the tomb of hamed al-nil in omdurman is the place to be each friday night at dusk. sudan has a storied history of sufism (a mystical form of islam), and large proportion of sudanese consider themselves sufis. adherents gather at the graves of famous sufis to dance and beat drums for hours. it is in the midst of a modern-day cemetery as well, so the festivities were interrupted by a few funeral processions. this is the gathering place for any visitors who are in town, and as such a place for locals to practice their english. one guy came up to me and started reading rhetorical, open-ended questions off a printed piece of paper to stimulate conversation – “what is your philosophical perspective on love?;” and “if you could be any animal, which would you be and why?” i made friends with a couple friendly guys who bought me tea and we chatted for a few hours. overall there is a very welcoming vibe. great time!
