As the shimmering mirages of the Sudanese desert slowly began to recede under the unyielding glare of the midday sun, my anticipation started to build.
After a long journey through unending stretches of sand and sparse acacia trees, our caravan was finally approaching the outskirts of Meroë.
And then, almost as if summoned from the dusty parchment of a history book, the silhouette of the first pyramid began to punctuate the horizon, jutting out against the stark blue of the African sky.