Khartoum, Sudan - Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll!!!

The more I'm out in the real world the more I'm convinced that it's soccer that is the glue that holds the world together. Well, it holds Africa together at least.

The hotel is kind of an interesting place. The guests are more like tenants. It seems more like a low cost apartment building than a hotel. Too bad the guests are all men...

The hotel is 5 floors. On the roof is the TV room. The boys like watching al-Jazeera (or some other news channel) and old Arabic movies. But what really draws a packed roof is a televised soccer game. Last night's game was a match between two local teams. Not an empty seat in the house. You could cut the tension with a knife. A lot of head clutching after scoring chances (I never clutch my head when watching hockey...). Minutes from the end of the game, one of the teams scored the decisive goal. The crowd on the roof went berserk. Seconds later, another huge roar erupted from the surrounding buildings. Surreal... Next thing I knew, a human wave of revelers came spreading down the road in front of the hotel. That was just a local game for chrissakes...

It was just slightly cooler today (about 36C). What a relief. Like everywhere in the Islamic World, government offices, banks and such were closed. Good thing the local shwarma shop was open. I thought I'd catch a cab to watch some whirling dervishes at a far away mosque. I've seen them already in Turkey. After being blasted by the noon hour heat, I lost my motivation.

I really have to haul ass tomorrow. First the alien registration. Then I have to take care of business at the train station.

Think I can get done?

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, May 11/07
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