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 أدخل: خواجة إنجليزي يكتب عن الســـودان
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Cons
Heat, dust, poverty, not many tourist attractions, no tourist
infrastructure.
The Bottom Line
A fascinating place to live, but maybe not a tourist destination just yet.
Come for the experience, not for a holiday.
Full Review
When planning a holiday, Sudan probably doesn't immediately spring to mind.
You probably think "who in their right mind would go to Sudan on holiday?",
and I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. Sudan doesn't feature in glossy
travel magazines or holiday brochures...instead it is a regular among the
BBC World News items on war and famine in Africa. For that reason, tourists
tend to give Sudan a wide berth, and the Sudanese government doesn't exactly
encourage the adventurous few who do dare to enquire about visas. So why am
I here?
I live in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. I am here as a volunteer English
teacher, working in a no-frills secondary school...but aside from teaching,
I have managed to do the "touristy" things in Khartoum, and will use this
space to try and make it sound like an attractive place. I thought teaching
was hard, but this is much more difficult!
Sudan is not a pretty place. There are nice views and pleasant places to
visit, but it can't be described as beautiful. At least, I have not seen
anything to persuade me to write otherwise as yet.
Khartoum, a huge sprawling metropolis, is not immediately likeable. It is
hot, dusty, poor, chaotic, crowded... There are few old buildings, the rest
made from concrete, either half finished or half demolished (sometimes hard
to tell). The few colonial buildings left over from the British era are in
such a bad state of disrepair that they are hardly worth braving the heat to
track them down. But in spite of all this, Khartoum grows on you.
The location of Khartoum is slightly special...it lies at the confluence of
the Blue and the White Niles. And yes, they are different colours, the one
being a sort of muddy grey, and the other a dirty brown. Across the White Nile is Khartoum's more traditional cousin, Omdurman, while facing Khartoum
on the opposite bank of the Blue Nile is Khartoum North, more commonly known
as Bahri. Bahri is mainly a residential and industrial suburb, and apart
from a couple of riverside cafes and a busy souk, there is little to tempt
the visitor across the bridge linking it with Khartoum.
Why do I like Khartoum? Well, I like it for all the reasons I listed
above...it is hot, dirty, chaotic, etc...it all depends on mood. If I am in
a bad mood after a hard day's teaching/crowd control, then the last thing I
want is to be accosted by a thousand and one beggars with missing limbs in
the heat of the day while trying to navigate the heaving souqs to locate my
bus, a rusty pile of metal which somehow manages to move. The chaos will
give me a headache, I will snap at anyone who dares to shout out "khawaja"
("foreigner!") at me, and I will curse the city to Hell and back.
If, on the other hand, I have had a good day (and this is more likely), then
I see it all in a completely different light. On these days, I can't think
of anywhere I would rather be than being jostled in the souqs by Dinka
tribesmen and covered women with tribal scars on their faces. Being slowly
crushed on a local bus is seen as one of lifes little pleasures, especially
when all thoughts are drowned out by the unique sound of Sudanese pop music.
The dusty streets are "rustic", the decay "adds to the character" of the
place, the heat becomes bearable, the chaos is vaguely amusing.
You have to prepare yourself for Khartoum. The chaos, the heat and the
poverty will hit you hard as soon as you step out of the plane. It might
seem like an India with no redeeming features. If you come expecting the
worst, then you'll find it not too bad at all, but come expecting a charming
Arab city with five star luxury, and Khartoum will be your version of Hell.
If you can do without luxury and comfort, then maybe you'll enjoy your time
in Khartoum and the rest of Sudan. For someone stuck in the city for a few
days, then there is more than enough to do, so I will start by talking about
the attractions in Khartoum.
Your first introduction to the city will probably be Souq Arabi, the huge
melee of buses, rickshaws, beggars, fruit juice stalls and shops that forms
the centre of Khartoum. On the map, it looks like a rectangular plaza, but
in reality it is a collection of bus stations based around a large mud-brick
mosque. Buses come at you from all directions, as do the beggars....there
are thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons who have
descended on Khartoum in the last decade, each one with their own tale of
misery...the problem is deciding who to give your money to. Although crime
is rare in Khartoum, this is one place to watch your bag.
After a fruit juice or six at one of the many stalls, you could do worse
than visit one of the two museums. There are actually meant to be four
museums in Khartoum, although I've only seen two of them open. The main one
is the National Museum of Sudan, an extensive collection of ancient
artefacts from all around Sudan. The ground floor deals with the
archaeological finds, while the top floor has paintings lifted from churches
of the old Christian kingdom of Dongola. Don't miss the temples, taken down
brick by brick, transported to Khartoum and reconstructed in the museum's
>grounds. Look hard and you can see some graffiti left over from 19th century
excavations. If archaeology isn't your thing, then outside in the
ruin-strewn gardens is a pleasant cafe where you can contemplate what the
crocodile pool once looked like when it had water and crocodiles in it.
The second functional museum is the Presidential Palace Museum. This houses
a bizarre collection of gifts that the various leaders of Sudan have
accumulated from foreign dignitaries. Look out for the first piano in Sudan
(maybe been dropped down a flight of stairs in its lifetime, methinks), the
Persian chess set, and an unusual ornament from the Omdurman Abbattoir
>Union. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this museum is the building
itself...it is housed in a former Anglican church, complete with plaques
commemmorating the lives of British soldiers who died here. Again, this
museum has a garden cafe, and a greenhouse containing cast-off presidential
cars. The ideal location for graduation photos, or at least, that must have
been what a group of Thais thought when they arrived en masse in gowns and
mortarboards one Friday afternoon! Don't ask me why....
Both museums cost 100 dinar, which is less than 50c/30p. Also note that
these are two of the very few places in the country selling postcards, so
stock up here!
Museums aside, there isn't an awful lot to do in Khartoum. Down by the
University of Khartoum is an impressive cathedral, although the gates have
been locked every time I've tried to enter, so I cannot waz lyrical about
the interior. The mosques, as far as I know, are off-limits to non-Muslims,
which is a shame, as one or two of them are very striking. Once you've
finished church and mosque spotting, then the next thing to do is head down
to the Nile and sit admiring the view while sipping tea or mango juice at
one of the riverside cafes. There are plenty to choose from, all rough
tables on dirt floors, all charging more than normal but still well within
the budget of a rich "khawaja". Take any bus heading to omdurman, and you'll
pass a string of such cafes just after the national Museum.
For the adventurous, you can take a boat over to Tutti Island for 15 dinars
(i.e. nothing). This is not for the faint-hearted or the infirm...the
motorized boats sit very low in the water, are crammed full of passengers
and could capsize at any moment in the strong currents of the Nile. Tutti is
a peaceful haven though, a traditional mud-brick village of dust roads and
farming land. This is the place to come in the late afternoon, when the
weather becomes cool enough to explore the maze-like alleys, and the sunsets
from the boat terminal are among the best.
If you walk the length of Tutti, then you'll come across another boat
terminal with even more rickety canoes heading over to Omdurman. Omdurman,
although technically part of the metropolis of Khartoum, is a city in its
own right. Omdurman is much more traditional than Khartoum, and actually has
>something to show for its fairly short but infamous history. When the
British conquered Khartoum, the Sudanese leader known as the Mahdi set up
camp opposite the city, founding Omdurman. Nowadays, you can visit the
Mahdi's house (Bayt al-Khalifa) which is now an interesting small museum
showing how the Mahdi and his family lived. Next door is a colourful and
striking conical tomb surrounded by palm trees...this is where the Mahdi is
buried. Unfortunately, non-Muslims cannot enter, so you'll have to make do
with the view from afar.
Along the river banks are the remains of Omdurman's mud-brick defences. I
say remains, as there really is not much left, but with a few good cafes
nearby, these might be worth investigating if you have the time.
A better trip would be to Omdurman Souq, a confusing area of narrow street
markets about a mile inland. Although this souq is nothing in comparison
with Damascus' Souq al-Hamidiyyah, or Sana'a's Suq al-Milh, Omdurman Souq
can be a fascinating place to wander round, particularly in the late
afternoon. Like other Arab souqs, each street tends to sell a different type
of product...one row of shops sell beads for jewellery, another has spice
stalls stretching as far as the eye can see, another street is dedicated to
bicycle parts, while another doesn't actually sell anything at
all...ebony-skinned men in pure white jellabiyyas and turbans sit behind
tables with one item on display. The ones with axes are labourers looking
for a day's work, while those with a light bulb on show are electricians
waiting to be hired. It is more for the diverse mix of people that Omdurman
Souq is interesting...where else can you mingle with Dinkas and Bileng
tribesmen with tribal scars on their foreheads, Arab merchants transporting
their goods on donkeys, African women in brightly coloured tobes?
On Fridays, most of Khartoum and Omdurman shuts down completely right up
until sunset. Cafes and juice stalls tend to stay open, as do museums, but
shops and transport are less reliable. On a Friday afternoon, one thing to
do is to pay a trip to Hamd en-Nil Mosque where Sufis or Whirling Dervishes
>do what they are famous for...whirl in the sand to the complicated rhythms of Sudanese drumming.
Khartoum is a safe place to walk around, day or night, despite its somewhat
negative image abroad as something of a terrorist stronghold. If you listen
to the Western media, Sudan is a very unsafe place to visit, and yes, parts
of the country are. But here in Khartoum, there is very little evidence of
the on-going war that rages in the south of the country, nor of the tribal
conflicts around the Eritrean border. Crime does exist, but compared to
Western cities, it is negligible. The greatest hazard comes from crossing
the road.
Sudanese hospitality is known throughout the Arab World. I know it is a
stereotype, but in general the Sudanese are a happy bunch, extremely
friendly and helpful to foreigners. Chances are you will meet new friends on
buses and will be invited to their house for a meal. Take my
advice...accept, but never accept more than one invitation in one day, as
death by overfeeding is not the most pleasant way to go.
Transport is cheap and fairly fast and reliable. The only problem for the
tourist is the complete lack of signs on the buses...there is no way to know
where the bus is going, and even shouting out your destination won't help
you much. You just have to trust a local to put you on the right bus.
Normally, I am one for walking round cities, but Khartoum challenged that
due to the extreme heat (temperatures are often in the high 30's and low
40's, and the sun is strong). Distances between points of interest are long,
so getting to know the bus system is really the only way to get around the
system. The buses never charge more than 60 dinar for any ride, and a
"kamasaari" collects the fares on board. To stop the bus, you click your
fingers at him (and it is always a "him"), and he will hiss at the driver to
stop. Amjads are a faster, more comfortable and more expensive alternative
to buses, although they never cost more than 100 dinar.
Rickshaws are another matter entirely. Sometimes you might be lucky and find
a khawaja-friendly rickshaw driver, but nine times out of ten, you will be
ripped off unless you know how much it should cost. Taxis are the luxury way
to travel, as they have no meters and you are at the mercy of the taxi
driver...don't go near them!
Sudan isn't really noted for its sumptuous and delicious cuisine. The main
staple is "fuul", fava beans boiled to a mush and mixed with salt, goat's
cheese and chilli, scooped up with bread from a metal bowl eaten by the
roadside. Sometimes it is nice, but sometimes it tastes exactly how it
looks...a bowl of s**t. Restaurant food is not really exciting at the best
of times, and is mostly limited to lamb kebabs, lamb shawarmas, chicken
shawarmas, ta'amiyya (felafel) and burgers. Sometimes you can strike lucky
and find roast chicken or fried fish, but on the whole Sudanese restaurant
food is uninspiring and stodgy. On the other hand, if you happen to be
invited to a Sudanese home, then don't miss this opportunity to try Sudanese
specialities such as Aseeda and Tagaliyya.
Like most Arab countries, tea is very popular, served black with cardamom,
cinnamon or mint, or with powdered milk. Either way it is always extremely
sweet. Coffee is also good, served thick, strong and black with lots of
sugar. Kerkedeh is a tea made from hibiscus leaves, nice hot but better when
chilled. Fruit juices are excellent and cheap (between 30 and 50 dinars per
glass). The standard ones are orange, mango, lemon, grapefruit and guava,
but don't neglect the local ones like a'aradeeb (a thick brown juice) and
sha'eer (a white milky-looking drink with a vague hint of pear). Juices are
always served from slightly grubby tupperware containers filled with ice, but don't worry too much about hygiene...tap water here is not only
drinkable, it is actually quite good. Beware of extremely sugary orange
juice though....
If fruit juices aren't your thing, then fizzy drinks are available at all
shops. Pepsi, Mirinda (orange or red) and Stim (apple) are the favourites,
although I prefer the Sudanese Bizianos, which tastes a bit like cough
mixture at first, but grows on you quickly. Drink from the bottles outside
the shop, as they want the glass bottles back!
Sudan is a Muslim society, and has abided by Shari'a Islamic Law since 1983.
That doesn't mean that the women are veiled completely, and it doesn't mean
it is a country of fundamentalists and terrorists. The women generally do
cover their hair with loose lengths of material called "tobes" or just plain
headscarves, but many do not seem to be too bothered if these slip off in
public or not. A Western woman would not be expected to adopt local styles
of dress, but she should dress modestly and not show too much flesh.
The Islamic laws also prohibit alcohol, but that does not mean it doesn't
exist in Sudan. Many Sudanese enjoy an illegal drink or two, and many social
gatherings among the upper classes would not be the same without a bottle of
expensive whisky. Keep your distance from locally produced alcohol,
though....known as Aragi, it is made from dates and smells just like
paintstripper...don't ask me what it tastes like, I never got that far!
Nightlife doesn't really exist...in the evenings, people gather in parks and
cafes, and sip tea until 11pm when all parties are expected to end.
Weddings, if you should be invited to one, are fun and raucous occasions
with lots of African-style dancing and food...but again, these end at 11pm.
Did I mention the heat? Well, the weather so far has been hot and sunny all
the time, temperatures in the forties, and the occasional rainstorm. When it
rains, mosquitos come out in force, so bring mozzie repellent and a
protective net...and don't even think of coming without malaria
prophylactics.
All in all, this review probably won't make you rush to the travel agents to
book your flight to Khartoum, and I wouldn't really advise anyone to come to
Sudan on holiday just yet. There is a lot of potential here for
tourism...river trips along the Nile, diving in the Red Sea, trekking in
Jebel Marra in the west, camel racing with the Nomads, the mountainous town
of Kassala, safaris in Dinder National Park, the ancient ruins and pyramids
of Marawi and Dongola...just the infrastructure needed to attract foreign
visitors is not there. In Khartoum and Port Sudan, 5* hotels do exist for
businessmen, but other than that you're looking at $3 a night flop houses.
Don't expect comfort, fine dining or lots to see and do. Come if you want to
see a country virtually untouched by tourism, you can cope with a bit of
grime and poverty, and are looking for a bit of an adventure. Even then, I'm
sure there are many more worthwhile places to visit in the world before
Sudan begins to tempt. If you have the chance to visit friends or relatives
in the country, then I would seriously consider going, but if not, maybe you
should try elsewhere.
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عبدالماجد فرح يوسف
Saifeldin Gibreel
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست