So it all began in the capital of Sudan. After touching down and meeting up with Tom, Matt and our host Adam, we managed to organise a taxi and make our way to Adams house. This turned out to be an adventure in itself as I was exposed to the somewhat chaotic roads of Khartoum. I say 'somewhat chaotic' because although there aren't any road signs and traffic lights are few and far between, the drivers somehow manage to anticipate the often irrational actions of other drivers which allows the system to operate in some crazy way. Fortunately for us, our taxi driver understood the system and managed to weave his way through the densely populated city before safely delivering us to our destination.
On arrival I was welcomed in by the family and instantly made to feel at home as we sat and chatted over a hot cup of chai (tea). This was the first taste of the incredible hospitality that I would become accustomed to over the following two weeks. The house we stayed in was home to twelve family members which gave me an idea of how closely knit the family bonds were. This became even more evident as I witnessed the frequent visits by extended family members, which appeared to be a feature of the Sudanese lifestyle.
As we ventured away from the house and into the city I was fascinated by the stark contrasts within society. It was similar to South Africa in the sense that at one end of the spectrum you had people living on the poverty line whilst at the other end there were people driving around in brand new luxury vehicles. Another contrast was the way in which people interacted in their homes compared to how they interacted in society. There was a definite social segregation between genders within society which was much less apparent within the households. Even so, in the short time that I was in Sudan no one looked down on anyone else and everyone we met seemed upbeat and contempt with their way of life.
The city itself was a hub of activity with everyone going about their daily routines. No one ever harrassed us which Matt mentioned was really refreshing after being pestered as a tourist in countries further north. There was also a complete lack of military presence and I didn't witness the slightest bit of aggression by anyone which I think was testament to the kind nature of the Sudanese people.
As we wandered through the streets it was evident that a lot of the buildings were quite run down and delapidated which isn't really surprising considering the harsh, hot, dry, sandy environment. What was also noticable was the huge amount of development that is in progress within the city. It seemed like everywhere we looked we could see new buildings being built which was encouraging to see.
But alas, we couldn't keep wandering around the city indefinitely and soon it was time to plant ourselves in our saddles and hit the road. It was a case of mixed emotions as its never enjoyable saying goodbye to a family that you spent an amazing week with but at the same time I was excited to take on the 'somewhat chaotic' roads and embrace life on Sebastian (the bike).
So we set off into the desert. Initially I was pretty wobbly with all the excess weight but eventually I managed to get into a rhythm and we managed to make some progress. We usually cycled for about four or five hours in the morning. Then we would find a place to stop and take an extended lunch break which lasted about four hours because the sweltering heat sometimes caused the mercury to rise to the 40 degree mark which was just to hot to cycle in. Then, after a decent rest we would cycle for another hour or two in the evening, hoping to find a suitable spot to set up camp.
The desert was pretty barren, made up of a fine dust and an abundance of small shrubs. It did however treat us to some spectacular sunsets and it was interesting to see how the terrain changed as we progressed towards the Ethiopian border. Eventually it felt as if we were cycling through the Kruger Park during the dry season. Obviously the major difference was that instead of seeing a variety of wild animals, we saw cattle, sheep and the occassional camel.
So there we go, there's a glimpse into my time in Sudan. It was amazing to experience a bit of the Islamic culture that Tom and Matt had been exposed to since Turkey. I won't miss having to wear long pants all the time but I will undoubtedly miss the people and their hospitality. From here I think the climate and scenery will change drastically and I will be pleasantly surprised if we come across people who are as friendly and generous as they have been in Sudan.
On arrival I was welcomed in by the family and instantly made to feel at home as we sat and chatted over a hot cup of chai (tea). This was the first taste of the incredible hospitality that I would become accustomed to over the following two weeks. The house we stayed in was home to twelve family members which gave me an idea of how closely knit the family bonds were. This became even more evident as I witnessed the frequent visits by extended family members, which appeared to be a feature of the Sudanese lifestyle.
As we ventured away from the house and into the city I was fascinated by the stark contrasts within society. It was similar to South Africa in the sense that at one end of the spectrum you had people living on the poverty line whilst at the other end there were people driving around in brand new luxury vehicles. Another contrast was the way in which people interacted in their homes compared to how they interacted in society. There was a definite social segregation between genders within society which was much less apparent within the households. Even so, in the short time that I was in Sudan no one looked down on anyone else and everyone we met seemed upbeat and contempt with their way of life.
The city itself was a hub of activity with everyone going about their daily routines. No one ever harrassed us which Matt mentioned was really refreshing after being pestered as a tourist in countries further north. There was also a complete lack of military presence and I didn't witness the slightest bit of aggression by anyone which I think was testament to the kind nature of the Sudanese people.
As we wandered through the streets it was evident that a lot of the buildings were quite run down and delapidated which isn't really surprising considering the harsh, hot, dry, sandy environment. What was also noticable was the huge amount of development that is in progress within the city. It seemed like everywhere we looked we could see new buildings being built which was encouraging to see.
But alas, we couldn't keep wandering around the city indefinitely and soon it was time to plant ourselves in our saddles and hit the road. It was a case of mixed emotions as its never enjoyable saying goodbye to a family that you spent an amazing week with but at the same time I was excited to take on the 'somewhat chaotic' roads and embrace life on Sebastian (the bike).
So we set off into the desert. Initially I was pretty wobbly with all the excess weight but eventually I managed to get into a rhythm and we managed to make some progress. We usually cycled for about four or five hours in the morning. Then we would find a place to stop and take an extended lunch break which lasted about four hours because the sweltering heat sometimes caused the mercury to rise to the 40 degree mark which was just to hot to cycle in. Then, after a decent rest we would cycle for another hour or two in the evening, hoping to find a suitable spot to set up camp.
The desert was pretty barren, made up of a fine dust and an abundance of small shrubs. It did however treat us to some spectacular sunsets and it was interesting to see how the terrain changed as we progressed towards the Ethiopian border. Eventually it felt as if we were cycling through the Kruger Park during the dry season. Obviously the major difference was that instead of seeing a variety of wild animals, we saw cattle, sheep and the occassional camel.
So there we go, there's a glimpse into my time in Sudan. It was amazing to experience a bit of the Islamic culture that Tom and Matt had been exposed to since Turkey. I won't miss having to wear long pants all the time but I will undoubtedly miss the people and their hospitality. From here I think the climate and scenery will change drastically and I will be pleasantly surprised if we come across people who are as friendly and generous as they have been in Sudan.
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