Walking down Khartoum's streets is more an exercise in avoidance than a relaxing stroll. Aside from the dust-choked streets, many of the city's meandering pathways remain in a permanent state of disrepair and are barely more than a series of unconnected, randomly-placed concrete slabs.
Often there's none at all, and in this case you must share the road with the buses and amjads (taxis).
Dodging traffic, roadside traders and crooked footpaths, means it's also near impossible to walk anywhere in a straight line.
One of the biggest hazards, however, are the many enormous manholes inexplicably left exposed in the footpaths.
Here is a pictorial selection:
Since I arrived in Khartoum I've been joking about falling in and getting lost, and last night that very nearly happened.
The manholes are particularly hazardous at night, as street lights are a scarcity in Khartoum.
After having a coffee with friends, I was hurrying to catch up with the group when I lost my balance and slipped into a manhole, which I hadn't noticed in front.
One minute I was chatting and the next minute I was crawling across the ground trying to extricate my left leg from a manhole directly in front of a posh expat restaurant.
Needless to say, there is no elegant way to climb out of a giant concrete hole in the ground.
Often there's none at all, and in this case you must share the road with the buses and amjads (taxis).
Dodging traffic, roadside traders and crooked footpaths, means it's also near impossible to walk anywhere in a straight line.
One of the biggest hazards, however, are the many enormous manholes inexplicably left exposed in the footpaths.
Here is a pictorial selection:
 | ||
| Manhole 1 |
 |
| Manhole 2 |
Since I arrived in Khartoum I've been joking about falling in and getting lost, and last night that very nearly happened.
The manholes are particularly hazardous at night, as street lights are a scarcity in Khartoum.
After having a coffee with friends, I was hurrying to catch up with the group when I lost my balance and slipped into a manhole, which I hadn't noticed in front.
One minute I was chatting and the next minute I was crawling across the ground trying to extricate my left leg from a manhole directly in front of a posh expat restaurant.
Needless to say, there is no elegant way to climb out of a giant concrete hole in the ground.
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