We're in an Internet cafe in the middle of Khartoum which is definitley one of the most modern and buzzing cities we have come across in Africa. Sudan is turning out to be a great spot - even though it is winter it is seriously hot (especially whilst wearing "suitable" clothes and donning a headscarf). It is almost a city that has grown out of a desert - the roads are covered in sand and it has a definite arabic flavour. Men wear the white dresses, restaurants serve Shish kebab, there are loads of fresh juice stalls and the markets are full of dates and spices. Oh yeah, and there is no alcohol (amazing how when you can't have any it's all we feel like!)
So Sudan hey? After all the time people spent worrying about the border entry it turned out to be pretty simple. Oh, apart from the supplementary $65 "registration fee" that no one happened to mention we had to pay. None of us are particularly sure that the fee was very official, but given the fact a towering 6'5 man the colour of the ace of spades was commanding it we all paid up. When crossing over from Ethiopia the change is immediate - the green hills of Ethiopia abruptly end and the desert soon unravels into a not baron landscape.
We're currently staying in a yacht club that doubles as a campsite and our tents are pitched right on the edge of the Blue Nile. I'd love to post some photos but they are kind of illegal to take here. Apparantley a photo licence is required and people have been arrested for taking photos so we are keeping the cameras fairly well hidden.
We made a trip to the souk yesterday and today we are aiming to see the camel markets which should be interesting. Actually on our drive into Khartoum we came across a group of about 6 camels dead on the road that we think may have been hit by a truck in the night....very smelly.
Heading north again tomorrow so probably out of reach for a while. Adios!
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