Sudan Favorite Tips by uglyscot Top 5 Page for this destination

Friendly and hospitable people

Favorite thing: The best thing about the Sudan is the people themselves. They are a gentle, friendly and, generous and hospitable nation. Life in the Sudan is very hard with shortages,a harsh climate, and being dubbed as being in the Axis of Evil.
I have met many travellers who say they have had their greatest holiday in the Sudan and never felt any hostility or danger.

I personally would recommend anyone to go to Bejrawiya [VT Meroe]. It can be visited in a day by road or bus. The pyramids are typical of the Meroitic Kingdom with their pointed , now topless, pyramids set on two spurs on either side of a wadi. So far there are not many tourists and little of the hassle found at archaeological sites in Egypt.

Fondest memory: I miss the friendliness of the people. Everyone tries to establish some point of common interest, whether relatives, friends, or just a shared interest. A guest will be treated as an honoured visitor, and not left alone , unless it is to rest or sleep. the nomad tradition is strong there as being alone in the desert could mean death.
A guest will be offered a cold drink and tea, and then be invited to relax on a bed until it is time to share a meal.
I remember once I had been giving English lessons to a brother and sister whose elder brother had been a pupil of mine at a school where I taught. There were acute fuel shortages at the time, and after the lesson , they left and I waited for one of my daughters to come from university so we could go home. As we were leaving, I saw the pair still trying to find a way to get home. I offered to drop them off, as it would only be a short diversion. When we arrived at the house, the boy rushed out , and reappeared with his father, who duly insisted we go in. We agreed so as not to be rude. Women rushed off to bring us refreshment. Then when I heard the father telling the boy to go and buy a ram so that we could have lunch, I had to intervene and say my husband and other children were waiting for me to give them lunch at home. The man explained it was an honour for them to have their son's teacher visit, and he would be upset that I hadn't been treated properly. In the end we managed to get away with no hard feelings.

When I think how one would have been treated in Britain if I'd turned up near a meal time. I'd be put in a room to wait until the family had eaten.; and likely not even get a cup of tea!

get travelling early

Favorite thing: it seems obvious in a hot country to start travelling early in the morning before the roads get busy and the temperature rises.
When I was teaching at the university, I sometimes had lectures at 7 a.m. and we lived outside the capital I learned to enjoy the early start, except in winter.

EARLY MORNING TRAVEL [1977]

Pylons, posts and trees
Flash past
Plunging into the horizon
And I press on
To meet them.
Hair streaming around me
Roar of the wind in my ears
Hum of the wheels
On the shimmering tarmac
Speed.

Dun dust and thorns
Rush by
And I press on
To escape them.
Opalescent light rises
To shimmer and sheen;
Dust clouds uplift
From the spinning wheels.
Speed.

Urbanization creeps slowly upon me,
Commuters wait yawning beside the road,
Heavy traffic thunders towards me;
Change gear.
Slow speed

Music and dancing

Favorite thing: Music and singing are not usually associated with Islam, apart from the medih [religious chanting] which is not accompanied by instruments.
However, music plays a large part in social celebrations like weddings , engagements ,zar and general jollifications in Khartoum and the Central Sudan..
For engagements, women’s henna parties etc the singers are women and a drum, empty jerrican , tray or even a table are used to provide the rhythm. The guests are expected to join in by clapping to the rhythm, and joining in the chorus. Some of the women make up spontaneous verses about the couple and their families, or suggestive verses. There are some women who are particularly in demand for these occasions , like Gisma.
At Henna parties for men and at weddings a band will be engaged to play, often a military band with bagpipes. The type of music depends very much on the individual family. At a henna party some may just have a lone musician with a lute, others will have a jazz band or a performer like El Baewu who acts as he sings.
There are some big name singers that are in great demand, not just in the Sudan but internationally. I’m not a lover of Sudanese music but have heard of people like Kabli, Kamal Terbass, Mohamed Wardi, Sherhabil Ahmed, Mohamed el Amin, Abu Araki, Abdel Aziz Mubarak and others.
Dancing is very much a shuffle from foot to foot, except for weddings when women do the pigeon dance [neck dancing].
In other parts of the Sudan, like Kordofan and Darfur there is a lot of clapping which has a special hollow tone as if people were banging sticks together. I find this quite haunting..
In the South, the music is more African with lots of drums, half gourds floating in water and beaten like a xylophone. The latter too is pleasant to listen to. Dancing is very energetic unlike the dancing of the north.

for samples see www.m-huether.de/Sudan/sudmus

Fondest memory: A recent occasion was at a wedding when El Baewu performed. He was just so amusing and everyone was up dancing and having a great time. When you get a whole family really enjoying themselves at a wedding, even an unmusical foreigner like me cannot help but try to join in.

Goats

Favorite thing: Goats are a mixed blessing in the Sudan. They can be seen wandering around town and countryside foraging for anything to eat. They frequent rubbish heaps, eat trees and plants when the gate to your house is left open. In some cases they eat the clothes off the rope and sheets off the bed.
But they are a blessing to the poorer people who depend on them for milk, and the young kids can be killed for meat if unexpected guests arrive when you have nothing else .

They are not the sleek attractive animal that can be seen in Europe but usually rather tatty beasts with shaggy hair. A mother goat may have a bag tied round her udders to prevent the kid feeding at will.

Animal lovers may disagree with me, but goats should be penned in as the damage they do/have done to the fragile Sudanese environment is tremendous.

Fondest memory: I miss the generosity and friendliness of the people.
I don't miss the heat or the dust, or the frequent power cuts.