 Mr. Omer Osman Hakem - Hyper Friendly by ishi01 | Tips and photos for Khartoum vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and Khartoum locals. Khartoum Map |
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Since my mid-teens I have been interested in Ancient Egyptian history, so when I went to live in Sudan, the National Museum was the first place to go. It enabled me to see some of the temples that had been saved from the water of the High dam, to touch the stones, examine the carvings and see the painted walls.
After joining the Sudan Archaeological Society, I managed to visit a few sites. Then in 2001 we went to Cairo, where I was able to fulfil many of my dreams like visiting Luxor, Karnak, Abu Simbel..
Now back in Khartoum I have revisited the museum and am better able to appreciate it. The relocated temples are mainly associated with Rameses II, Hatchepsut, Tuthmosis III, and Senusret , so are truly Egyptian. But inside the museum itself it is clear that the two countries had a common culture , with local differences. The wooden beds are still in use today, ablution vessels are not so different. Even the features of the pharaohs are more Sudanese than 21st century Egyptian.
Since visiting Naga and the Royal City of Meroe I have been attracted to the Meroitic rams. They have more character than those of Karnak. Those early sculptors of Sudan tried to imitate the fleece of the ram in stone and it is this that caught my attention. Some used a whorl like pattern, others an almost scale like pattern; others still carved the Khnum or Amun Ra =type ram with the wide horns. So, whenever I come across a meroitic ran- snap, click goes the camera shutter.
From a tip in Things to Do, I also show the Meroitic lion. I started taking pictures of lions in Alexandria where is a great variety, so was excited to see the lines of lions at the museum here were not stereotypes.
And I can’t miss out the two frogs, one at either end of the ‘river’. Frogs were placed as guardians at wells, water holes [hafirs] and ponds. [see too Botanic gardens]
So, whenever I have been away from Sudan I like to absorb myself in its history when I return. Leave a Comment
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 by mafi_moya
Despite the air con and comfy sofas it's not really a place to relax - it's a favourite hangout for Sudanese wanting to learn English so any native speaker is pounced on immediately and subjected to a barrage of questioning. If you're new in town then turn up here and I guarantee you within ten minutes you'll have countless new friends. Most are very nice and I met some of my best friends here - although unfortunately some are a bit annoying and hard to get rid of. You'll soon learn to spot them!
The BC is also good for the occasional evening event - this being Khartoum you grab anything that looks remotely interesting. The best thing I went to was the first film festival, which was absolutely packed and a huge success. I still have great memories of the Sudanese viewers watching Chicken Run and giving a bunch of animated poultry a standing ovation.
You can find it at 14 Abu Sinn Street, a 5 minute walk from Souk Arabi bus station. Leave a Comment
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Khartoum has a growing number of internet cafes. A couple of almost high-tech places have opened inside the Baraka Building (look for the tall building with an LG advert on the roof...you can't miss it!)...the staff amazingly seem to know what they are doing, and charge only 200 dinar for an hour. Three more places near the British Council offer a more haphazard service for the same price...the staff, while friendly, have a tendency to trip over wires, pull plugs out, and the solution to any problem you might experience with your computer is to turn it off, it seems! The British Council also has free internet access for members and volunteers. Leave a Comment
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I have lived in Khartoum now for 40 years and have seen many changes, particularly in the last decade. I used to drive all over the 3 towns , and for some years drove from the southern outskirts [Soba] to north Omdurman to what is now the Faculty of Education. I have done this trip in half an hour, but nowadays it will probably take 3 times as long as the traffic situation has deteriorated. Strange new road systems exist, and now it would take a lot to get me behind the wheel of a car again.
There has been a lot of beautification in the towns with trees and bushes planted , and new wide roads, as well as more bridges to make access to the three towns easier. But even with flyovers, there is still a lot of congestion once you reach the centre of town.
In spite of the obvious physical changes in the buildings- higher, more modern etc, the people are basicall much the same- generous, hospitable, friendly and charming.
I used to love driving in the early mornings when the roads were empty, the air was fresh and cool.
The only way to bring these memories is to drive during the Eid when the streets are realatively empty. Leave a Comment
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In Sudan, Arabic is the official language, with over 500 tribal dialects and English is now the second official language. However, if you can, learn a few Arabic words because it will help you communicate with the majority of the locals. The Sudanese locals are more than happy to teach you too
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 Lots of cash!! by BorneoGrrl
The 5000 & 2000 notes are still new so be aware when you change a few hundred US dollars into Sudanese Dinars, try to get the bigger notes otherwise you will carry a lot of cash (picture)
Update : As of Jan 2007, Sudan has adopted a new currency, the Sudanese Guinea. To convert the Sudanese Dinar to the new Sudanese Guinea, you have to minus two "0" e.g 100 SDD = 1 Sudanese Guinea (SDG)
At present, the exchange rate is roughly US$1 = 2 SDG
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khartoum is a very nice city. i liked it very much. its a very modern city with all the things u need. the only thing that disapoints me about khartoum is that most of the streets where people live ar all most all sand but otherwise its very nice. people in khartoum are very nice. they will offer u food money and alot of stuff at the streets. it has good service in hotel and there are alot of parties that go on every day. the city of khartoum is divided in 3 cities omdurman, khartoum, and bahri.
the most thing i will miss about khartoum is the people of sudan and the wounderful veiw of the nile from my hotel room. Leave a Comment
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 by NarvikingLeave a Comment
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I discovered nice Internet facilities at the Regency hotel (former Meridien), Central Kahrtoum (corner of El Qasr street and Said Abdul Rahman Street).
They have 6 computers in the nicely air-conditionned hall that you can use for 5 SDG per hour.
Don't expect a supr-fast access, but they work pretty well and the attendant (office on the right just before the computers) is very helpfull if something doesn-t work.
But they have no earphones and microphones, so forget VOIP calls.
The next day, I tried the facilities at the Horizon Hotel (corner of Abdel Minim Mohamed Street and Said Abdul Rahman Street). They offer Wifi Access for SDG 10 a day. And they have 2 computers in the hall with Internet access for SDG 4 per hour. The connection is rather better than at the Regency.
I found out that most american Internet sites are blocked by the Sudanese government. The big ones like MSN, Yahoo, Google, Youtube are however available. The government shut down Youtube, but the protests from the users were so heavy that they had to switch it on again.
My homepage is hosted in the US and I have therefore no access to my webmail. If this is the case for you, better forward all your mail to a Yahoo address or such. Leave a Comment
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