Rod and David Pennington

Friday January 25

This excerpt was in French and very poetic. This is my best attempt at translation:
Oh Sudan
Do you understand,  why these cyclists still smile, whereas since our arrival in Sudan the bitumen has disappeared to leave place with stones, sand, gravel, the bumps, the inevitable falls, the sun and the wind???

I will put to you on the track... Close your eyes and feel the sun which heats your skin, the wind which blows on your face, in the distance you hear some men speak and of the children to play...Now, look at:  your feet, sand and tiny stones, you would believe yourself  to be at the beach, if you lift you head a little, you can see in your line some cross-sections of quite green alfalfa which grow  thanks to a imaginative system of irrigation. Around, some shrubs and palm trees, behind you guess the Nile. With the foot a palm tree: an ass... which waits patiently. Then to the left, you see pretty houses of full foot, color sands, with the shutters of deep blue. In front of the house, two men dressed with beautiful white dresses greet you. Some children approach, they are curious... but timid... they observe, smile at you... Lastly, if you let your glance lose itself further, you see another dimension of the Nile of the mountains, borders of sand, luminous and the sky so blue it will cut the breath! You will now understood, they are not insane. they have waited to experience this  for a long time!

Rod and David are doing well. My last email had them arriving in Wadi Halfa, Sudan, where they were enjoying a unplanned rest day waiting for the tour trucks to come via another ferry. They said they were nursing sore knees, sore buts, cold sores, along with bit of stomach bug, but their spirits were still very high, joking around and enjoying the people and the scenery. Each day is turn key, with a fixed routine and the main focus being food! When you cycle you eat and it truly is amazing in what quantities you need to consume to sustain yourself. Rod said the food has been very good and plentiful!  I'll be looking  forward to more updates from the tour site as Rod's blackberry will be spotty through Sudan and Ethiopia.

I have contacted a lady in Vancouver who will join the tour in March and she has graciously accepted  to take a small package over to Rod and David for me. If you would like to send a letter or picture.  Please send it to me before the end of February. Brian, Can you send me an update on the squash as Rod has been asking how everyone is doing.