Blogs from Khartoum, North, Sudan, Africa
Hanging in Khartoum (in more ways than one)
Published: March 23rd 2012Africa » Sudan » North » Khartoum
February 22nd 2012
We ended up spending a few more days in Khartoum than planned as there was some Nuban wrestling on Fridays that we wanted to check out. Unfortunately, in the end we didn't manage to see it, despite getting the bus out to the part of the city that it was supposedly on. We thought 2 guys had understood where we wanted to go and would tell us where to get off, but then they go off the bus and no one else could understand where we wanted to go to. It didn't help that this was the day after our one and only big night out in Khartoum. On the Thursday night, which is like their Friday night, we were brought to a Guest House by our couch surfing host. We arrived to find about 4 ... read more
Hicran Cigdem Yorgancioglu SUDAN 2012 99th country World Around Trips
Published: February 19th 2012Africa » Sudan » North » Khartoum
February 19th 2012
Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Sudan Khartoum Hartum Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatnamesi’nden ..seyahat notlarından alıntılardır . Her hakkı saklıdır .. / Eserin tüm telif hakları H.Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu’na aittir . Eserin izinsiz kopyalanması çoğaltımı ,yayını ,dağıtımı halinde 5846 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Kanunun hükümleri geçerli olacaktır. Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Sudan Khartoum Hartum Devr-i Alem Hicri Alem Hicran Çiğdem Seyahatnamesi’nden ..seyahat notlarından alıntılardır . Her hakkı saklıdır .. / Eserin tüm telif hakları H.Çiğdem Yorgancıoğlu’na aittir . Eserin izinsiz kopyalanması çoğaltımı ,yayını ,dağıtımı halinde 5846 sayılı Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Kanunun hükümleri geçerli olacaktır. Hicran Ciğdem Yorgancıoğlu ‘nun Sudan Khartoum Hartum Devr-i Alem Hicri... read more
February 19th 2012
We had to get up at 6.30 a.m. to get our bus to Khartoum at 7. The bus didn't end up leaving until around 8ish but got bought some tea by the guy in charge as we waited. The coach was another proper one with air conditioning, but again with blaring Sudanese music. The speaker system must be new as music was pumping throughout the bus. We arrived in Khartoum at about 2 p.m. and got in touch with our couchsurfing host, Gareth. We went back to his flat and chilled out for the afternoon after not getting much sleep on the coach. Later, we got in touch with Nathan and Rien who we had met on the ferry to Wadi Halfa and were still in Khartoum. They happened to be staying near us, so we ... read more
June 6th 2011
The result of the January 2011 referendum ensures Sudan will confront a period of momentous and irrevocable change. An overwhelming majority of the population in South Sudan voted for independence from the North, barely ten years after the cessation of hostilities in what was the longest running civil war on the African continent. As a result, North and South Sudan will be going their separate ways. The official date for the proclamation of the newly created South Sudan will be 9 July 2011, so this blog entry may well be the last from the unified country of Sudan. Khartoum is the engine room and traditional capital of the united Sudan, and will remain the capital of the newly created North Sudan. The long running dispute at the heart of the civil war involved access to the ... read more
You drag it out, than I’ll drag out breakfast
Published: February 17th 2011Africa » Sudan » North » Khartoum
January 31st 2011
I am in Nuri a small Sudanese village and walking towards some dilapidated pyramids. A police guard decked out in light blue walks up to me and informs it costs 25 pounds to enter (about $6.50). I had already seen two groups of pyramids the days earlier so I decided to walk off. At the roundabout I walk along the other street and thought. “Well the morning is not over yet I might as well have my breakfast and have a distant view of the pyramids instead. So’s I open my bag and see the guard walking towards me. He’s assuming I am going to sneak in from the other side. He stands next to me and realises I am about to eat. Instead of taking his distance he stands next to me and waits. There ... read more
May 16th 2010
The plan in Atbara was to catch a bus to the ancient site of Meroe and then flag down something heading to Khartoum. Unfortunately no-one could understand where we wanted to go and the only bus we could find was not leaving until 1pm which would make it difficult to find anything later in the day going to Khartoum. In the end we decided to head straight to Khartoum but the bus was not leaving until 8am so we sat down and had a cup of tea. The tea ladies set up their stands on every street corner. They consist of little more than a brazier and a lockable chest covered with jars of tea, coffee and spices. Stools or old oil cans provide the seating. It is a great way of chatting to the locals. ... read more
April 28th 2010
This entry is now over a week overdue. My apologies, I blame it on my fellow Canadian who figured he should give me all the video games he had. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB As is popular amongst the UNMOs that come through Khartoum, 5 of us along with one of the Canada house security staff (brought for language assistance) made plans to visit the ancient Meroe Pyramids. The adventure begins days before we even leave. First we must get permission from the UN to travel within the country, this requires several documents to be signed and stamped by various people who don’t actually care. Then we were required to get permission from the Tourism Police and the Ministry of antiquities to visit the pyramids and take pictures. A quick aside, taking pictures of anything other than yourself and your ... read more
April 17th 2010
My second week of training is now completed. The work week here in Sudan is Sunday through Thursday with Friday and Saturday being the weekend. The week went by quickly, and has seen a few Canadian UNMO’s come and go. All of our tours are staggered so there is never more than a few people at a time on the same schedule. The classes completed this week were generally more interesting as they were designed specifically for us UNMO’s. I am not sure if it is just coincidence or not but the majority of the lectures were given my military officers and there appeared to be a greater sense of professionalism than during the Generic indoc course for all UN workers that we had last week. It is not hard to determine who has had training ... read more
