Picture Gallery 14 - SUDAN
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SUDAN - Khartoum; the Nile River; Meroe Pyramids; Nubian Desert; Wadi Halfa
Sudan – what a surprise this country proved to be – with friendly, helpful locals. We wished we had the chance to see more of it.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - The country we traveled north through from the border town of Gallabat was a lot greener than we expected – but it is still the ‘rainy' season – it got a lot hotter, and drier, as we headed north!!; The flooded waters of the Blue Nile River at Khartoum, as seen from where we camped at the Blue Nile Sailing Club in Khartoum; sitting high and dry at the Blue Nile Sailing Club is the resting place of Gordon's gunboat, the Gunboat Melik , which was used by the British, back in the days of the Khartoum siege in late 1894 and early 1885.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - We went to see the famous ‘Whirling Dervishes' a religious sect who dance and prance to the sounds of drums and the chant of the surrounding practitioners. Only a few really ‘whirl', lost in their own world of trance and getting closer to their god.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - A typical local village or small township along the road from Khartoum north; the Meroe Pyramids and locals who offer camel rides, goods to buy and photographs. These ancient monuments date back 3,000 years and are split into two sections about 1km apart. The northern section is the most impressive with about 60 pyramids in this group although only about 20 are easily seen or relatively intact.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - Camped on the edge of the Nile some 50km south of Abu Hamed. It had been a day where the temperature was nuzzling 50°C so to stop in the shade beside the river was a real plus; the local nearby village people were very friendly & helpful, allowing us to top up with some water and take some pics; a couple of the local lads now adorning some of Helen's knitted hats (we hope it gets cold enough at some stage during the year for them to wear them without melting!!) - they were very pleased with them.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - Heading to Wadi Halfa through the harsh Nubian Desert for 348km along the still used railway line and now unused telegraph line, which parallel's it; buses also travel this route (more often at night), and are they packed!!! How would you like to be the passengers on top (very hot & dusty!!); we passed only one local with his camels, early on after leaving Abu Hamed.
The easiest traveling was along the railway line itself, the sandy track either side often being too soft to travel along; some of the old railway stations were abandoned and made a great spot (and only spot) to stop and camp by mid afternoon – at least there was some shade in the coolness of the old buildings.
Sudan (pictures from left to right) - Wadi Halfa and our enforced extra few days stay – Once reaching Wadi Halfa we camped by the waters of the Nile, now backed up by the Aswan Dam – it was as pleasant a spot we could find while we had the vehicles; Neil extricating himself from one of the local ‘taxis' coming back from loading the vehicles onto the vehicle ferry for their trip up to Aswan; the main street and the ferry ticketing building; it was so …ooo… hot in Wadi.
We were lucky enough to be invited to stay with Mazar and his family, instead of some hot, dusty little hotel in town – it was much appreciated; Neil pretending to be reading during the day (he is actually asleep); night time saw us out in the courtyard, along with the rest of the family, sleeping out in the coolness of the night air; Enjoying one of the many meals Mazar's Mum and sisters prepared for us; Mazar Mahir, our ‘Mr Fix-it and get everything sorted' based in Wadi – he saved us a lot of hassles and frustration in getting the vehicles on a barge and us on a ferry and through immigration and customs at both Wadi and Aswan.
Our passenger ferry, the ‘Sageluam' which took us to Aswan, along with another 500 odd passengers (mostly Egyptian) – those that could managed to sleep up on the top deck in the cool of the night; the Captain Taha Mohamed Ahmed and his 1 st Mate, Mohamed Ahmed Shalaliy; we passed a few temples along the shores of the lake, such as the Temple of Wadi As-Subua – there were 3 cruise ships anchored nearby.
Next stop Aswan, Egypt!!
