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When we finally set up our tents in the greenest part of the garden, in came one of the guys that was just hanging around doing nothing when we arrived. He tells us that we cannot camp here because we’re in front of the mosque; that white travelers stay away, at the very end, where the sun does furious justice with all their Western sins. I suspect that some fundamentalist has gone to complain to the administration about our improvised accommodations. I refuse to move. I decide to use the same tactic they use among them to resolve any problem or objection.
“Ok,” I say, smiling. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow in the morning?” Asks the censor.
I agree slapping him on the shoulder. “Tomorrow morning we will move, I promise. And if tomorrow we have not moved, do not worry, because I will then tell you that we will leave again the next day.” In Africa there is always tomorrow to turn to.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Entering
Mandatory visa requirement. In the Sudanese Embassy of Cairo it can be obtained by paying $100USD. You must register with the police within three days. It costs 115 Sudanese pounds but be prepared for quite a long time waiting.
For the bike
You’ll need a Carne du Passage issued by RACE.
Currency
Credit cards don’t work. The Queen’s currency is the dollar. The Sudanese pound has an official exchange rate of 1 to 2.7. In the black market they pay between 3, 6 and 3.9. You get a better rate by exchanging higher bills. Bills with any damage are not accepted.
Sleeping and eating
Except in Khartoum, where hotels that are worthy are expensive. For something more reasonable you’ll want to use a guesthouse (“Lokanda”). Most have shared bathrooms consisting of a Turkish plate, on which there is a shower head that discharges water sometimes. It is common that before handing you the keys they will require police permission for housing.
The best advice for overlanders is free mode camping. However some recommendations are:
• Wadi Halfa: Hotel Kilopatra. 40£ double room
• Dongola: Lord Hotel. 35£ the only room with bathroom
• Khartoum: National Camp Resort camping
Eating
In the coastal communities, fish of the Nile. Inland communities: lamb and falafel.
