Sudan

The Sudan is hot. It has the Nile river in a realm that has existed since the dawn of time. The black Pharoahs of the forgotten kingdom of the lost Egyptian empire came from the Sudan. You can sail on a felucca from Egypt down the Nile around the great S-bend of the Nile River. From Wadi Halfa to Soleb, Dongola, Karima, Meroe, El Kodab and thence to the mythical city of Khartoum. Nearly 3000 years ago the Nubians conquered Egypt and ruled for nearly a hundred years. These Nubians were black and had an empire that spanned from Khartoum to Libya. The Nile is Sudan's life blood. The green strip only covers a mile from the banks of the Nile. The Nubians live in mud villages today painted white like Adobe from Mexico. There are old forts and monuments along the NIle River from new and ancient civilizations. Sudan was the Nubian province of Kush. The Third Cataract stops any feluccas path from Lake Nasser or Wadi Halfa. Sandstorms are common in the Sudan. From there grab a ride on another felucca to kalima. In 1896 the army of the Mahdi travelled south on conquest and killed Gordon at Khartoum. The British sent Lord Kitchener to fight the dervishes. Near Dongola, Kitchener fought a battle which he won. The steam riverboats no longer ply the River Nile now due to silting up. At Dongola you can abandon the nile and catch the bus to Karima but you may have to wait a couple of days.

It is a 200 mile bus journey to Karima from Dongola. You may have to sit up on the roof if it is full inside. Karima has a guest house with spartan accommodation. Karima used to be an imperial city that used to rule the area. There are temples and from here the Nubians launched their conquest of Egypt and beyond. Inside the mountains are secret labyrinths and on the walls are inscriptions that are perfectly preserved from thousands of years ago. You can get to the ancient Pyramids of the nubian pharoahs. From Karima you can catch a train to Khartoum which goes through Meroe. The train goes through the desert.

From Meroe you can visit the forgotten Pyramids that are rarely seen by Westerners until the middle of the 19th Century. A camel will get you there. These pyramids were built by the black Nubian Pharoahs. 19 Kings may be buried here. From el kodab you can get a steamer to Khartoum. Khartoum lies at the merging of the Blue and the white nile. You can see ochre-painted Nuba wrestlers from the mountains south of Khartoum. The old fort is still there as well as the whirling dervishes transporting their souls to the hereafter. The Nile is the life of Sudan.

Sudan Resources

Sudan: The Bradt Travel Guide - you will find information on Security, visas and border crossings, Where to stay and eat, and how to get around, Detailed coverage of culture and history, Sudan's civil war in context, and information for aid workers.

Sudan: The Land And the People - Sudan sprawls over more than one million square miles. Here for more than a thousand years Arabs and Africans have collided and blended to produce people who share a turbulent history and rich cultural heritage.

.