ally of Saddam Hussein,

supporter of the Russian generals' coup against Gorbachev.

I'd better start finding out.

I need a car to go to Wadi Halfa. OK?

You go to the hotel at Wadi Halfa centre.

The Sudan is clearly a very eccentric country.

To get the most out of life here, I'd better forget I've ever been anywhere else.

This is new Wadi Halfa.

The old town disappeared under Lake Nasser 29 years ago.

Despite its name, the best hotel now only looks out over desert sands.

- Hello. - Hello.

- Have you got a room for the night? - Yeah.

I've got to catch the train. That goes tomorrow?

- Yes, tomorrow. Four o'clock. - Fine.

The station in front of us. The Nile Hotel, and that is the station.

- OK. I'd just like a room, please. - Welcome.

The owner has photos of the old Nile Hotel, with balconies and river views.

Now it's a "no frills" service.

Thank you.

The darkness is comforting.

In the Sudan, a bit of shade is worth the price of admission alone.

Simple.

But...

98.4.

That's what it should be.

The hottest part of the day is from nine in the morning

till nine in the evening.

Abdulah Ahmed Adam is the governor who'd made our ferry trip possible.

What's the travel news?

The train is supposed to take about 48 hours,

but due to some difficulties sometimes it takes more.

What sort of difficulties might we encounter?

Maybe the pulling force for the locomotives.

And any maintenance, maybe.

- Do you travel by train? - Yes, definitely.

My last journey from Khartoum, I came by train, with my whole family.

Were there any problems?

No problems!

By next morning, the Nile Hotel is full to bursting.

Today is the day of the train.

The water jars are all empty but I'm directed to the executive washroom.

Washed and brushed up, I go in search of food for the journey ahead.

The train from Khartoum, which should run twice a week,

has just arrived for the first time in a month.

The resources of Wadi Halfa are at full stretch.

There's no famine here, but no surplus either.

Any fresh food quickly deteriorates in the heat.

Fruit seems to be the most sensible bet.

Can I have some bananas?

Bananas? How much?

I have Egyptian money.

Is that OK? Can I pay with Egyptian money?

- Kilo? - Kilo, yeah.

Can you measure me a kilo?

Sudanese?

I only have Egyptian.

- No? - No Egyptian.

No Egyptian? Where can I change the money?

Where in Wadi Halfa can I change the money?

- Is there a bank? - No.

Hotel maybe?

But you won't sell me anything for Egyptian money?

- No? - No.

Armed with Sudanese pounds, I try again.

Can I buy some tins?

Can I buy some tins of food?

- What have you got? Chicken? - Ten pounds.

- Chicken? No. - What is it? Show me what it is.

- This? - No, tin. That's right.

- He knows. That's right. - Tin?

Yes.

What is this? "Ma Ling. Fried young chicken."

Chinese. Good?

I'll have one of those. Have you anything else?

"Stewed chicken with bone."

OK. How much?

40 and 40.

- Is that enough? - 130.

130? Oh, dear.

Just two chicken.

Thank you.

The hardest thing of all to find is fresh bread.

Can I have a bag?

Put them in there.

Banana sandwich!

Yep. How much?

How much?

That's 75 there.

Any change?

Change?

OK, it's 75!

All right. Thank you very much.

The train at platform one is the Nile Valley Express,

once the pride of the British Empire.

As Sudan's problems increase and the economy crumbles,

it's an erratic and declining service.

But there's an air of festivity here that you'd never find at Waterloo.

0n the day of the train, Wadi Halfa station is one big party.

How nice to see you! You've come to make sure we go?

Well, the train's here, we're here, so thank you very much.

I feel as though I've been here for...

- Dates. - For us? Oh, thank you!

Dates! I was trying to buy these this morning, with no success. These look wonderful!

Marvellous. We'll all have one. There you are, Nigel.

They're very nice indeed.

Thank you very much.

There's a heightened sense of drama in the Sudan.

Departure isn't just the start of a journey, it's the start of an adventure.

Like all good adventures, none of us knows how it's going to end.

Bye! Thank you!

This long straight line runs 230 miles across the Nubian Desert,

avoiding the rapids of the Nile

and connecting Wadi Halfa with the cities of Atbara and Khartoum.

A single track through the middle of nowhere.

All we can do is pray that the train keeps going.

This is the third time we've stopped in about...

We've been going about - it's half past twelve - seven hours.

The previous two times have been breakdowns.

One was just a vacuum pipe.

The next was more ominous. A one-hour breakdown of the locomotive.

Once that goes, we could be here for days or even a week.

There's nothing much they can do but wait till it's fixed.

So I just don't know what's going on.

We're moving very, very slowly. Maybe the superintendent can tell us what's happened.

I'll see if I can see him.

I never did find anyone to tell me what's happening.

But next morning, we're still moving.

These desert stations have no names, only numbers.

This man could be the stationmaster of number five, six, seven or eight.

The line was built by General Kitchener to retake Khartoum

and avenge the death of General Gordon.

Working in one of the hottest places on earth, engineers laid a mile of track every two days.

How do they look after it now?

Last night, we seemed to be always surrounded by sand.

There was a wind blowing the sand. Is that a big problem for the engine?

- The sand covers the line sometimes. - Yeah.

So the labourers come and take it away from the track.

- Do you bring labourers with you on the train? - Two or three.

- How often... - By their materials.

They take off the sand.

The good news about the Nice Valley Express - it does have a restaurant car.

The bad news - this is it.

Tea?

Tea? Chai? Thank you.

Cucumber sandwiches, please, and a dessert menu. No, a desert menu!

This isn't the only restaurant.

Roof class have their own catering.

Everyone up here travels free,

and there are plenty of punters willing to risk sun, sand and sliding off into the desert.

Some were surprised we didn't travel like this in England.

I explained to them about bridges.

Sleep well? Sleep well?

It's a great view. It's better than first class.

You've got a better view. It's not so hot.

- It's not hot. - Just very fine.

Better than inside. Better than inside.

Yeah. They're all crammed together down there in first class.

One cup of tea amongst ten of them.

- Where are you going to? - Khartoum.

Do you always travel like this on top of the train?

Yes, sometimes.

Sometimes. But when the day's too hot...

In the middle of the day you have to get inside.

What happens today? It's going to be very hot. It was 110 in the sun yesterday.

What happens today in the heat of the day? Do you find some shade?

- Shade? - Do you get out of the sun on a day like today?

Yes, I get inside.

There are 3,000 to 4,000 passengers on the Nile Valley Express.

It's like a small town on the move.

Progress is governed less by timetables than by the needs of the townsfolk.

Goodbye! See you.

It may look chaotic, but it's one of the most user-friendly trains I've ever been on.

But you do have to know how to use it.

In the good old days on the Nile Express you could get food,

a five-course meal, God knows what,

and probably have a liqueur at the end of it.

Now it's self-catering on this line.

This is what I got yesterday. I'll try the stewed chicken with bone.

What will I get first?

A little industrial, but not bad.

Bread which is now about a day old.

A bit of dunking.

It's not the Grand Hotel, but it's quite tasty.