Stepping off the aeroplane at Khartoum International Airport the desert heat bounces from the tarmac and hits you in the face no matter what time of day or night you arrive.  Immediately I realized that Africa is throwing a totally new experience at me.  Driving from the airport back “home” introduced an unknown world to me – tuck-tucks and taxis negotiating melting tar surfaces, interesting vehicles  and cool water stored in clay pitchers in front of private houses for anyone who passes by to consume.

I also noticed the interesting people of Sudan.  There are the tall, slim very black and beautiful race from South Sudan, the paler smaller, and equally beautiful people, from the Northern parts of Sudan, mixed in between are the people from Ethiopian and Egyptian decent and also dots of Caucasians from every country imaginable in the world, working for UNAMIS in Sudan, mixing with the stray dogs of the streets.

With memories collected from souks, malls, ancient sites, Biblical rivers, unexpected sights and  experiences in and around Khartoum the Sudanese people will always have a soft spot in my heart because they have an interesting story to tell.

To read about my visit to the pyramids in northern Sudan go to the SUDAN post – enjoy!

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RECOMMENDED:  The story of Aher Arop Bol as contained in the book “The lost boy” is  a fascinating read of a boy’s journey to escape from the conflict in Sudan.

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The post KHARTOUM – WHERE THE WHITE AND BLUE NILE MEET appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

At Kalizo on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river

Now there are no ”official” rules for having a braai.  The people of the Rainbow Nation each has his/her own preference on the when, how and what to braai.  Some of us like to have a basic fire place where you can sit as close as possible to the fire when it is cold – and do not mind smelling like smoke – and some of us like to do a classy braai in a build-in fireplace inside the house or on the stoep.  For most of my fellow citizens a braai is not about grilling the meat on a gas barbeque.

Lighting the fire in the Klein Karoo

First of all, the choice of firewood has to be sorted.  If you come from the Winelands you will probably prefer old grape vines, but if you are from the maize producing areas you may prefer to build your fire from maize cobs.  A popular wood, which is also freely available, is the alien Black Wattle and Rooikrantz or the option of charcoal.  It is all about taking time to sit around the fire and chat while you wait for the coals to get ready.  As a guest, it is very important to remember that the host is the one who starts the fire and will decide when it is ready for the meat to go on the fire!

Preparing a meal in Northern Kenya

The host will stipulate beforehand whether it is a “bring and braai” or not, but this is not always the case.  You will be notified if you will have to bring your own meat and/or salad, etc.  Remember that you are only allowed to braai your own meat if you are told so.   So, listen carefully!!

What do we like to braai?  Our creative nation loves our meat – anything from red meat, chicken, sausages, sosaties, fish or a braai pie.  We are always ready to try our hand at something new!  And with your choice of meat you will be served braai broodjies or garlic bread or pap en sous and a salad ….. or just meat!

Making a breakfast plan in Mozambique

A braai in South Africa is a social event, most public places have braais available.  In a campsite, you will have braai stands, but mostly each campsite will have an individual braai place.  Apart from braai we love to travel and if you do self catering accommodation the chances are excellent that you will have access to a braai space. And when on holiday, South Africans will braai.

Even in the Sudan we managed to find some wood in the desert

We even made a plan on Christmas eve in Sudan where wood is really a problem to find.  As you can see from the pictures you make do with what you have, as long as we can braai and enjoy some good company.

Do we only braai on National Braai Day?  No!  The Rainbow Nation will always look for an excuse to enjoy their favourite pastime any day of the week and regardless of the weather conditions.  The braai rules are actually very simple:  make your choice of meat and wood and braai regardless the weather!

The post BRAAI – A WAY OF LIFE! appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

The sound of an African wild dog will send shivers down your spine if you hear it for the first time.  One of it’s most striking features is it’s very large round ears. The ears are not only perfect for hearing calls over large distances but are also important for heat loss to regulate their body’s temperature.  They are very efficient and agile hunters capable of reaching speeds of up to 55km/h.  So watch out for them!

Like the African civet, each of these dogs has a unique coat but they also stand out because of their interesting toes. While all other canid species have five toes, the African wild dog only has four.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:   Endangered (estimated 5 500 left on the content)

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AFRICAN CIVET

These beautiful creatures are nocturnal and you have an off chance that you will spot one once in a life time.  Going around a lot of national parks it was only the second time that I was fortunate enough to witness one.  This beautiful animal will rock up at your camp without you even knowing it as they are masters of stealth.

Each African civet has a different pattern of brown and black spots on their coat. This colour combination provides excellent camouflage in the forest.  Their natural habitat is becoming more and more under threat, because of expanding farming activities, but luckily they are very adaptable creatures and are not on the endangered list for the moment.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Least Concerned

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ZANZIBAR RED COLOBUS MONKEY 

 As its alternative common name of ‘Zanzibar colobus’ suggests, Kirk’s red colobus is found on the island of Zanzibar. Its population is worryingly small today and it is estimated that as few as 1,000 to 1,200 individuals persist, mainly within the Jozani Forest Reserve. A small number of individuals also live on nearby Pemba Island, in the Ngezi Forest Reserve.

I was astounded as to how tame these primates in the Jozani forest are when we went on a walking safari.  Some of them came as close as one meter from where I was standing, sitting down and foraging in the leaf carpet for some food.  For me this was a special experience!

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Endangered

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KUDU

A kudu might look big and clumsy but they are actually swift and excellent jumpers. To clear a fence of 2m (6.6ft) high is nothing out of the ordinary.  They are also responsible for many accidents at night in the Karoo area of South Africa.  So be on the look out for them at night.

They have long necks that they use to reach food on high branches. The only other animal that beats them on their impressive reach is the giraffe.

The meat of the Kudu, having a coarse grain, can easily be mistaken for beef.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Of least concern

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WILDEBEEST OR GNU

There are two species – blue and black – and another species that are only found on the African continent.   The black wildebeest has a lovely white tale, almost horse like, and the blue wildebeest has an all black tale. These strange looking (somewhat ugly) animals are already extinct in Malawi, but was reintroduced successfully in Namibia again.

The blue wildebeest is best known for the yearly migration that takes place in the Serengeti.  The Great Migration sees over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,00 zebra and a host of other antelope traveling cross country.  During the migration period around 250 000 wildebeest and 30 000 zebra are killed off every year as a result of predation by carnivores, but also from thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.  If they can survive the migration stint they have a life span of up to 20 years!

Bucket list:  Ticked

Status at the moment:  Not threatened

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GERENUK

“Look, it’s a deer! It’s a baby giraffe! No, it’s a gerenuk!”  This is about the best description for a gerenuk that I have stumbled upon.

This strange deer is related to the gazelle, but only differences between the gerenuk and the gazelle is that gerenuks have a more solid skull and an elongated neck.  The elongated neck is definitely the gerenuk’s most outstanding characteristic.

The name ‘gerenuk’ means ‘giraffe necked’ in the Somali language and is also known as ‘Wallers Gazelle’.

We were fortunate enough to spot these rare animals on the horizon while crossing the Chalbi desert in Northern Kenya.  The image, which was taken with my mik en druk,  while driving, is a bit blurry, but this is my proof that I have seen three of them!

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Conservation dependant

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“You either get the point of Africa or you don’t. What draws me back year after year is that it’s like seeing the world with the lid off.”  — A A Gill

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Then I started to Google all the lesser known but interesting facts about Sudan. As the temperature rises to 50 degrees Celsius in summer time the first thing that strikes you as you get off the plane in Khartoum is the oppressive heat whether it is early morning or late at night and then the different culture and way of living due to the extreme temperature where the tarmac melts during midday.   However the Sudanese people are very friendly and always willing to share what they have at their disposal even if it is just cup of sweet tea or a glass of water.  Everywhere you will find clay pots on the street where people can have a drink of water for free.

The traffic congested city of Khartoum is quite a dusty place especially when a haboob (a desert wind full of dust that just seeps in everywhere) strikes.    It is quite an eerie feeling when this phenomenon strikes as it gets totally dark and dusty within minutes.

Experiencing a haboob in Khartoum

However a big plus is that fuel is laughably cheap due to big oil deposits especially in the present South Sudan.   During 2008 when I visited it was about R2.80 per liter in comparison to South Africa where it was about R9 per liter at the time.  This is a big contributor to the traffic problem that the city faces.  As there are no curbs on the pavements hurried drivers will use the pavement as part of the road and often the traffic ends up in five lanes when there is only space for three on the tarmac.  So be wide awake when you walk on the “pavement”, because you are not totally safe there.  Mix into the traffic a right-handed vehicle in this left-hand drive country and things amounts to quite a challenge!

Pyramids at Meroe

A little known fact is that Sudan also have Nubian pyramids at Meroe, approximately 100 km north of Khartoum, albeit smaller than the famous ones in Egypt.  These pyramids were built about 800 years after Egyptian pyramid building stopped.  Some crazy Italian  thought there were valuable treasures hidden inside the pyramids and decided to bomb them to retrieve the valuable stuff.  This explains why some of the pyramids are beheaded.  There was some restoration done to the pyramids but actually a very bad job was made of the restoration project!

Be prepared for a VERY hot day in the desert when you visit Meroe and the Nubian temples as there is no shade to escape the relentless sun.  Bring enough sunblock, water, some snacks and sturdy walking shoes as the hot sand gets inside your sandals while walking around and can be very uncomfortable.   Remember also that your knees and arms should be covered when visiting these sites out of respect for the Muslim people.  This is a country where the temperature easily rises to 50 º Celsius during the day – so be prepared!

The temples

Personally to stand beside the Biblical Nile river in Khartoum, the longest river in Africa, struck me with awe.  As a child we always read about the Nile in the Bible and here I was seeing and standing next to  it at the confluence of the Blue and the White Nile, the life source for many Sudanese people.  What a privilege!  After viewing the confluence of the two Niles find Ozone Cafe in Khartoum 2  (which is located on a roundabout) and treat yourself to some pastries and a cold drink.  This is a popular hangout for ex-pats as well locals.

After some refreshments take the effort and  find your way to the Blue Nile Sailing Club.  The first thing you will notice upon entering is a gray colored boat onshore about 50m from the riverbanks. The El Malik was formerly one of Kitchener’s (yes, the famous Lord Kitchener) gunboats that has seen many battles such as the Battle of Omdurman. After retiring from government service, she was handed over to the Blue Nile Sailing Club and they used it as headquarters.  By the the late 1980s, the El Malik faced another battle – corrosion – and the gunboat faced the possibility of sinking.  Ironically, a massive flood in 1987 washed ashore the gunship and it still sits there until the present day.  The sailing club also offers a couple of campsites next to the El Malik if you want to pitch your tent.

Although Khartoum is a flourishing capital city there is also a lot of half built buildings all over the city. The building regulations stipulates that you start paying taxes once the building is complete.  To avoid this the residents never complete the building and just live in the bottom part of it to avoid paying the taxes and because of lack of rain and hot weather this is possible all year round!

The streets of Khartoum

As this was the end of our overland trip we took a final trip with our vehicle to Port Sudan on the Red Sea to ship our pickup back to South Africa, after all the necessary paperwork was done in Khartoum.

Scenes from the road to Port Sudan

To see the Red Sea was also a special occasion as you read in the Bible and learn at school of the importance of it.  Never had I thought that I will one day see it myself!

Scenes from the esplanade in Port Sudan

After spending the weekend in Port Sudan, which is not as hot as Khartoum, we flew back to Khartoum with Nova Air.    Sudan certainly opens your eyes so that we  once again can appreciate what we have back here in good old South Africa!    Ordinary food stuff like strawberries, fresh milk and cream and yogurt is not easy to find in this part of the world.

I must confess Sudan was never on my travel bucket list, but nonetheless am I  grateful for the experience of a lifetime.  A smiley added and a tick to my travel bucket.  

INTERESTING BOOKS:  

A good read on the history of Sudan and the role of Gordon in Khartoum is a book called The White Nile by Alan Moorehead.  Emma’s War by Debora Scroggins also gives an insight into the Sudan.

“Travel expands the mind and fills the gap.”
Sheda Savage

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