A Bend In The Nile

Nubia - an area located in Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan - goes back to 3100 BC. It was here Chris McIvor arrived to provide teaching services in the early 1980s. From Dongola he travelled along the Nile and across the desert, along the way exploring the remains of a civilization that long predates any European equivalent.

In this absorbing account Chris McIvor discovers Africa, finds a culture of openness and hospitality he never expected, travels through the desert, along the Nile, and finally visits the war locked region of chad. Often in danger, and reliant on the kindness of strangers, he comes to love the wide territory known as Nubia and takes the first steps of his life's work in overseas aid.

"As the soldiers exchanged smirks I knew I had committed a blunder. They would see this as an attempt to question their status. Challenged in front of his friends, the youth who was making all the fuss would feel compelled to react. My heart missed a beat when he stretched behind him to pick up a rifle."