among friends formalities are dropped

- sudanese saying

By 默默富酷

December 30^th, 2016

i came to sudan for the nubian pyramids, but it was the people that left more memories - be it the sudanese arabs, beja, nuba or nubian people.

people who showed me

these are the people i met along my trip, either because they worked in the places i visited or i met them en-route between stops - ranging from nuba wrestlers to guards at historical sites. click on each image for a sub-line.

the security at khalifa house museum. i wasn't sure if it was the culture but he was reluctant to look into the camera.

the guard at naga: temple of amun. after the visit, his twin brother rode into the city with us.

a nuba wrestler flexing his muscle. i managed to go into the training room to make a few photos before the match.

at a tailor kerma. we stopped here to buy face nets to cover our faces as summer insects are a nusiance.

guard at archaeological museum, no photography is allowed but he wanted an instax from me, so he told me to come to this christian art exhibit as there weren't security cameras here.

a goat trader i met at the desert who wanted me to make a photo of him

a labourer working on the nubian pyramids cooling off the desert heat with an ice stick. he bears a facial scar of his tribe.

a barber at a small market i visited in the buyadi market. i wanted a perm but they were out perm rods.

this man is the janitor of one of the luxury resorts. he stays within 10 minutes of the resort. he lives with his 2 wives.

a performer doing traditional tribe war dance

people who fed me

people i met when i need to eat - which is very often. click on each image for a sub-line.

a baker at buyuda desert. every few days, we stopped at any bakery to stock up on bread.

i could not remember what i ate but his outfit was really unique

a ful seller in khartoum.ful is crushed fava beans topped with chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

a chai boy in a coffee place. sudan has some of the best coffee and the best way to enjoy it is using the traditional jebena container.

dwahi is 68 and he runs a local coffeeshop at souq kubiashia. he has 2 wives and 12 children. he mentioned that he will have another wife (aged 30) this winter before the haj.

people whom i rode with

ever so often in the desert, i get off a 4 wheel drive that has 200 horsepower to ride on a camel that has 1 horsepower. click on each image for a sub-line.

a camel handler at the royal necropolis of meroe

another camel handler at the royal necropolis of meroe

yet another camel handler at the royal necropolis of meroe

a camel ride for kids at the carnival at jebel barkal

people who sheltered me

sometimes the desert winds can be very harsh and makes commute in vehicles dreary. during one occasion, we sought shelter with a nomadic family to have tea. there i also witnessed a birth of a goat. there i managed to photograph 3 generations of women - a teenager with her mum and grandmother. click on each image for a sub-line.

this young girl is the grand-daughter of the elder lady i gave the sanrio instax to. she makes a rather good chai, probably the best in the buyadi desert. she has really nice curly hair but she had to cover it for this photo.

mother and child of the nomadic family i visited in the middle of the buyadi desert. the family rely solely on livestock for sustanance. it was here that i witnessed a goat giving birth - messy but interesting.

the desert sun is really harsh on the skin as time goes by

she was the first few individuals from normadic families i met. i might also be one of the first few foreigners she has met. i gave her a sanrio sticker instax and that seemed to cheer her up. i also wished i have given her some moisturizer.

people who hosted me

very often we needed to stop to rest and eat. so we stopped at some houses to use their homes for a fee - they would lay the tables and make tea, while we eat our pre-packed meals - very often i would share my meal in exchange for a glimpse of their lives. click on each image for a sub-line.

this is safaa, 14. she said she wanted to study mandarin because she heard the language on television once. she stays with her father, 72, mother, 40 and her ailing grandfather, 104. they were former nomads and now runs a guest house.

safaa is the youngest of the children, at 14 years. i didn't ask but safaa's mum seemed pregnant. they were former nomads and now run a guest house.

safaa's father sitting on a bed. i wasn't sure whose wedding photo it was but i was definitely intrigued by the 2 sets of child toy tea-set beneath the photo. I think he was smiling because I told him trump will be the next potus.

the owner of a guest house. he was a former farmer and the italians who were working at an archeological site nearby gave him money to build a guesthouse so they could use.

the lady of the guesthouse with her grandchild.

more bedroom invasion with a photo of a mum and her brood. the elder lady just came in from khatroum to visit her daughter.

people who "harrased" me

at the tail-end of my trip, we dropped by a local school. everyone was fascinated by the instax i brought and everyone was asking me to make photos so they could have an instax. unfortunately i was down to my last 2 packs and had to give photos for them to share.

rule to self - always bring more instax.

people who trusted me

it is often difficult for me to photograph women, more so in an islamic country. sudanese women are incredibly game. click on each image for a sub-line.