Camel Herders Going To Egypt With A Caravan, Dongola, Sudan
Bayuda desert. The scenery is arid, volcanic. Thousands of shredded tires litter the side of the highway, a telltale sign of intense truck traffic. We leave the asphalt for a trail. From then on, we no longer encounter tires but we do come across dromedary carcasses every 50 meters. Very soon, I understand why: on the horizon, I spot a perfect line of dromedaries, which grows in size with the speed of our SUV. It’s not a mirage; it’s really a caravan! Two hundred creatures walking their groovy walk, accompanied by five camel drivers. Abdul, their chief, explains that they’ve come from Kordofan, a region in the south, and that they’re going to Egypt to sell the animals. They are going to make a small fortune, selling each animal a thousand dollars, its value doubling once over the border. A forty-day trip under the beating sun to be able to return covered in gold! Using the same route that has been used for centuries, the same rest stops in the same wells, known only by those in the business. One thing has changed though: the way the money made from the sales is brought back home. Now, it’s done via bank transfers between Egypt and the Sudan, “It’s too dangerous to walk around with 20000 dollars in your pocket,” says Abdul with a laugh. The caravan passes me by without stopping. I have to run after them to get more information, but then have to give up; otherwise I might end up in the dromedary cemetery due to heat stroke.
© Eric Lafforgue
Camel Herders Going To Egypt With A Caravan, Dongola, Sudan
Bayuda desert. The scenery is arid, volcanic. Thousands of shredded tires litter the side of the highway, a telltale sign of intense truck traffic. We leave the asphalt for a trail. From then on, we no longer encounter tires but we do come across dromedary carcasses every 50 meters. Very soon, I understand why: on the horizon, I spot a perfect line of dromedaries, which grows in size with the speed of our SUV. It’s not a mirage; it’s really a caravan! Two hundred creatures walking their groovy walk, accompanied by five camel drivers. Abdul, their chief, explains that they’ve come from Kordofan, a region in the south, and that they’re going to Egypt to sell the animals. They are going to make a small fortune, selling each animal a thousand dollars, its value doubling once over the border. A forty-day trip under the beating sun to be able to return covered in gold! Using the same route that has been used for centuries, the same rest stops in the same wells, known only by those in the business. One thing has changed though: the way the money made from the sales is brought back home. Now, it’s done via bank transfers between Egypt and the Sudan, “It’s too dangerous to walk around with 20000 dollars in your pocket,” says Abdul with a laugh. The caravan passes me by without stopping. I have to run after them to get more information, but then have to give up; otherwise I might end up in the dromedary cemetery due to heat stroke.
© Eric Lafforgue