Carry on camping!

Shortly after the occupation of Heglig by South Sudan, it was suggested that I should leave North Kordofan for Khartoum, at least for the interim anyway.  It was very sad not being able to say goodbye to my many students and friends in El Obeid, and frustrating not being able to continue to do my job in the town that I had come to love and call my home.

However, if I had to pick a week in which to return to Khartoum I couldn't have chosen a better one!  Not only was I welcomed with open arms by my fantastic SVP friends; who made sure I didn't want for anything; I was also now able to go on the surprise camping trip planned by Billie and Omer for Christine's 21st birthday.

A stroke of luck enabled us to borrow a photo copy of Christine's passport, which we used to get a travel permit to Bagrawia without her knowing!  So it was all systems go.

Around 2pm on Friday, Omer, Moneer, Bob and Suleman arrived at our apartment in a large air-conditioned van that was already packed to the gunnel's before we added our luggage into the mix!  Christine; who'd already been told not to make plans for the weekend; was given 10 minutes notice to be ready and pack a small bag.

So off we set in the searing afternoon heat, for the desert - mad dogs and Englishmen certainly sprung to mind at this point!

After about 3 hours we arrive at our destination, Bagrawia where there is a group of pyramids in the desert!  They were amazing to see amongst great hills of sand, where they have stood for thousands of years.Sadly many of them are now damaged and were looted long ago for their treasures that lay within, but some have been restored and recreated thanks to a charitable project.  

We found a nice spot to make our camp, just the other side of the pyramids - we didn't realise just how close we were until the following morning!

  

Putting up the tents proved to be quite a challenge as it was very windy and there was little shelter, but we managed to get them all up before settling down to create something to eat, by which time the light was fading fast.

After we ate our sumptuous meal we smoked sheesha and lay looking at the amazing star filled sky, until settling into our tents for the night.

In the morning just as we were finishing our breakfast some Bedouins came along on their camels and a group of small boys set up an "instant market" just for our benefit. Before we knew it we were off across the desert in a camel train - such an amazing experience!  

Getting on was surprisingly easy, and you just hang on for dear life as the camel raises itself from being on it's knees up onto it's feet.  I was quite pleasantly surprised how safe I felt up there, despite my pathological fear of the creatures!  My camel had a mind of it's own and when the rest had slowed almost to a stop, mine drove through them barging the others out of the way, seemingly happiest when moving, preferably at speed.

The boys at the "instant market" waited patiently whilst we broke camp, and were justly rewarded as we shopped for our souvenirs before setting off for our next stop.

Overnight we'd managed to completely deplete our drinking water supplies, and were thrilled to stop at literally an oasis in the desert for drinks and to fill water bottles. 

We arrive at what our guide, Moneer describes as a small farm in Sabaloka, from where we are to visit the 6th Cataract of the Nile. The small farm turns out to be a thriving tourist spot, with a small zoo and plenty of seats and beds where you can take your rest. Moneer negotiates a very reasonable 300SDP for the 10 of us to take a boat trip to see the Cataract and camp by the Nile for the night. The scenery on the boat trip is simpley incredible; mountains, greenery and a small goat inhabited island, and of course the cataract itself, where suddenly the serene river broke into small rapids with very strong current.

Saddiq, the owner of the farm is a charming man, who has put a lot of thought and effort into his business. There is everything we need there and after sunset we have the place to ourselves for the night. The 6 of us set about preparing a meal, whilst the menfolk take their rest. Whilst our cooking skills are more than adequate, we have nothing but admiration for the Sudanese ladies ability to create amazing dishes from scratch in what seems like a relatively short space of time! We are concerned that the men will be disappointed with our efforts, especially as the meat part of the meal needs a lot more cooking so we elect to have it as supper! If they are disappointed they are too polite to say.

After our struggles with the tents the previous night, we decide to put our tents up before the daylight starts to fade. It turns out to be a simple task, having practice in severe weather conditions the night before, so we are soon settling down for tea, coffee and sheesha relaxing by the Nile before bed. The bathroom facilities are amazing - fully plumbed in toilets with showers in little bamboo huts, a big step up from the "over that sand dune to your left and you're there" facilities of the previous night!

Needless to say I wake up in the morning thoroughly looking forward to a shower - not to be disappointed!

We break camp, pack up the van and head back to Khartoum, arriving around midday, thoroughly exhausted but elated from such an incredible experience.   Hats off to tour guide Moneer Salih (moneerkush@yahoo.com), for organising the agenda, Suleman our tour bus driver, Omar for making it all happen and Billie for coming up with the idea in the first place. I think I can safely say that Christine had a 21st birthday celebration that she'll never forget.

Easter In Wad Medani

At home in England the Easter weekend has always been a well deserved long weekend, usually spent at home chilling or catching up on all those jobs - it was certainly not a good weekend to take to the roads and go travelling! However one of the major advantages of living and working in a Muslim country is that travelling for during Christian holidays comes without the usual compulsory traffic jams and airport delays. 

The View from the roof of the Continental Hotel

I was invited to visit Jess in Wad Medani, along with Billie, Christine, Mary and Martha. Being the furtherest away with a 7 - 8 hour journey either way I decided to travel on Maundy Thursday arriving in Wad Medani around 3:30pm. I was a little anxious as I'd been very independent, booking my own bus ticket and getting myself to the bus station, totally relying on my very basic Arabic and any English the people around me spoke - although I did get my friend Rabha to read the details on my ticket and confirm they were correct! For me that was the easy bit - I have travelled from the local bus station a couple of times now and can easily walk there from my home. The challenge would be knowing where I was at the other end! The first leg of the journey is the same as the journey to Khartoum, stopping at Kosti for breakfast. After about 7 hours of travelling we approached the outskirts of a very large town, I started looking for clues as to where we might be, as I had when I first arrived in El Obeid seven months ago. There were many mentions of Al Jazeera on the few signs that were written in English but I couldn't see any mention of Wad Medani anywhere! Eventually we pulled into a large bus station called Al Jazeera Transportation, which my fellow travelling companions assured me was in fact Wad Medani.

Needless to say I was extremely relieved to see Jess walking towards me! We took a short amjad ride back to her colleague Selwa's house, where Jess had been helping Selwa prepare for our arrival. I had heard so much about Selwa, it was lovely to meet her at last - especially as she was every bit as lovely as I'd imagined! She totally dotes on Jess, treating her like a daughter and had invited us all to stay at her home whilst we were in Medani. Selwa's English is excellent and she is like an oracle - she knows so much about so many things! After a very pleasant afternoon, chatting, eating and meeting Selwa's family, Jess and I went to the Church to investigate the possibility of a Maundy Thursday service. The church was all locked up so we headed back to the Continental Hotel, where Jess lives. 

On Good Friday morning Jess prepared a cake, whilst I relaxed on her very comfortable (if a little high!) spare bed. Then we went over to Selwa's where Jess baked her cake and we helped prepare breakfast before going and meeting the others who had arrived from Khartoum. After a fabulous breakfast, we spent a few hours gossiping with eachother, Selwa and her family before going to Church. Whilst we were sat in the service we'd noticed that many people were going outside for something - that something we soon found out was the opening ceremony for a new IT Suite in the Church school. Jess' friend Rose, kindly translated the opening ceremony, presided over by the Bishop of Wad Medani, who addressed us in perfect English.

The Bishop of Wad Medani opening the IT Suite

Having spent 7 months in Sudan the importance and excitement of this new community facility was not lost on me - as one of my students beautifully described it - "The internet makes the world a small village." We take it completely for granted in the developed world, but having worked with university students who do not have easy access to computers or the internet, I realise now more than ever that technology holds the key to development and education in the developing world.

After church we enjoy a juice and the view across the Nile opposite Jess' hotel. Later that evening we join a group of Jess' friends further along the bank of the Nile and sit chatting and drinking tea as the sun goes down. For me this is such a treat - El Obeid is one of the furtherest places in Sudan from the Nile, and this stretch of the Nile in Medani is much more picturesque than in Khartoum. We return to Selwa's to be fed and watered - as if anyone could ever go hungry amongst the Sudanese people, who pride themselves on keeping you full and making you welcome! 

Full moon over Wad Medani

Selwa gives us sheets and pillows and we settle down for the night. It is a very hot night and there are two spare beds by Selwa's in the yard. Jess and I are elected to sleep outside as neither of us are able to do so at home. I am so thrilled to be sleeping under the full moon and beautiful stars that I don't see at home due to the light pollution of living in a large town. It is such a fantastic end to a beautiful night.

When dawn breaks I wake up the coldest I've ever been since I arrived in Sudan, but it's a welcomed feeling! I pull my sheet tightly round my head and carry on sleeping for a few more hours, finally waking up when people are up and about and walking past my bed!

As Selwa has to go and give her condolences to a relative, she leaves us tea and biscuits and tells us to make ourselves at home whilst she is out. After an hour or so during which we slowly get ourselves up and dressed, Selwa returns and a hearty breakfast is prepared, after which we pack up our belongings and thank Selwa heartily for her fabulous hospitality.

We take our bags back to Jess' hotel and meet Tamador and her sister May who take us on a boat trip across the river to the beach on the other side where we paddle and splash each other in the water. There are lots of young boys swimming and its so tempting to just run straight into the water and get thoroughly soaked! Swimming is something I've really missed in Sudan - there is nothing like a refreshing dip in this heat! Sadly it's not the right time or place - there are places where ladies may swim but not in public. After playing around in the water for a bit, we soon dry out and take the boat back across the river and head to a cafe near the Jazeera University.

The cafe only opened the day before and is owned by a friend of Tamador's who insists on us trying out half the menu as his guests. So we happily sample Tiramasu and a range of delicious crepes before going back to Tamador and May's large and beautiful home, where we spend the night. Once there we meet Mirian, their other sister, and the three girls set about cooking a lovely meal for us all. It is a great girly evening with the six of us and the three sisters, who all speak excellent English. Tamador is a doctor and Mirian and May are University Students. Their older sister Selma has recently married and is in the area visiting a relative nearby and promises to stop by and visit, although it's quite late. Some of us are flagging by this stage and are forced to give in and go to bed upstairs in the guest apartment. 

Being Sunday the next day, the girls are up and gone to work and university by the time we surface. Tea, cake and biscuits have been prepared for us to enjoy before we leave. As it's Easter Sunday we go to the Church for the service, which normally starts around 930am. However as it is a special service, today it begins at 10am. It is an amazing service, with lots of singing and excited trilling and clapping. Being a large group of foreign guests, we are invited up to the front to sing a hymn for the congregation! Luckily Jess' knows an easy one for us and we proceed to sing "We are marching in the light of god" to delighted cheers and clapping! Another truly embarrassing feat to add to my list of "Sudan Moments!" Thankfully we are the first of many groups of singers - the others of course much more prepared and harmonised than us with our impromptu performance! Most of the service is in Arabic, however we are lucky to have a member of the congregation translate the sermon for us over the microphone. In true Sudanese style this celebration of Jesus' resurrection is a little on the long side! There are songs, prayers, awards, rejoicing, praise and thanks and after around four and a half hours we finally emerge from the church.

Lunch by the Nile

We go for a very well deserved lunch at "Istanbul's" our favourite spot overlooking the Nile before setting off for the bus station to say goodbye to the Khartoum gang; Billie, Christine, Martha and Mary and buy my ticket home for the next day.

That evening Jess and I are invited out with Nelson and Monday, two Christian footballers from Uganda and Nigeria who go to the institute where Jess teaches in the evenings. We are treated to ice cream and visit a beautiful local park where we have coffee and ride the aerial cycle which is the most exercise I've had since arriving in Sudan, especially as Monday kindly lets me do all the pedalling!

I wake up the next morning pleasantly surprised to find that my legs are not aching! Then it's off to the bus station to catch my bus back to El Obeid.