Blogs from North, Sudan, Africa - page 5

Prepare yourselves for a continuation of the picture-imagine-exercise first introduced in the last blog as I write about all the fun I had in Sudan. Sudan is the biggest country in Africa. Ruled by Pharoahs throughout much of its ancient history it was plundered for its assets before being brutally colonised by the British in 1898. Since independence in 1956 it has faced relntless revolts against power and (if you're up to date on your news you should know this) is currently limping through a general election a year before te Christian south will vote on the issue of independence from the Muslim north. Anyway, travelling with Istvan and Radek proved to be a strange but rewarding experience. Radek is gung-ho in every way and thinks nothing through. He charges around a predominantly Muslim country where ... read more

And so into Sudan. Largest country in Africa. Dominated by the Nile. Difficult to visit. Friendly hospitable people. I would like to put up some photos but the link is not handling it here and keeps dropping out so will add them later. Sitting here a little before dawn on the banks of the Nile in Khartoum at the Blue Nile Sailing Club it is just a bit chilly in the breeze blowing across the water. Kites - not sure of the proper name here - are feeding on the food scraps that were left along the banks last night by the Thursday night card players and picnickers. There might even be some left overs from the massive wedding that occurred next door last night. The kites seem to be a touch bigger and defninitely blacker ... read more

I wake bright and early at 3am for my ferry trip across the border to Wadi Halfa in Sudan. Wait! 3am?! That's not right! My hostel roommate is taking a tour to see Abu Simbel (four hours south of Aswan) so the proprietor and his goons are hammering on our door as a wake-up call. Shouting does not make the pounding desist and even after we open the door they merrily move onto the next poor guest's room and recommence the bludgeoning, as if everyone wasn't awake already. Room by room, floor by floor this continues. After getting a couple of hours more sleep I catch an early train to the ferry port. I am heartened by one of my final interactions with locals when two men briefly stop to chat and offer me bread and ... read more

Before leaving Luxor and going onto our last week in Egypt we paid a visit to the Sunshine Children’s orphanage where we spent the morning playing with the children and seeing their home. It was set up 13 years ago by an English lady (who was a Methodist) who came to visit Egypt many times and noticed the amount of street children there were without parents. She decided to sell her home in England and use the money to come out to Luxor and set up the home and they now have over 80 children in their care. Despite them all being orphans, the children were very happy and loving (most of the time I had one toddler jumping on me cuddling and a baby on the other arm!) and enjoyed us being there. I gave ... read more

My bus company for the leg to Khartoum has the threatening name of Kabosh, but their service levels give a good first impression when a car is sent to transport me the 300m from the lokonda to their departure point. This is the first bus of the day but it doesn't leave on time, and I am able to watch Karima gradually wake up. A donkey cart bearing a surreal load of severed donkey heads passes by in the dawn light. The journey to Khartoum is unremarkable, with desert once more dominating the scenery. The capital is truly enormous by the standards of the towns I have seen so far in Sudan, and in fact consists of three cities rolled into one. It takes us fully three quarters of an hour to progress from the first ... read more