Sudan Archives - TRAVELBUCKET

COOKING IN THE BUSH

This surely is my favourite pastime when we are camping in a group – to watch how innovative people can get when preparing a meal with what you have at hand, especially when it is week two of a serious off-road trip. I myself like to keep things very simple! I prefer to travel as light as possible and keep the kitchen equipment/ utensils to the minimum. Fancy cooking is something that I will attempt when I am at home with all the crockery and cutlery at hand. After all, this is why we come to the bush – to get back to basics again and appreciate nature. I can proudly say that I have had a braai in countries like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Zambia! When camping there are basically two ways to cook – either with a gas cooker… Read more >

GOING SOLO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK?

Going solo off the beaten track is not for every off-road traveller whether you visit Botswana, Namibia or venture further into Africa past Zambia, going north. There are pros and cons to it so you need to consider everything. If you are a social person and like the company of fellow travellers and hate being alone then going solo is definitely not for you. Groups also provide some security and you can share costs of planned activities. If you like your own company and have some travel savvy then going solo is for you. Going solo gives you freedom of choice and total independence to change your travel plans on the spur of the moment if something interests you on the wayside. Things that you need to consider when planning your next solo African trip are the following. You will need the ability to navigate. There are not many countries… Read more >

KHARTOUM – WHERE THE WHITE AND BLUE NILE MEET

As I am sitting behind my computer writing this I am missing Sudan. Yes, Sudan! Hubby was stationed there for about three years and I was fortunate enough to visit Khartoum four times. As you approach from a southerly direction you get a glimpse of the White Nile embracing the sprawling city when peeking through the aeroplane’s window. The below video that I found on Youtube of a Qatar flight approaching the airport is exactly what I saw on my first visit! 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… Read more >

BRAAI – A WAY OF LIFE!

We have just celebrated Nasionale Braai Dag (National Braai Day) or, as it is officially declared as part of the public holiday system in South Africa, Heritage Day. This is a yearly celebration on the 24th of September. I think you can imagine what we as a nation do on this day – we braai! Although we have 11 official languages in our country the word braai is understood across the board. 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… Read more >

CROSSING THE BORDER (PART III) – ARRIVING AT THE BORDER

You have made it to the border post! Now you need to keep calm and work through the process. Remember each country has its own rules. Which border post? In all our years of travel we found that it is much easier to enter/exit at smaller border posts. At the bigger border posts, the officials are sometimes tired and irritated and will take their time to work through the processes. Our experience is at the smaller posts they are friendlier and welcome a chat while doing their work. When? Try to avoid peak times, if possible, like month end, late Friday afternoon or popular public holidays like Easter. Everybody is in a hurry and the queues are longer, the tempers flare quicker and willingness is shorter. Be positive! No matter how frustrated you get, try to smile and be friendly. They are only doing their job. A positive attitude goes… Read more >

THE GOOD OLD PAPER MAP

Why still a hard copy map? Yes, yes, yes I know all the modern technology is available – and I do own a GPS and a smart phone with navigational abilities, but I still love a good old map with all those red lines connecting places. You see this is where the practical me jumps in again. I like it because: There is nothing more rewarding when you are planning a trip than to spread out the map on the table and say that is where I want to go. Yes, yes, I know the GPS shows me where I want to go, but sometimes we get so blinded by tunnel vision focussing on what the GPS tells us what to do that we do not actually know where we are in the bigger picture. Driving in town that is fine, you can just replace/recharge the batteries or plug into… Read more >

SUDAN

When hubby went to work in Sudan (before the divide into Sudan and South Sudan) I had to grab a map and look closely where exactly in Africa it is located! 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… Read more >