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I am very sad to watch this situation. I spent 3 weeks driving my 4x4 through Sudan in early 2019 [1], just a month before they finally got rid of Al-Bashir, a
by grecy 2y ago
I am very sad to watch this situation.
I spent 3 weeks driving my 4x4 through Sudan in early 2019 [1], just a month before they finally got rid of Al-Bashir, and it was incredible.
The people of Sudan were some of the kindest and friendliest I have ever encountered on the planet. When I asked for directions to buy bread and it turned out to be complicated, the following morning locals brought a bag of fresh-baked bread to my campsite and refused to let me pay for it no matter how much I insisted.
Their currency was already falling so fast I was getting a better rate for USD cash every day.
Gas at the time was $0.35USD / gallon - though the lineups were days long. The locals never let me wait in line and insisted I skip it every time.
Later in the North I met a very kind man who invited me for delicious coffee every day just to sit and talk. He again refused to let me pay for it and was clearly very proud of his country and people. On the second and third day I brought pastries to share. He said for decades it would have been unthinkable to talk out loud about getting rid of Al-Bashir, but during my visit it was starting to almost be acceptable. He did warn me to keep my voice down and leave my big camera in my 4x4 - people were edgy.
Sudan is on the list of 5 "evil" countries, just because I visited for three weeks I can never again get an ESTA (visa waiver) to enter the USA. It makes crossing the border much harder, especially when I live in Canada (not yet a Canadian citizen).
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pqtfwlfDAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pqtfwlfDAw
or text if you prefer (hit next article at the bottom of each post) http://theroadchoseme.com/to-khartoum http://theroadchoseme.com/to-khartoum
- valval 2y agoAnd your status as a rich and white curiosity played no part in this?
- AdrianB1 2y agoThis ESTA thing is weird. I had to go through Syria many times in transit to Jordan when it was cheaper to drive than to fly, but I never thought this will cause problems in the future. Same for Iran and Iraq, lots of Romanians used to work there in electricity projects. Iran is still a destination for motorcycle rides, I have a friend who was married to an Iranian woman and we had plans to go there with the bikes, he was traveling regularly to visit his wife's family. But I guess these exceptions are rare enough to be ignored.
- csomar 2y agoWhile your experience sounds exceptional, tourism used to be like that before it went mainstream. Essentially, normal people (not traders) will travel with very little resources. There are no credit cards or international banking. So they had to rely on strangers for food and housing.
- throwaway48476 2y agoI don't think I've heard of a single group that was not described as the 'kindest and friendliest'.
- BehindBlueEyes 2y agoparisians
- ainiriand 2y agoGermans.
- Freestyler_3 2y agoAnd speaking of kind individuals, you are no longer in the competition.
- ainiriand 2y agoIt was meant as a joke. I live in Germany and I'm very happy here, and they even joke about that.
- Freestyler_3 2y agooh really hehe
- seper8 2y agoDutch (as a Dutch guy I think I'm allowed to say it). Not exactly known for our hospitality or generosity
- grecy 2y agoI was very happy to see Ethiopia in my review mirror. I’ve driven through 55 countries in the undeveloped and developing world. Many were friendly or kinda neutral. Sudan is a very clear standout. Sudanese were way more friendly than Australians, Canadians, Brits
- 2y ago
- huhrlya 2y ago>The people of Sudan were some of the kindest and friendliest I have ever encountered on the planet. Then why the fuck are they killing each other in a bloody civil war?
- arp242 2y agoMost Sudanese people are not involved in that.