Sudan, for me, was just a 'pass through' country, as we travelled from Egypt to Ethiopia. I didn't find the terrain much different from Egypt, as life still basically just exists along the Nile. However, once we got into the south it was more fertile and arable. I liked that more, maybe it reminds me of home.
Stops along the way included pyramid viewing at Jabal Bakal, Nuri and Meroe. Camel rides were possible and there were a few souvenir hawkers along the way, but nothing obnoxious like in Egypt! We often had the site to ourselves, or shared it with a handful of other tourists. The souvenirs were of poor quality too, but they were home made, not mass produced in China.
The National Museum in Khartoum had pretty much the same stuff as the Nubian Museum in Aswan because the whole area was Nubian at one time. Khartoum also had a very modern shopping mall with numerous good coffee shops that had excellent free wifi, if you got there before the crowds. The conflux of the White and Blue Niles was nothing special, and the only meal I ate in a 'real' restaurant was average.
Speaking of food, barbecued chicken is very popular and it's excellent. Juices from mangoe, strawberry, banana, apple and orange are really good, even without sugar. Fast food, from ChicKing was bad, although the fries were hot. Coffee is Turkish style. Meals prepared at bush camps have been fantastic - lots of detail and imagination. Most of our meals are provided which makes it quite economical, although the sourcing out of local restaurants is something I enjoyed on my last overland.
And hot - yes it was. Luckily the evenings cooled off very nicely and the breeze kept most of the bugs away. We bush camped 5 nights out of 8 and they were perfect, especially with the clear, star filled sky and glowing moon.
Prices are reasonable - 54 cents for a Diet Coke, $1.80 for a large fresh squeezed juice and 40 cents for coffee. "Supermarkets" mean fresh fruit and vegetables, but only what is in season. Bread is a round disc that can be sliced to form a pocket, perfect for stuffing. It's tasty too. Unfortunately I can't give the price for a beer because alcohol is strictly forbidden. Guide books say it's 40 lashes if caught!
All roads were paved, but bumpy for the most part. There isn't a lot of traffic because most people don't own cars. They get around in public coaches, mini vans and tuk-tuks.
So Sudan is somewhere I can say I've been, but in spite of the friendly people and economical prices, I don't think I'll return.
Thanks Alli, all that information taken on board, not a place high on my must see list. As you say somewhere you pass through ☺
ReplyDeleteHi Marianne,
DeleteThanks for reading! Wish you were here.