There is a message for Christi and I in the lobby of our hotel, the Gobba, in Khartoum, which is something of a surprise since we don't know anyone in this city. The message is from the office of Midhat Madir our Sudanese fixer with whom we have a love / hate relationship. We paid him an extortionate amount of money for travel permits to the Sudan (although whether these permits actually helped … [Read more...]
Faces of Sudan, Day 301
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Supposedly Midhat Mahir, our Sudanese fixer has organized an early morning taxi to take Christi and I to South Khartoum bus station. It never arrives, leaving Christi and I scrambling to find a ride. Fortunately the hotel concierge intervenes and arranges everything on our behalf. I should just state here and now that the people of Sudan are actually very friendly. There is the possibility, … [Read more...]
Metemma to Gondar, Day 302
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Christi and I spend a very uncomfortable night in a hovel in Metemma on the Ethiopian side of the border with Sudan. Our ‘cave’ is just big enough to hold a double bed. There is no other furniture - there would be nowhere to put it. Sadly there is no fan or air-conditioning either and it is a hot, sticky night. We do have a single overhead electric light in the room, which is run by a generator … [Read more...]
The Royal Enclosure, Gondar, Day 303
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There are two draw cards for Gondar: one is as a base to organize trekking expeditions into the Simien mountains (which we have done previously and which are quite spectacular). The other and much easier to organize is a visit to the castles of the Royal Enclosure, located in the center of town. Before we take a lazy stroll through the African Camelot, though (and who knew there were … [Read more...]
Debre Birhan Selassie Church, Day 304
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This is our last day in Gondar and Christi and I had planned to visit the nearby Debre Birhan Selassie Church. However, Sayoum knows we want to visit the Omo Valley and he keeps talking about various options and showing us pictures. Sayoum is a rather good salesman and we are soon in deep negotiations. These are not short trips and neither are they cheap. The Omo Valley is a long way from nowhere. … [Read more...]
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