Hash on Tuti Island and Nuba Wrestling

One of my first blogs was about the Khartoum Hash Harriers – a running club which I had joined in order to stay fit and healthy (plus meet new people). I still attend this every week, although I’m not entirely sure if it has made any difference to my level of fitness. I suppose there is just too much sitting around for the rest of the week!

Now that the weather is starting to heat up, the Hash has started to meet much later in the day, and more people (including myself) seem to be opting for the walking route, which is usually available as an alternative for those who would prefer not to kill themselves running in temperatures above 30 degrees. (It is over 40 most days now, but by late afternoon the temperature has dropped a bit).

One of the best locations for the Hash is on Tuti Island, which is situated where the White Nile meets the Blue Nile. There are plenty of pleasant walks (or runs) to be had through the well irrigated green fields and along the beaches of the island, some of which are sandy (although others are just mud!). As the Hash met on the island last week, I thought I would take the opportunity to walk and take some photographs.

Unlike the rest of Khartoum, Tuti island is very peaceful (and clean!) and whilst walking there you can easily forget you so close to the city centre. Most of the island is just a small farming community, which until recently was very isolated and remains poor and undeveloped. In fact, the bridge which connects the island to central Khartoum was only built a few years ago. Prior to this, the only access was by ferry. On the north of the island there are some interesting fortifications, which were built around the time of the Mahdi.

Another sight worth seeing is the traditional Nuba wrestling, which I was taken to this week. The wrestling takes place from 5pm every Friday in ‘Souq Sita’, which is a market in the district of Bahri. A simple ring is marked out using just flour and separated from the rest of the market by curtains, but the sport is clearly taken very seriously by both participants and spectators. Whilst I was watching there were several blood injuries, and some very heavy handed moves. After being thrown to the ground, one large wrestler just sat still for several minutes, apparently winded. Just like any other sporting event, there are people on hand selling food and drink, but in Khartoum it is just water, bags of nuts and some rather good hand-made fruit ice-pops, which I sampled!

Shopping and St George's day.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise to readers of this blog to learn there are no Tesco’s or Sainsbury’s in Sudan. However, there are a few supermarkets which do sell western foods and other products. The largest supermarket in central Khartoum called Afra, which is as close as you’ll get to a UK-style out of town shopping centre, complete with cinema and bowling alley. Unfortunately, the cinema only shows films in Arabic and the supermarket itself is not well stocked. Having said that, I have only been to Afra once and so perhaps I should visit again before I make my final judgements. I found these two pictures of Afra on the internet – they are not my own photographs.

However, there are two other supermarkets which are popular with expats: Alanfal and the slightly more expensive Amarat, I which I usually visit (pictured right). Amarat stocks a wide range of products which a British shopper will find familiar, including Kellogg’s breakfast cereals, Flora, various cooking sauces and Cadbury’s chocolate. It also has both a meat counter and a cheese counter. However, prices are very high and seem to be getting higher every week. A packet of 24 weetabix is now 42 SDG (which is about £5) so I have found it very easy to overspend. When I visited a few weeks ago, I had 270 SDG in my wallet and the bill came to 268 SDG!! Luckily, the basics such as bread, milk and pasta remain quite cheap, at about 4 SDG each.

However, to keep costs down, I often buy things at one of the many small corner shops, which can be found all over Khartoum. The closest corner shop to my apartment is particularly good, and I often stop here for a drink on my way back from school. There is also a man with a fruit and vegetable stall around the corner from my apartment, which is much cheaper than the supermarket and often fresher too!

St George’s day was celebrated at the British Embassy last Friday. I bought myself a ticket, which at 150 SDG I had thought was a bit expensive, although refreshments and fish and chips were included in this price. This event was not even nearly as formal as the Burns Night supper which I attended a couple of months ago. In fact, it was essentially just a disco with a red and white themed dress code, but a night out is always welcome when living in a city as quiet as Khartoum. No prizes for guessing what I wore! (clue: it certainly wasn’t a Tottenham shirt!)

 

The most notable school event of last week was the annual prize-giving, which was held last Wednesday evening. I had been asked to select two prize winners soon after I arrived at Unity back in January. This was quite difficult as I barely knew my students at the time. However, looking back, I definately made the right choices! The prize giving also featured the unique Unity High School song, and a special award for one of last years students who acheieved the best Sociology iGCSE result in the world! It is amazing to think there is now only one week left of teaching this school year, after which the school exams begin for all students. It seems like I only started this blog a few weeks ago and yet I’ll be back home in less then a month.

The talent show and the camel market

As a multi-faith school, Unity High School has sufficient Catholic Christians and Orthodox Coptic Christians to warrant a school holiday for both Easters. As a result, this weekend has been another long weekend for staff and students to celebrate Coptic Easter.

Saturday night was the annual Unity High School talent show, which is modelled on the X-factor. Any student can enter, but must first audition in front of the judges on a previous day. Those who were good enough are entered into Saturday’s main show, where they perform again to the judges and in front of an audience of students. Unfortunately, I was not a judge (my role was just checking tickets on the gate) but I did watch most of the acts – all of whom were excellent. There were entries across the secondary school, from year 7 to year 11, but the winners were a group of ‘rapping’ year 9 boys, who brought the house down!

On Sunday, I went with a few friends to a camel market about 30 minutes drive north from central Khartoum. We hailed an amjad at about 10.30am, with a driver who seemed to know where we wanted to go. As we got closer, the driver did need to ask a few directions, but eventually he did take to exact place in the market where camels were being bought and sold. On arrival, it was extremely hot and a group of locals immediately descended upon us, on the assumption that we were looking for a camel ride. Well, I was keen on the idea, but not at the 50 SDG price we were being quoted!! Whilst 50 SDG would not have broken the bank, it was obviously a rip off when you consider I got a bus all the way to Port Sudan for just 73 SDG. That was a 1777km journey and this was just going to be 10 minutes on a camel. Obviously we looked like naive tourists with deep pockets!

We managed to negotiate down to 30 SDG, but it was only when we started walking away that they offered two rides for 30 SDG. As soon as we accepted I was ushered onto the camel, which was up and away before I had fully settled! A local took hold of the camel (lead? reins? – I don’t know – but he kept it under control) and took me around a short circuit. It may not have been for long, but it was a good photo opportunity, and something else to tick off the ‘to do’ list in Sudan.

As it was so hot, we didn’t stay for long. But we did wander round the market, which was fairly uneventful and seemed to be mainly selling sacks of grain and rice. However, we did have time to stop for a traditional Sudanese coffee, before walking back to the main road and getting an amjad back to Khartoum. Monday is another day off, but Tuesday is the deadline for preparing the end of year exams, so I am sure I will keep myself busy writing exams and planning for the week ahead.

An ‘eggless’ Easter in Khartoum

Last week has been a week of firsts for me, which included my first visit to the US embassy, my first church service in Khartoum and my first Easter without chocolate eggs! (But perhaps the latter experience was not surprising given the heat of Khartoum and the international trade sanctions).

I also hosted a ‘party’ in my apartment for the first time last Wednesday, if you can describe hosting a bridge club as a party! I’m not really a bridge player, in fact I barely know the rules, but I joined the club a few weeks ago as another way of socialising and getting to know more people.

I kept myself busy for the Easter weekend which followed, and managed to get added to the guest list for a party at the US embassy on Good Friday. The event had ‘native dress’ theme, so I decided to wear a football shirt and for a fleeting moment I thought I may be turned away for looking like a hooligan, but it was the only English-related item of clothing I could think of. Security was certainly very tight (no electric devices were allowed, including phones and cameras) but the music and liquid refreshments soon enabled me to relax in my Arsenal top. In fact, there were several people who wearing a sport-related shirt to express their national identity, but obviously there are no photos.

Saturday was a chance to lie in and recover from the night before, and later a colleague who lives directly above me had a barbecue on his balcony, which was great and made a change from the pasta and rice related dishes which I normally cook for myself.

I did have plans to go to church on Easter day, but I went off this idea when I found the Anglican cathedral is the other side of the city. However, I did walk with some friends down to the Nile where St Matthew’s Roman Catholic Cathedral can be found (actually quite close to Lord Kitcheners gunboat). There was a service going on, but it was is Arabic, so we only stayed to listen for a few minutes and then moved on.

The day was now heating up so we soon stopped at this impressive shop on Nile Street selling fresh fruit juice. Then, a bit further down the street we found the old Anglican Cathedral, which has now been converted into the Palace Museum. Fortunately it was open, and although only small, it was a fascinating museum, containing the record of the events (and battles) which led to Sudanese independence. There’s a selection of British muskets and swords from colonial rule, and several portraits of the British Governor general’s who lived (and in some cases died) in Sudan. This included a portrait and bust of a young Lord Kitchener. However, perhaps the highlight of the museum is the collection of official cars outside, (including Rolls Royce’s) used by various dignitaries both during and after colonial rule.