Saturday 19 September
Reconnaissance mission (reccie) to the Blue Nile. North of Khartoum.
There where the Blue Nile flows in Western direction
After a better map study than last time, we took twice the distance, measured with my fingers and we asked our housemates to pick us up. And by coincidence we would end up at the Blue Nile yacht club. Fantasies at home about this place. The sight at the road was pretty much the same as the day before. Remarkable was a kind of small Disney park.
Stories we’d been told about Sudan indicated, that the Northern part of Sudan was strict Islamic. Shariah (Islamic law) rules, no place for fun and gaiety. Well this proved the opposite, there was even a gambling hall!
Made me think of those women who were wearing trousers. A lot of fuss all over the world a kind of media hype I believe now.
Last days we visit some restaurants and all of the waitresses were wearing trousers!?
I wonder what is forbidden? Were they just provoking things to get some attention?
Or wrong clothes in the wrong place? In Holland you don’t go into Sunday church with swimming pants either. Anyway I have six months to figure this out.
At the side of the road we saw a man washing himself in a puddle of water. When I took a closer look, I saw him spitting water from the same puddle. Cleaning his teeth I suppose. Wonder if I can do the same in a few months without getting sick? Just before the bridge there was the equivalent of the Dutch Intratuin on the shore of the Nile.
Then I saw the Nile as I assumed it should be. The temperature was dwindling immediately due to wind and water. While we enjoyed the view and the nice atmosphere we took some pictures.
Meanwhile we decided to cross the bridge and walk along the other side of the river to the Yacht club . Vaguely remembering that this riverside was a blank spot on the map .But what could happen? Saw the bridge where we wanted to be in the far distance. Just keep going west, sun in the back.
The area on northern side of the river was build up with nice houses and appeared to me to be the wealthy part of Khartoum. All of a sudden we found our selves in an army camp. Barbed wire, armoured vehicles, at the fringe of what seemed to be barracks . Solders sleeping under their vehicles. Gunners dozing behind there guns. We smiled and waved. That’s what we do, when we are on a mission and don’t know what to do.
The gate at the other side of the road was obviously the entrance to a navy barrack. Two life saving belts indicated this clearly. You don’t need to read Arabic for that.
For more than 20 minutes we followed the wall of those barracks. When we looked over the wall we knew that all over the world the barracks are the same. A real obstacle course including the rope section. I felt quite at home.
Coming closer to the bridge we wanted to cross, we came at a railroad and a station! Automatically my brain started to make plans. If I buy a return ticket, how long will it take to bring me to Wadi Haifa or Port Sudan or wherever this railroad is going to?
Hope my aluminium case with books will came soon. Can ask The Bradt for advice. Imagining travelling over hundreds of miles through Sudan. Just sitting, watching people and landscapes. Ending at an unknown destination and… just return to where I came from.
The last bridge and the Nile again. I can’t say majestic but at least more impressive than the day before. Making pictures of Tuti Island and the western skyline. I was quite impressed. The oval shaped building looks like a smaller version of the one in Kuwait.
On the top floor seems to be a panoramic window, with a view all over Khartoum. I wonder why they don’t sell postcards with those panoramic views?
Saves me the effort of making good pictures.
On one side of the river I found shipyard ”VOORUIT”. The dry-dock seemed well maintained.
I knew it was a kind of Sunday but not seeing a single ship sailing on the Nile was a bit disappointing. While crossing the bridge I spotted the yacht club I was aiming for…. Well pictures tell more than words.
The only visitors apart from us were some homeless who were sleeping on a kind of roller coaster.
I am afraid that the Sunday lunches I was looking forward to, with wine, port and a hubble bubble will never take place. Phoned our house mates who picked us up half an hour later.
Today 21st during the so called induction course, I had some answers to my fantasies and questions. Lessons in safety and security.
Don’t come outside the sectors one till nine. All they other places are no go for UN.
That’s why they had this blank spots on the maps UN has given us. The Sudanese are afraid you are spying on there barracks. Its forbidden to make pictures. That’s why they don’t have postcards. Travelling outside UN protected area’s is not recommended. See what will happen with the train story.
We have an other 5 months to go, too find out what’s allowed or not
Reconnaissance mission (reccie) to the Blue Nile. North of Khartoum.
There where the Blue Nile flows in Western direction
After a better map study than last time, we took twice the distance, measured with my fingers and we asked our housemates to pick us up. And by coincidence we would end up at the Blue Nile yacht club. Fantasies at home about this place. The sight at the road was pretty much the same as the day before. Remarkable was a kind of small Disney park.
Stories we’d been told about Sudan indicated, that the Northern part of Sudan was strict Islamic. Shariah (Islamic law) rules, no place for fun and gaiety. Well this proved the opposite, there was even a gambling hall!
Made me think of those women who were wearing trousers. A lot of fuss all over the world a kind of media hype I believe now.Last days we visit some restaurants and all of the waitresses were wearing trousers!?
I wonder what is forbidden? Were they just provoking things to get some attention?
Or wrong clothes in the wrong place? In Holland you don’t go into Sunday church with swimming pants either. Anyway I have six months to figure this out.
At the side of the road we saw a man washing himself in a puddle of water. When I took a closer look, I saw him spitting water from the same puddle. Cleaning his teeth I suppose. Wonder if I can do the same in a few months without getting sick? Just before the bridge there was the equivalent of the Dutch Intratuin on the shore of the Nile.
Then I saw the Nile as I assumed it should be. The temperature was dwindling immediately due to wind and water. While we enjoyed the view and the nice atmosphere we took some pictures.
Meanwhile we decided to cross the bridge and walk along the other side of the river to the Yacht club . Vaguely remembering that this riverside was a blank spot on the map .But what could happen? Saw the bridge where we wanted to be in the far distance. Just keep going west, sun in the back.
The area on northern side of the river was build up with nice houses and appeared to me to be the wealthy part of Khartoum. All of a sudden we found our selves in an army camp. Barbed wire, armoured vehicles, at the fringe of what seemed to be barracks . Solders sleeping under their vehicles. Gunners dozing behind there guns. We smiled and waved. That’s what we do, when we are on a mission and don’t know what to do.
The gate at the other side of the road was obviously the entrance to a navy barrack. Two life saving belts indicated this clearly. You don’t need to read Arabic for that.
For more than 20 minutes we followed the wall of those barracks. When we looked over the wall we knew that all over the world the barracks are the same. A real obstacle course including the rope section. I felt quite at home.
Coming closer to the bridge we wanted to cross, we came at a railroad and a station! Automatically my brain started to make plans. If I buy a return ticket, how long will it take to bring me to Wadi Haifa or Port Sudan or wherever this railroad is going to?Hope my aluminium case with books will came soon. Can ask The Bradt for advice. Imagining travelling over hundreds of miles through Sudan. Just sitting, watching people and landscapes. Ending at an unknown destination and… just return to where I came from.
The last bridge and the Nile again. I can’t say majestic but at least more impressive than the day before. Making pictures of Tuti Island and the western skyline. I was quite impressed. The oval shaped building looks like a smaller version of the one in Kuwait.
On the top floor seems to be a panoramic window, with a view all over Khartoum. I wonder why they don’t sell postcards with those panoramic views?
Saves me the effort of making good pictures.
On one side of the river I found shipyard ”VOORUIT”. The dry-dock seemed well maintained.
I knew it was a kind of Sunday but not seeing a single ship sailing on the Nile was a bit disappointing. While crossing the bridge I spotted the yacht club I was aiming for…. Well pictures tell more than words.
The only visitors apart from us were some homeless who were sleeping on a kind of roller coaster.
I am afraid that the Sunday lunches I was looking forward to, with wine, port and a hubble bubble will never take place. Phoned our house mates who picked us up half an hour later.
Today 21st during the so called induction course, I had some answers to my fantasies and questions. Lessons in safety and security.
Don’t come outside the sectors one till nine. All they other places are no go for UN.
That’s why they had this blank spots on the maps UN has given us. The Sudanese are afraid you are spying on there barracks. Its forbidden to make pictures. That’s why they don’t have postcards. Travelling outside UN protected area’s is not recommended. See what will happen with the train story.
We have an other 5 months to go, too find out what’s allowed or not
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