Gadling

Video: Visiting The Pyramids of Sudan

Sean McLachlan — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: History, Learning, Africa, Sudan, Video

Sudan is near the top of my list of countries I haven't been to that I want to explore. One of the main things I'm aching to see are the pyramids of Meroë. This site has dozens of pyramids built starting around 720 BC.

Meroë was one of the capitals of the Nubian Empire, which at times rivaled its more famous northern neighbor, Egypt. As archaeologists continue to excavate in the Sudan, they're finding that it had more influence on ancient Egyptian culture than previously thought. The Nubians even took over Egypt and installed their own dynasty there, ruling from 760-656 BC before the Egyptians kicked them out.

The pyramids at Meroë are a two-and-a-half hour drive north of the modern capital Khartoum. This video takes us on that journey, with a classic soundtrack to get us in the mood. The camel crossing reminds me of a similar holdup I experienced in Ethiopia's Somali region!

Video: Visiting The Pyramids of Sudan originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day: Sudanese Desert Landscape

Alex Robertson Textor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Sudan, Photo of the Day

A Sudanese desert landscape like this one doesn't materialize everyday here at Gadling. Sudan isn't the easiest country to visit, nor the least expensive. It's also not the very safest place to spend time as a tourist in the aggregate. Both the US State Department and the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise their citizens very generally to at the very least seriously investigate the risks before visiting Sudan.

I don't mean to make light of any of this in considering this image, snapped by Flickr user Mark Fischer in February in Ash Shamaliyah, Sudan, to be very striking. The contrast of the blue sky against the orange sand is beautifully interrupted by small, lonely buildings.

Upload your images of lonely desert landscapes to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. We choose our favorites from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Photo of the Day: Sudanese Desert Landscape originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day: Sudanese guide

Jeremy Kressmann — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Sudan, Photo of the Day

I had never heard of the ancient Nubian tombs at El-Kurru, located in Sudan, until I saw today's photo by Flickr user Mark Fischer. Mark took the photo above of his guide while wandering around exploring the site. I was immediately drawn to the man's bemused posture and stoic glare. I wonder what he knows about this place? What stories could he tell us? You'll just have to head to Sudan to find the answer...

Have any great photos to share from your travels? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day: Sudanese guide originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day - Colorful clothing in Khartoum

Jeremy Kressmann — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Sudan, Photo of the Day

Color. It surrounds us so completely that it's easy to take it for granted, becoming a sort of visual white noise, unobserved and innocuous. Yet the strategic use of color in a travel photo can really draw in the viewer's attention. Take the emerald green scarf in the photo above - it's exactly what caught my eye in Flickr user Mark Fischer's photo from Sudan. It literally shouts at your eyes against the muted white background of the characters in back. The man's weathered face, faint smile and white wisps of facial hair further add to the intrigue of this mysterious character.

Taken any great travel photos of your own? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day - Colorful clothing in Khartoum originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Book celebrates 10 years of the Tour d'Afrique

Kraig Becker — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Biking, Arts and Culture, Festivals and Events, Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Books, Ecotourism

The Tour d'Afrique is a legendary cycling event that runs from Cairo to Cape Town on an annual basis. Covering more than 7500 miles, and requiring four months to complete, the Tour is a popular "bucket list" item for adventure travelers and cyclists the world over. This year, the Tour d'Afrique commemorates its tenth anniversary, and to celebrate, the company behind the epic event has released a fantastic coffee table book entitled 10: Celebrating Ten Years of the Tour d'Afrique Bicycle Race and Expedition.

The book begins with a forward written by Tour founder Henry Gold. A decade ago, when he first pitched the idea of a bike ride across Africa, Gold was met with skepticism to say the least. Many thought that it simply wasn't possible for an event like this one to exist and he was regularly told he was crazy for even considering it. Ten year later, Gold has turned his idea into a yearly event, and his adventure travel company produces similar cycling tours in a host of other locations across the globe.

10 is filled with stories from the road, as riders share tales, quotes, and anecdotes of their own experiences from the Tour. For some, it was a life altering experience for others an adventure of a lifetime, but no one who has taken part in the journey has come away unchanged. Their words are likely to inspire readers to want to join Tour as well, and even if you haven't been on a bike in years, you may find yourself dreaming of pedaling under African skies. The book doesn't try to hide the challenges of the ride, which range from oppressive heat to unexpected downpours, not to mention ever changing road conditions, but the amazing beauty of Africa and the camaraderie that is formed amongst the riders, will have a universal appeal all the same.

If the words of the riders don't inspire you than perhaps the amazing photographs contained in this book will. 10 is a visual love letter to cycling, adventure travel, and most importantly, Africa itself. The 252 page volume is packed with breathtaking images that have been compiled over the past decade and capture the spirit of the Tour very well. Not only do those photos show the day-to-day experiences of the ride, but they also manage to convey a sense of wonder at the countries and environments that the riders pass through, as well as the people that live there.

If you have a cyclist or adventure traveler on your holiday shopping list, than this book is sure to be a hit. Just be warned, after reading it, they may feel compelled to join the ride themselves. Africa is most definitely calling.

New Book celebrates 10 years of the Tour d'Afrique originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medieval pilgrims journeyed deep into Africa, archaeologists discover

Sean McLachlan — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Africa, Europe, Sudan, Spain

The Kingdom of Makuria is the quintessential forgotten civilization. Very few people have even heard of it, yet it ruled southern Sudan for hundreds of years and was one of the few kingdoms to defeat the Arabs during their initial expansion in the 7th century AD. Makuria was a Christian kingdom, born out of the collapse of the earlier Christian kingdom of Axum. Makuria survived as a bulwark of Christianity in medieval Africa until it finally collapsed in 1312.

Now excavations of some of its churches at Banganarti and Selib have revealed that this kingdom was a center of pilgrimage, attracting people from as far away as Catalonia, in modern Spain. The 2,300 mile journey from Spain to southern Sudan is a long one even today, but imagine when it had to be done on horseback, walking, and boats powered only by sails and oars. Yet an inscription records that one Catalan named Benesec made the journey almost a thousand years ago, probably to pray for a cure to an illness. "Benesec" was a popular Catalan name in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Another inscription with an accompanying painting shows a Muslim man, Deif Ali, making a pilgrimage to the church to pray for a cure to his blindness. This isn't as unusual as it might sound. In regions where religions mingle, some people will go to holy places of the other religion. When I covered the Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela for Reuters back in 2001, I met Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs all coming to be a part of the religious festival.

Makurian artists produced some amazing religious frescoes, like this image of the birth of Jesus, courtesy Wikimedia Commons, and this closeup of St. Anne, also courtesy Wikimedia Commons. Both come from the cathedral of Faras, an important Makurian city.

The churches are in southern Sudan, not the new Republic of South Sudan. The nation of Sudan (the northern one) has many sites of archaeological and historical interest and is a popular destination for adventure travel.

Medieval pilgrims journeyed deep into Africa, archaeologists discover originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ancient palace discovered in Sudan

Sean McLachlan — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: History, Learning, Africa, Sudan

Archaeologists digging in the ancient city of Meroë in the Sudan have discovered what they believe is a palace dating to 900 BC.

The team discovered the building under the remains of a later palace. It's believed to be the oldest building yet discovered at the site, which was once the capital of the Kingdom of Kush. Kush had several great cities and exported iron all the way to China. From 747-656 BC, the Kushites ruled Egypt as the twenty-fifth dynasty. The empire lasted from about 1000 BC to 350 AD before being conquered by the Empire of Axum in Ethiopia.

Meroë is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Africa. It has more than 200 pyramids, although they're smaller than the largest Egyptian pyramids.

For a long time Meroë and Kush were understudied in favor of the more famous Egyptian civilization. Now scholars are beginning to realize that this Sudanese civilization contributed a lot to Egyptian culture.

Meroë is two-and-a-half hours north of Khartoum and it's feasable to do in a long day trip. If you're not going to the Sudan, the British Museum in London has a whole room dedicated to this civilization and its art.

Image courtesy Sven-steffenarndt via Wikimedia Commons

Ancient palace discovered in Sudan originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to get a second passport

Alex Robertson Textor — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, United States, Middle East, Central America, Caribbean

A second passport sounds glamorous. And in point of fact, it is glamorous. There's no debating the matter. Possessing a second passport gives its bearer bragging rights and the ability to feel a wee bit like a spy, especially when he or she is traveling with both passports in tow.

So you want to get a second passport and feel like an undercover agent? Not so fast. The US State Department allows Americans to obtain a second US passport under two circumstances only: [1] when a particular passport stamp will prevent entry into certain other countries the bearer intends or needs to visit, and [2] when a foreign visa application's processing time interferes with upcoming international travel.

The first loophole addresses diplomatic barriers to travel. The chief example here is the Israeli passport stamp. Several countries refuse to admit travelers with an Israeli stamp (as well as Jordanian or Egyptian entrance or exit stamps from Israel's land border crossings with Jordan and Egypt) in their passports.

With an Israeli stamp in your passport, you may be refused entry to Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Anecdotal evidence from friends and various online sources indicates that some countries are stricter than others, with Lebanon and Syria particularly unbendable. The bearer of a second passport can alternate between passports selectively, thus making sure that he or she will not be refused admission for a years-old Israeli passport stamp at, say, the Damascus airport.

The second circumstance addresses the problem of bureaucratic delays. People with upcoming travel scheduled while their passports are unavailable as a consequence of a foreign visa application (or another procedure involving a foreign government) can apply for and receive a second passport.

The second passport is only valid for two years. In addition to the required form and photographs, applications must include evidence of upcoming travel and a letter explaining the applicant's specific need for the additional passport.

How to get a second passport originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 27 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strictest dress codes - 5 countries with fashion police

Justin Delaney — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Africa, Asia, Europe, Sudan, Bhutan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, France, News, Middle East

Earlier this week, the "Burqa Ban" went into effect in France. Since passing into law, several burqa draped women have already been arrested, and the symbolic law is causing an uproar among the Muslim population of France and beyond. However, France is not the only country with authoritative garment laws. Many countries possess laws that limit what citizens and visitors are allowed to wear.

According to Foreign Policy magazine, these five countries have some of the strictest dress code laws in the world. The list includes countries from three continents, though France is the lone western world inclusion. It is odd that a country known for its fashion houses and pioneering designers is also home to such an autocratic fashion law. I would expect this sort of posturing from the American South, but clothing oppression along the Champs-Élysées seems a bit misplaced.

Continue reading Strictest dress codes - 5 countries with fashion police

Strictest dress codes - 5 countries with fashion police originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Tour d'Afrique heads toward Sudan

Kraig Becker — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Biking, Festivals and Events, Blogs, Africa, Egypt, South Africa, Sudan, Ecotourism

The 2011 edition of the Tour d'Afrique got underway last week when more than 40 cyclists from all over the world set out from Cairo, Egypt on a four month long epic ride through Africa. The annual event has become a favorite amongst adventure travelers looking for a unique way to experience that continents cultural and natural wonders, while also challenging themselves physically along the way.

Each year, the Tour begins in Egypt and heads south, passing through ten countries along its well planned route. The riders spend 95 days in the saddle, with 23 rest days scattered across the schedule as well. Factor in 2 days of travel by ferry and you have 120 days of adventure that eventually culminates at the finish line in Cape Town, South Africa. All told, the journey covers nearly 7500 miles with the cyclists averaging roughly 77 miles per day.

Last Sunday, the riders hit the road for this year's edition of the Tour, rolling past the Great Pyramids of Giza before heading out into the Sahara Desert for their first few days of the ride. Over the past week, their route has taken them to the shores of the Red Sea, past sprawling sand dunes, and along the fabled Nile River, all the way to Aswan. Once there, they boarded a ferry for a long ride across Lake Nasser, departing on the other side in Sudan, where they'll continue their ride today. For updates on their progress so far and througout the entire Tour, check out the offical blog of the event.

The Tour d'Afrique has become the premiere adventure cycling tour in the world, but it is a little too late to join the 2011 edition, at least for the full ride. Cyclists can elect to take on various stages of the Tour, which offer a much shorter, and less expensive, but just as adventurous option for cycling in Africa. These segments are roughly 18 days in length and include such options as "The Gorge," which runs from Khartoum to Addis Ababa or the "Masai Steppe," which connects Nairobi to Mbeya. For an overview of the available stages, click here.

If you missed this year's Tour but are interested in riding in 2012, keep an eye on the official website for announcement about the future of the race. Even though the riders just got underway, next year's edition is already in the planning stages.

[Photo credit: Kristian Pletten]

2011 Tour d'Afrique heads toward Sudan originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adventure travel meets faith: cycling to Mecca for the Hajj

Sean McLachlan — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Budget Travel, Middle East

Two Muslims from South Africa mixed adventure travel and spirituality this year by cycling to Mecca for the Hajj. Natheem Cairncross, 28 and Imtiyaz Haron, 25, cycled through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Syria and Jordan. Visa problems with Sudan and Ethiopia meant they had to take a plane from Kenya to Turkey, but that doesn't lessen their achievement.

In an interview with the BBC, Cairncross said the 6,800-mile journey was a life-changing experience. Both had to sell possessions to raise money for the trip. Cairncross even sold his car. Yes, he had a car and he decided to go by bike.

The Hajj is the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim should do at least once in their lifetime if they are able. Currently the Empty Quarter Gallery in Dubai is exhibiting photos and recordings made by Dutch explorer Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje in 1885. Check out the link for some amazing early images and eerie recordings made on wax cylinders that had only recently been developed by Thomas Edison.

[Image courtesy Ali Mansuri via Wikimedia Commons]

Adventure travel meets faith: cycling to Mecca for the Hajj originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten most corrupt countries of the world

Tom Johansmeyer — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Burundi, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Iraq, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

You spend every holiday weekend annoyed that you can't talk your way out of a speeding ticket. If only there were some way out of that predicament ... aside from taking your lead foot off the gas, right? You may be out of luck on the New Jersey Turnpike, but there are plenty of places in the world where money talks, according to a new study by Transparency International. So, if you tend to disregard local laws and customs, you may want to pick one of the 10 countries below for your next vacation.

WARNING: You may need to bring a bit of fire power for some of these destinations.

1. Somalia: Is this even a country? It has no real government to speak of, not to mention a history of piracy, mob violence, warlord brutality and kidnapping. So, chew a little khat to take the edge off.

The Good News: You can't really break any laws where there aren't any.

2. Myanmar: Okay, the human rights issue here is pretty severe, and the military regime is known for being among the most repressive and abusive in the world. So, don't complain about the thread-count in your hotel.

The Good News: There's plenty of wildlife to enjoy as a result of slow economic growth. A bleak financial outlook is good for the environment!

Gallery: Corruption: The world's 10 worst countries

Continue reading Ten most corrupt countries of the world

Ten most corrupt countries of the world originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The other pyramids of Africa

Sean McLachlan — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Africa, Europe, Egypt, Sudan, France, Budget Travel

This desert land was once home to a great empire that built giant temples in honor of strange, animal-headed gods and memorialized their rulers with pyramids. It had one of the most advanced civilizations of its time and was known throughout the ancient world.

Egypt? No, Sudan.

The Kingdom of Kush in what is now Sudan built great cities and traded the products of its large and expert iron industry as far away as India and China. It lasted from about 1000 BC to 350 AD before finally being conquered by the Empire of Axum in Ethiopia. For almost a hundred years from 747-656 BC, the Kushites ruled Egypt as the twenty-fifth dynasty.

A new exhibit at the Louvre in Paris is the first to focus on Meroë, the capital of Kush in its later period and home to more than two hundred pyramids, some of which are shown in this photo. Meroe: Empire on the Nile showcases works of Meroitic art that help us understand the daily life, religion, and social structure of this often-overlooked empire.

Meroe: Empire on the Nile runs until September 6, 2010. Many of the objects are loans from the Museum of Khartoum, so if you can't make it to Paris before September, you can always go to Sudan and the see the objects, and the pyramids, for yourself. Last year The Wall Street Journal listed the country as one of the top five destinations for the super adventurous.

Image courtesy Sven-steffenarndt via Wikimedia Commons

The other pyramids of Africa originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo of the Day (2.16.10)

Stephen Greenwood — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Photos, Africa, Sudan, Photo of the Day

Today's breathtaking Photo of the Day was shot near Nasir, Sudan by photographer Austin Mann. In the photograph's caption, Mann explains that "the wing of this plane that crashed during the war in '98 has now turned into a diving board for young boys." A beautifully captured and composed frame that also tells a powerful story.

Nasir is a southern Sudanese town on the Sobat River (near the Ethiopian border). During Sudan's second North-South civil war, the town served as the base for a powerful splinter faction of the SPLA, the southern guerrilla army that fought the North in the civil war.

If you want to see more, Mann has a wide series of travel shots that are definitely worth checking out. Do you have photos that tell a great story? Submit them to our Flickr Pool and they might be featured as the Photo of the Day!

Photo of the Day (2.16.10) originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle

Sean McLachlan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Spain, Budget Travel

Thomas Tomczyk is serious about motorcycles. He's done three motorcycle trips across India, from the steamy southern tip all the way up to the frozen highlands of Ladakh. Now he's starting his childhood dream--an epic trip 12,500 miles (20,000 km) across Africa.

His zigzag tour will take in 22 African nations including South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, the Saharawi Republic, and Morocco. . .

. . .before he ends up skinny, exhausted, and happy at my house in Spain, where my wife will fatten him up with her excellent paella.

Full disclosure: Thomas is a friend of mine. We covered the massive Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela together in 2001 and barely managed not to get trampled to death by hordes of naked holy men. But even if I didn't know him, this trip is so thoroughly cool I would have reported on it anyway.

Thomas isn't just going on vacation; he'll be visiting innovative grassroots projects that are making life better for the average African. Through his website Africa Heart Beat he'll be telling us about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, such as creating a job center for landmine victims in Mozambique, an AIDS theater group in Botswana, and a Muslim-Christian vocational center in Mali that's bringing the two communities together.

"The idea of crossing Africa came to me when I was 10," Thomas says.

Continue reading The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle

The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Five Destinations for the "Super-Adventurous"

Kraig Becker — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Hiking, Asia, Europe, South America, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Middle East

The Wall Street Journal has put together a list of five travel destinations that they deem are for the "super-adventurous" amongst us. They label these places as scary, saying that most travelers wouldn't venture anywhere near them, but for the adventure traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, they recommend these locales.

The two scariest places on the list are Iraq and Afghanistan, thanks to the fact there are ongoing wars in both places. Iraq has just officially reopened for tourist traffic for the first time since 2003, with small tours visiting some of the historical sites throughout the country. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has generally remained open these past few years, although certain places remain safer than others. That country is lauded for its historical landmarks as well, although the more remote regions get a nod for scenic beauty too.

Gallery: On the ground in Iraq

Gallery: Afghanistan

Continue reading Five Destinations for the "Super-Adventurous"

Five Destinations for the "Super-Adventurous" originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 07 May 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tour d'Afrique Off and Running!

Kraig Becker — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Biking, Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Ecotourism

The 2009 edition of the Tour d'Afrique got underway last Sunday, with cyclists setting out from Cairo, Egypt on a 7317 mile long race to Cape Town, South Africa. In between they'll pass through the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, fostering international goodwill along the way, while raising funds for environmental protection and promoting cycling in Africa.

The race is broken down into 96 stages of various lengths, with a typical day getting underway at 7:30 AM, when the top riders start out on the course. They are soon followed by another group who may not be contending for the top spot, but still want to complete every mile, while the "Back Pack" is made up of a group of riders who just want to enjoy the adventure and soak up some of the culture of the countries they are passing through.

This is the seventh year that the race has been run, and the web coverage seems to be the best ever. For instance, there are photos from each stage, videos from the various countries and introductions for some of the riders, and a daily blog with results and news from the course.

With six stages done, the riders have more than three months of riding ahead of them through a variety of climates and terrains before reaching their final destination on May 9th. They'll struggle through the Sahara Desert, roll across the Equator, and race across an endless savannah, and they each payed more than $10,000 for the privledge. Seems like it's an adventure worth every penny.

Tour d'Afrique Off and Running! originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sudan man marries a goat

Iva Skoch — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Sudan

This is an important security announcement for all of you, who plan on a) visiting Sudan b) engaging in sexual relations with farm animals, or c) both. Stay away from goats in Sudan!

Let this story serve as a lesson to you. A man from Sudan has been forced to take a goat as his wife after he was caught having sex with the animal, BBC reports. The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders and they ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.

The intercourse happened the night before Valentine's day (awww) and as far as anyone knows, they are still together. The newlyweds are registered at Pottery Barn (they should be, at least.)

Gallery: More humans marrying animals

(Click to read the bizarre stories!)

Sudan man marries a goat originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More signs of a backlash against Westerners?

Jerry Guo — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sudan, News

I've been following the brewing scandal - and conviction - of the British teacher in Sudan who named a teddy bear in class after the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was sentenced yesterday to 15 days in jail. I guess in some ways she should consider herself lucky, since a 6-month sentence and 40 lashes had also be considered.

Now there's news today that that hundreds of demonstrators are protesting in the streets over her relatively soft sentence (from the Sudanese point of view). Luckily, the news is tempered by the possibility that most protesters were government employees ordered to demonstrate and that clerics around Khartoum have been quiet on calling for violence against this Brit.

I think in this case, it's fair to say the woman made an innocent mistake. She's 54 and teaches 7-year-olds, signs that she probably isn't on a crusade against Islam. The Sudanese also have a valid point - that she broke the law and must be punished. But it is pretty surprising how harsh the backlash has been. The question is whether this backlash was a singularity or does it fit in the broader scope of bashing the West. At the very least, let this be a lesson to backpackers to areas like these to watch out for cultural issues.

More signs of a backlash against Westerners? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DARFUR/DARFUR at the George Eastman House

Adrienne Wilson — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Activism, Learning, Festivals and Events, Photos, Africa, North America, Sudan, United States

Last weekend as I rolled into Rochester, NY I found out the George Eastman House / International Museum of Photography and Film was kicking off a new exhibition titled DARFUR/DARFUR with a candlelight vigil. As excited I was about attending the vigil which involved a short walk to the George Eastman House, I wimped out due to the cold weather. Instead I headed inside right at the museum opening to explore the DARFUR/DARFUR collection among others.

In DARFUR/DARFUR, a collection of digitally projected images by photographers Lynsey Addairo, Mark Brecke, Helene Caux, Ron Haviv, Paolo Pellegrin, Ryan Spencer Reed, Michal Ronnen Safdie and Brian Steidle are combined with words and Sudanese-inspired music. As I sat watching the images of torched civilians, villages afire, and orphans from the genocidal conflict in Darfur, Sudan my heart started to sting and I began to feel so inactive. More than 400,000 individuals have either died or been injured from the non-stop violence and even with numbers so high the glimmer of hope and a hint of a smile can still be found on the faces of those who have not yet lost it all. It is worth your time if in Rochester or visiting in the near future to check this one out. Pick up a fact sheet while you're there and write a letter or learn more about DARFUR/DARFUR by clicking here.

The exhibition which runs from January 20 to April 22 also includes feature-length documentary films and a variety of programs to help lead a community-wide discussion on genocide and war.

DARFUR/DARFUR at the George Eastman House originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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