After being pushed, shoved, yelled at, and interrogated by the Consular himself, I finally had that priceless Visa stamped in my passport. I felt like I had just spent a lifetime in what seemed like an Alcatraz in Ethiopia. Applicants were shuffled around from window to window, bullied by the guard, forced to stay inside the complex due to a strict no in and out policy, and we had to push through the crowds to get to the gate and then beg to go in…screaming, “Canadian…Canadian!” Man, this Visa seemed impossible to get. Foreigners were definitely not welcomed. It was hostile. Anyhow, for those who dared to persevere and challenge the system, a visit to Sudan seemed feasible, Visa pending of course. The number of applicants dwindled as the wait got longer and by the end, only those with the strongest wills remained. Strangers became friends as the days passed and stories about the struggles of each applicant were shared. Former refugees, businessmen and just curious tourists enjoyed each other’s company as we all waited eagerly. We were a community now; a community of empathetic and desperate people hoping to go to Sudan for whatever the reason may be. Anyhow, Melissa and I survived 3 working days sitting on a broken bench in the make-shift waiting area outside the crumbling Sudanese Embassy in Ethiopia…we persevered and now we could finally go to Sudan!
As Melissa and I were sitting at the Addis Ababa Airport, waiting to board, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “WTF?! Why am I going to Sudan for a vacation?!” I had no business going there…was there even some sort of tourism?! The weeks before, Melissa had prepped me on life in Sudan. See, she had lived and worked in the capital, Khartoum, for a year and she was planning to go visit some friends…that’s primarily the reason why I decided to go in the first place. But I kept on thinking, if I’ve been proposed with an opportunity to go, then I should go. How often does one get to go to Sudan and have people hosting you? God’s plans are unpredictable and you just have to let Him lead the way…even if it seems totally ridiculous! If you trust Him, then every decision will seem like a peaceful and “fruitful” piece-of-cake!
Our flight was filled with Chinese tourists and businessmen. Some were heading to Egypt for Chinese New Year, while the rest were rushing back home to Sudan for the festivities. Man, the Chinese are EVERYWHERE! Like everywhere else that I’ve been so far in Africa, people enjoy staring at me and wondering why on Earth was I traveling with a non-Chinese. Where was I from? Where was my boyfriend? Where was the rest of my pack of Chinese travelers? Was I lost? Damn, she can speak English fluently! Seriously, they all ask these questions. My life as a Canadian-Chinese is great.
As I stepped off the plane after an uneventful 2-hour flight, I was welcomed by the baking Sudanese heat and sun, and Rna, Melissa’s gorgeous Sudanese sister. From 30,000ft, the city looked brown and buried in sand. Driving through Khartoum, I felt like we were in the middle of a desert with sand-covered streets and buildings, but later I realized the “sand” was actually dust! Dust so plentiful it looked like the finest sand I had ever seen!
In the 40-50 degree heat, life seemed to slow down to a crawl. People walked slower, or didn’t walk at all. New cars equipped with A/C overcrowded the streets. Community clay pots acting as water filtration systems adorned each street corner. Even with the baking temperatures, people remained pious Muslims and wore layers upon layers of clothing. And, since we wanted to be respectful, Melissa and I did the same…we covered up like it was 30 degrees colder. We sweated like we’ve never sweated before. Drenched in our own salty sweat.
The city was so unbelievably developed and spacious! Big buildings, small buildings; architectural gems, cement basics; suspended bridges, old-school iron bridges; suped-up rickshaws, Lincoln Navigators…Khartoum was filled with the new and the old. This metropolis, nestled comfortably where the Blue and White Niles met and became one, truly was special.
When the Egyptians won the African Cup, we got stuck in their street party while on our way back home! Immediately, I climbed through the window and hung out of Rna’s car to snap some photos…it was an unforgettable moment in Sudan. Man, I was in Sudan?!
As “Aliens”, Melissa and I were suppose to register at the Ministry of Interior within 3 days of our arrival. We went, and the staff there told us we didn’t have to since we were only in the country for a week. Anyhow, GO DO IT EVEN IF THEY REFUSE TO! I should still be in Sudan right now if it weren’t for some persuasive puppy-faces. Another thing, bring wads of American Dollars! WADS! You can’t use credit cards or debit cards anywhere in the country, unless you’ve got a Sudanese bank account. And, they only exchange Dollars. There’s also an Airport Tax now….make sure you don’t spend all of your Sudanese Pounds! If you do, just make sure you’ve got an irresistible puppy-face…like ours!
6-days in Sudan was definitely too short. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to travel outside of the capital to check out the infamous Pyramids. Yes, there are Pyramids in Sudan. Actually, Sudan was ruled by the Egyptians for a very long time. Also, I wasn’t able to take a lot of photos because every time I tried to capture something, I would’ve ran the risk of being mistaken for a spy. Frankly, Sudan was quite boring for a vacation. It’s no NYC, but the fact that you’re forced to take it slow was actually quite relaxing. You have no choice but to focus on the culture and the smaller things in day-to-day life. It was great living with Rna and her family. They showed me their rich Sudanese culture, fattened me up with huge portions of delicious food, and most importantly showed me that the Sudanese people were no different than anyone else.
There’s much more to Sudan than just Civil War and stereotypes. If you’re up for an eye-opening experience, head to Sudan. But, may I suggest getting your Visa in Canada….I hear it’s a lot easier.
Ciao Ciao!
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Mike Harmon
i love the way you write… when you were describing the heat i almost felt like i started to sweat too.
also, your photos are looking great!
im glad that youre traveling and soaking yourself with so much knowledge about the world! i feel like im living vicariously through you for now until i get to go on my own adventures… they may not be as exciting or exotic as yours but adventures nonetheless.
ps. while you were baking, cooking and melting in Sudan, we got dumped with snow… so much that we got 2 snow days at UTM! [and you know how stingy they are with those snow days!]
<3
WOW!!!