We leave the Karima area to head towards Meroe via the Bayuda desert surrounded by sharp cone-shaped black basalt mountains and bounded by the loop formed by the Nile between the 4th and 6th Cataract. We met some Bisharin nomads who live in small huts built with dry wooden branches close to rare water wells in the desert. The desert has some low lands and wadi where grass and bushes grow and provide pasture for the herds of cattle and camels of these Bisharin people. The specific family we visited belongs to the Bisharin-Hasanya tribe. The men were out at work and we got to meet the women and children of the house.
Bisharin nomad dwelling
Bisharin nomad dwelling
Houses made of dry wooden branches
Dawa and her nephew Ali
17-year old Dawa with so much on her mind….
2-year old Ali
The women sitting around chatting inside the house
Umbala, Ali’s mother, has a baby under her shawl. These nomads believe that it is auspicious to hide their baby away from the public eye until they are at least a few months old.
It is a Sudanese tradition for married women to apply black henna to the soles of their feet, toes, and fingertips.
Beautiful Thorya
The sisters sharing a laugh
Thorya and Dawa
16-year old Thorya and her 17-year old sister Dawa
Auntie Zaneb here on a visit
Grandma Medina who is 95 is the matriarch of the family. What a story her face tells!
Auntie Zaneb and Umbala
Ali
16-year old Thorya
Thorya and Dawa
Thorya
Ali
Ali sitting on his parent’s bed
Thorya
Bisharin nomadic dwelling
Bisharin family
Bisharin dwelling
Bisharin dwelling
Bayuda Desert
Bayuda Desert
Children here love to peer into our car window and get their photos taken. All they want in return is to see their image on the screen of the camera.
Quick stop in Shendi to get some supplies for our long drive.
Shendi market
Boy selling henna at the local market
Shendi market
Shendi market
Shendi market
Shendi market
Shendi market
Shendi market
According to our guide, we are not allowed to take photos at the local markets (mandated by the government) but in more remote places outside of Khartoum, this rule is often not strictly enforced. The locals in the market actually love getting their photos taken and were practically lining up in front of us. Unlike in more touristy places like Egypt or Ethiopia, they do not ask for money in return. All they wanted was to see their image on the screen of the camera. They will give you a big smile and a thumbs up upon seeing their picture and carry on with whatever they were doing or wherever they were going.
Local market
I noticed there are no women in the market, only men and children.
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Captured at a local market
Next post will be on the highlight of our trip: Meroe, the latter day capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kush and its numerous pyramids. Stay tuned!
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