Blogs from North, Sudan, Africa - page 3

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

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

Od 4 dni jestesmy w SUDANIE! Przyplynelismy tu z Aswanu w Egipcie do Wadi Halfy. Podrozy odbylismy w wesolym gronie w sumie 11 rowerzystow (wszycy jada tak jak my do Pld Afryki), Rosjanina autostopowicza i kilku motocyklistow, posrod ktorych jeden gluchy Japonczyk, ktory jest w trakcie samotnej podrozy dookola Swiata:-) Podroz naprawde bylaby przednia gdyby nie to, ze kuchnia egipska dala sie mi ponownie troche we znaki - Faraon probowal zemscic sie na pozegnanie. Na szczescie na lad Sudanski stanelam juz mocno na 2 nogach a wlasciwie na 2 kolach:-) Po jednej nocy w Wadi Halfie, cale towarzystwo sie rozjechalo w swoim rytmie. I znow nasza trojka podryfowala przez pustynie. ALEZ TU PIEKNIE I NIESAMOWICIE!!!!!!!!!!!! Pustynia, pustynia, pustynia!!!!! Przecieta jedynie ntka nowiutenkiego, chinskiego asfaltu, po ktorym mkniemy jak na skrzydlach, pchani przez silny anty passat. Nigdy ... read more

Day two in Abri, and we'd arranged to meet up with Magzoob, who we'd met the night before. We later worked out, that through the glories of pigeon English, and miscommunication, he got the impression that back in the UK I'm an author not a book designer. 2+2 then equalled 5, and he thought I was writing a travel guide to Sudan. At this point, he started trying his hardest to entertain and impress us, and quickly nominated himself as out guide around town, eager to get his name in my soon to be published book. By the time we'd figured this out, it was too late, and we just had to go along with it... At 9.30am Magzoob arrived in a 1978 Toyota Corolla, which was incredibly battered and bruised, but still had enough chrome ... read more

Sudan. The name alone seems to strike fear into people. Civil war. Darfur. Sharia Law. It's seem like an odd country to be excited about visiting, but I've been looking forward to it for months. Every first hand account I've read has been full of nothing but praise for travelling through the country, and the people - Nubians, Fur, Arab and more - are said to be the most hospitable people in Africa. Furthermore, there wouldn't be a tour bus in sight. I couldn't wait. While most other travellers seem to be drive through as quickly as possible, as keen to get to Ethiopia in the shortest time. I wanted to do the opposite, spending as much time winding along the Nile through Nubia as possible. After all, how often do you get to be in ... read more