Few feelings are worse as a budget backpacker than knowing that you’ve just been ripped off. You feel cheated, outwitted, and like a dumb tourist. Scenes of your antagonist laughing his/her way to the bank begin to plague your waking life. You imagine all the meals you could have afforded if you hadn’t succumbed to […]
Sudanese Arabic 101: Making Small Talk
Around 200,000,000 people spread out over 25 countries are native speakers of Arabic. While classical Koranic Arabic is unanimous across all these countries, the dialect and vernacular can vary drastically. In any case, of the 7 Arabic speaking countries I have visited, Sudanese Arabic is the best, and perhaps even the best in the world, […]
Number 1 Food in Sudan: Foul!
The national dish of Sudan is arguably foul. Foul, romanized as foul but actually pronounced fool, is a lightly mashed bean dish garnished with olive oil and cheese. And let me tell you, Foul is delicious. It is also incredibly cheap, making it a tremendously cost effective meal for the runaway adventurer and budget backpacker. […]
Rickshaw 101
Ever since I rode my first rickshaw in India, I have always wanted to learn how to drive one. Thanks to my good friend Ashenavi of Eritrea, this dream came true. I am now a proficient rickshaw driver, ready to work the streets of Khartoum. Since I am experienced at riding motorcycles, my learning curve […]
Runaway Photo of the Week: 3/14/12
It was moving day, Sudanese style. Sudan is a relatively recluse and geographically isolated country. As a result, there really aren’t many westerners here. So when these Sudanese guys saw me, a tall lanky blonde guy, riding atop some furniture atop a truck, just like them, they went NUTS!
You Know You’re In Sudan When…
You know you’re in Sudan when… 1) “A connection has been established between your current IP address and a country sanctioned by the U.S. government.” 2) Driving on the wrong side of the highway is legal. 3) Being caught with pornography is punishable by forty lashes. 4) The best way to exchange currency is through […]
How To Become A Pirate
Among the prospective life paths I envisioned as a child, becoming a pirate ranked right up there with Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Batman. What could be cooler than climbing aboard a ship with a bunch of one eyed, ragtag, parrot wearing sailors and setting sail in search of plunder and adventure in the unknowns […]
