NILE RIVER CONNECTIONS

Connecting People    –    Understanding Cultures    –    Experiencing History

NILE RIVER
CONNECTIONS

Connecting People

Understanding Cultures

Experiencing History

Intro to Sudan

Water and Sand, trees and camels

Nothing in a hurry

Life in Sudan moves at its own pace. The 2 common Arabic words (used in many arabic speaking lands) are very much the fabric and speed of life in Sudan:

  1. Inshallah: if God wills. This is the reply given when the affirmative is not guaranteed. Be it a meal, a museum opening, beds available, guide on time, tourist office open… instead of YES, the reply is ‘if God wills’.
  2. Bokra: tomorrow (usually prefaced by the word Moomkim, perhaps/maybe). Again, not to disappoint or adamantly confirm a detail, the answer is ‘perhaps tomorrow’. However, in many cases, tomorrow never comes!

This underlines the importance of holding ‘loosely’ onto plans and itineraries, and having a large margin for flexibility, waiting time, delay and actually enjoying these times. These are usually the times when you will meet and experience the heart of the nation, and connect with the real, wonderful people of Sudan.

Sand, sand and more sand….

One constant of life in Sudan is the sand! It is fine, powdery, gets everywhere and is central to the character of the country. The Sudanese love the desert, and their flowing clothes seem to be at one with the sand. The variety of browns, especially at sunrise and sunset, is breathtaking. It is hot, dry, dusty, sandy…. If you can embrace this reality, you can embrace the country!

The joining of the Niles:

Khartoum, the place of the confluence of the ‘2 Niles’, is known to locals as Al Mogran. From the East, is the Blue Nile, rushing down from the hills in Ethiopia, traditionally carrying the rich, dark silt that spilled out onto Egypt’s Delta region and made it the Food Basket of the world.

And from the South, the White Nile, languidly making its way from Uganda. It is here that you can see the 2 rivers, different in size, colour and character, merging to become The Nile. It then continues its journey through Egypt and finally empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Date Palm tree:

As the Nile snakes its way along Sudan, alongside its muddied waters you will find a verdant, green line running alongside it: some crops, mostly date palms, and then nothing but the brown, sandy desert. Palm trees are key in the Sudanese economy. A well cared for palm can live for up to 100 years and is apparently from the grass family, and not actually a tree as we would understand it! Palms are considered to be worth their weight in gold: they provide dates, rich in fiber and a variety to goodies (which can be sold/eaten fresh, dried or processed), and raw materials for weaving mats and baskets, making rope and even roofing.  Palms also provide shade for other plants, animals and humans: a wonderful place to sit and chat, drink tea and eat dates!

The Camel Markets

Sudan apparently has the second-highest number of camels in the world and is the largest exporter of camels. Camels are sold to the Arabian Gulf, mostly for camel racing, and to Cairo, for meat. The camels are bought and sold at the El Molih market on the outskirts of Khartoum, twice a week.