Go with Henry: Khartoum vehicles, street scenery and signs

Saturday, 27 September 2008

Khartoum vehicles, street scenery and signs

English Teacher in Sudan

April to August 2008

Background

I spent nearly 6 months in Khartoum, Sudan, as an EFL teacher during 2008. Sudan is not your typical tourist destination. Most of the expat community either work for NGO's or for oil companies. There are rarely tourists who visit Sudan, due to safety considerations. This does not detach from the unique experience it offers. It is not a place where one can freely walk and happily snap away pictures. I was arrested twice for what they thought 'spying' activities.

All the pictures were taken, I had to be very careful in taking, most while in a moving car, others trying to be inconspicuous while walking......no time for setting up a tripod and take still life photo's. they were paranoid in Khartoum and feared that any photo could end up in the hands of rebels to gain strategic access of the city. Taking pics of bridges was thus a no-no. As I am addicted to taking pics, this was very difficult. The police erased one memory card of mine, on one of the occasions I was arrested. They thought I was a BBC journalist looking for news to report on.

Meanwhile, I was just exploring Khartoum on foot, and I ended up in the government section. Later I got the hang of it and explored most of Khartoum on foot, taking pics while I walked. I made friends with people who worked for NGO's like the UN and it was easier to travel with them, whilst snapping away. In this photo expose I focus on modes of transportation in Khartoum, as well as street scenery, specifically signboards and advertisement boards.

Camel far I visited near my home in Khartoum

About Sudan

Sudan (Arabic: السودان Al-Sudan) is the third largest country in Africa and sixteenth largest in the world, bordering Egypt, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan. Sudan is afflicted by civil wars which have been raging, on and off, for more than 40 years. When the colonial map-makers divided up Africa, they included in Sudan the predominantly Muslim people of the north (including Nubians), who share much of their history and culture with Egyptians and Arabs, and the largely Christian and Animist Nilotic and Bantu people of the south, who have more in common with the rest of sub-Saharan Africa than with their northern neighbours (Wikitravel).

About Khartoum

Khartoum (Arabic: الخرطوم Al-Khartum) is the capital of Sudan and is located where the Blue Nile and White Nile Rivers merge. The huge, spread-out city is actually made out of three distinct cities (Khartoum, Khartoum North or Bahri, and Omdurman) which are divided by the Nile and its two arms. The Blue Nile flows between Khartoum and Bahri, the White Nile between Khartoum and Omdurman, and the merged Nile between Bahri and Omdurman. The confluence of the Blue and White Nile, known as Al-Mogran, lies just north of the bridge between Khartoum and Omdurman (Wikitravel).

One of the oldest ways to get around.......Camel farm near where I lived in Buri, Khartoum

Camel farmer

Visiting a Camel farm- Buri, Khartoum

Camel farmer - Buri, khartoum

Khartoum streets and signs

Khartoum street scenery

Advertisement of the soccer 2010 World cup in South Africa

Khartoum advertisement board

Khartoum shop with branding

Sidewalk bookshop.....this one was closed as it was Friday

Buri Street scenery....near where I lived

Coffee shop sign - Beatles coffee shop in Khartoum

Khartoum street scenery

Khartoum transportation

There are a number of taxis or Amjad that charge SD 10 to most destinations in Khartoum. These taxis come in the form of 30-year-old yellow Toyota saloons or Daewoo micro-buses, which can be hailed from street corners. The Raksha (TUK-TUK), however, is the cheapest at SD 5, but not necessarily the safest.

Yellow taxis - They use 1977-1984 Toyota Corollas as taxis. It's like Cuba, scenery frozen in time.

These Toyota Corollas of the late ’70s and early '80s reminded me of Cuba where the cars are stuck in time. Ironically, Khartoum residents drive the latest cars, yet these taxi’s remain, and as dilapidated as they are, over-charge the expats. I took one only once and it cost me 10 SDG. Amjad's, Raksha’s or friends with NGO vehicles, remain the cheaper options.

Yellow taxi - Downtown Khartoum

Khartoum taxi

Toyota Corolla 1979 still going strong

Yellow taxi collage

Rakshas

Raksha or Tuk-Tuk as it is known in Thailand is your cheapest choice of a taxi in Khartoum, but definitely not the safest. Driven by youngsters who pimp up their rides, these Raksha’s disobey all traffic laws, making it an adrenaline rush experience second to none to skydiving. Yet I always had great conversations with the drivers and I always got where I needed to be.

Black Raksha

Khartoum Raksha (Tuk-Tuk)

Khartoum is a mixture of donkey carts, cars, buses, Rakshas and they all use the same roads at the same time. There are no clear rules. hooting is an indication that you are about to execute what you want, and others need to pay attention to. There is probably not a vehicle without several dents....an insurance nightmare. yet I did not see a lot of road rage.