Sudan
From the luscious green south to the lifeless desert north with pyramids and dervishes in between
Sudan is a country often talked about in the media because of their split from South Sudan in 2011 after years of fighting and hostilities.
I did not know what to expect as I entered this country as I have heard different stories from people who have traveled there. After leaving I can honestly say the people were open, helpful, and friendly despite their conditions.
The land in the south is luscious and green with rolling mountains and grass just about everywhere. Camels, goats and donkeys are seen just about everywhere, running down the paths. As you move up north past Khartoum (where the Blue and White Nile converge), the landscape changes drastically (as does the temperature). Vast rolling deserts with sometimes not a bush or animal in sight is the common landscape.
As you can see from the pictures below, the desert looks to be unforgiving. However as we followed the train tracks up North, we ran into different stations that the train used to stop at in order to refill water. I can honestly say the temperatures were unbearable through the four nights we spent in the desert, but I loved seeing all the untouched land, including the shanty villages popping up with people mining for gold…..
We were lucky enough leaving Khartoum to run into one of the biggest sandstorms I have been a part of. The sky pretty much looked like it had been swallowed. See pictures below
A surprise excursion in Khartoum we went to, was the whirling dervishes. I have seen them before in Turkey as tourist shows, but this was much better!!!! It was in the middle of a cemetery and a few hundred people show up in signs of solidarity and unity under one religion. Sure they are from different groups, but they celebrate the unity by singing and dancing and of course whirling. All people here were just as interested in us as we were of them as the different styles of clothes people wore, told what group they were from, some even coming from miles a way to participate……
Lastly, one of the biggest attractions in Sudan is of course the Meroe Pyramids. With elements culturally borrowed from the Egyptians. This civilization along with the Egyptians and Axumites were the only civilization to develop a form of writing on the African continent. They became strong after the collapse of the New Kingdom in Egypt. They borrowed the ways of making pyramids, but changed them just a little making them step pyramids, similar to ziggurats. I have taught this before many times, and it was awe inspiring to be here to see these massive structures and how they have survived the winds of time……only to be conquered after 400 years of prosperity by Axum……
Truly a magnificent country with scenery and especially the people. I believe I will one day make a trip back here to see how much improvements have been done and of course for the friendly people….
