BLACK SEA, SUDANS, ETHIOPIA 2013: 6 Khartoum, Sudan

Thursday, October 31, 2013

It was nice to find the Novotel Hotel breakfast began at 5 AM, making it possible to eat before catching the 5:30 AM shuttle to the airport. There was no security going into the airport, the line for the Egyptair flight to Khartoum was short and passport control was quick and easy. This is a very organized, modern airport to fly from. The only security was going into the boarding area, there are lots of signs in English and there are people around to ask for help.

The seats were very close together, but the steward on the plane said to use two seats so my legs could unfold under the middle one. He would direct anyone claiming the seat next to me to another location. A lengthy prayer was broadcast in Arabic before takeoff - I'm not sure if that is a comfort to passengers or more worry! A good breakfast was served on the way to Khartoum.

The documents sent by Raidan Travel, the company that has made all arrangements for Sudan, worked perfectly both for getting on the plane in Egypt and to expedite the issue of a visa at the airport. There was no one else getting a visa, so the process was fast. The visa was $100 for Canadians ($150 for US citizens) in comparison with Egypt's $15.

A driver from Raidan provided transport to the very deluxe Corinthia Hotel, which looks like a 20 story high egg in an egg cup. The hotel will built by Gaddaafi with Libyan money. The 11th floor room had a great view of the city and the Blue Nile River. Ahmed, the owners of Raiden Travel, came to the hotel to go over plans for the rest of the trip. Dinner was in the 18th floor oriental restaurant, and was very good. The staff in the hotel are very friendly and superbly trained. In Sudan, due to US sanctions, credit cards are not accepted anywhere, including the best hotels, no wire transfers can be sent to the country and it is impossible to change US $100 bills dated 2006 or before, making cash on hand a bit tight.

Friday, November 1, 2013

We began today's tour with the National Museum, which provided a good grounding in the history of the country, with information on the various rulers and religions that have been dominant. Artifacts on display go back tens of thousands of years, and civilizations up to 6,000 years. Next was the home of the Khalifa from 1888, adjoining the tomb of the Mahdi, who led the Sudanese forces against Khartoum when it was under the command of British General Gordon. Gordon, who was killed when the Mahdi took Khartoum, is still spoken of with respect. The British attack 6 months later wiped out the Sudanese forces and killed the Mahdi. The British District Commission took over the house from 1899 to 1928.

There is an amusement park at the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile. It was closed, but the driver paid and was let it. No one was at the actual joining of the rivers except three fishermen. Both rivers were muddy, so there was no difference in colour between them.

Lunch was at a local restaurant, where we were joined by Ahmed. The contrast to the super sanitizing on the ship was remarkable, as here after being around the city all day we ate lunch with our unwashed fingers. Cutlery is not provided, a large tray of food (in this case various types of fish) and the very good local bread was put on the table, and everyone takes pieces in their hand to eat with bread. The driver helped by using his hands to take the fish off the bones and put in a pile for easier access. I waved to a little boy at the next table who was furtively glancing at me, and soon he an his sister, both 6 or 7 years old, were sitting at our table, curious about us. After that their family spoke to us, with Ahmed or the driving helping translate - the Sudanese are very friendly and most are quite outgoing.

In the evening there was Darwish dancing at another mausoleum located in a cemetery full of humble graves, no more than mounds of dirt, many with no markers of any kind. Transport was with the same driver from earlier today, but he had to do an airport pickup so left, promising that the driver for tomorrow would be there by the end of the performance.

There were hundreds of people, including a few other tourists. It wasn't so much dancing as chanting to the beat of drums, and singing. Some people did dance around an inner circle, and a number of the Darwish people were in uniforms of colours standing for peace. Pots of hot, smoking coals were brought to the crowd, and everyone used their hands to move the smoke towards them - a type of blessing. It was interesting, and a lot of Sudanese who spoke some English stopped to chat and ask questions about impressions of their country.

The driver to do the pickup didn't show, we must have missed in the crowd. The driver of a kind motorized rickshaw offered a lift to where there were taxis, as he was not permitted to operate outside his zone. When he had found us a good private taxi near a bus depot he refused payment, but I insisted and eventually he did accept a small amount of money. Fortunately I had a room key with the hotel name in Arabic, as no one spoke English, and after an animated discussion involving half a dozen people the decision was made and the driver headed off - fortunately he had it right!

Ahmed from Raiden phoned the hotel later to apologize for the driver, who apparently was there by we didn't connect. The departure time to head into the country in the morning was set at 9 AM.