If you don't go far, you'll be old 2

Chapter 5 The Sultan: The Furnace of the World
Going all the way south along the Sahara Desert, you will find that you have come to the furnace of the world, where the outdoor temperature can reach 70°C at the hottest time, and there are barren lands everywhere. Even so, the people living here are still in peace.

The sky is the cover, the ground is the pavement

I began to suspect that this is not the waiting hall, but a food grabbing place during the Great Famine.

Hundreds of people crowded in the hall with a high temperature of 40 degrees, airtight, just like the subway during rush hour in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. I was pushed back and forth by the crowd like a falling leaf, almost suffocating.Sweat slid down the hair and dripped onto the shoulders, and the sweat-soaked clothes stuck to the skin confidently.The small wooden table at the immigration registration office was deeply buried in the waves of dozens of people, looking helpless and innocent.

The weather also played a vicious role. In Aswan in September, there is no air conditioner, no electric fan, only dizzying high temperature and endless heat.The relentlessly slow working speed of the small wooden table made the anxious and waiting people angry, shouting at the top of their voices, and the order almost collapsed.Someone jumped onto the wooden table, grabbed a stack of thick registration forms, and handed them out to the countless hands already stretched in midair.People can no longer stand the insanely slow pace of filling out forms and the arrogant bureaucratic attitude of registry officers.

I looked at the aura of being surrounded by the "enemy" at the registration office, weighed my ability to resist the attack, and sighed.No matter which set of formulas I use, I will get the same sad result. I understand that I will not be able to go to that distant "front line" to collect that small exit form.Crossing these ten meters is more difficult than crossing the Atlantic Ocean.Of course, if the formula could calculate the future, Napoleon would not have died on St. Helena.A kind-hearted black Sudanese brother helped me get the form with his burly body.I was holding that thin piece of paper, like a starving disaster victim holding relief food in his hands, trying his best to protect this life-saving straw.

With all my strength and eighteen martial arts skills, I finally threw myself on the deck like luggage.The mighty passenger ship sailed through the wind and waves on Lake Nasser, and carried me away from Egypt to a strange continent.

Sudan, the name of the country comes from Arabic, meaning "the land of black (people)".Although it was once rated as "the most unstable country in the world" by the "Failed Countries Index List", on the old map of Africa, Sudan seems to be the proud largest country in Africa-in terms of area.Years of war, religious and political disputes have made this big man on the African map restless for a moment. On July 2011, 7, South Sudan declared its independence. The former largest country in Africa has been divided into two parts. Now only the northern half of Sudan remains, with some vicissitudes and depths, facing Egypt across the lake.

When I disembarked, I left myself in the run-down hotel in Wadi Halfa, and the Sudanese tenants took turns gathering in my room to see the lone stranger.I have been traveling for more than a year, and I have never received such courtesy.Because here is different from the famous Egypt, Sudan is not a tourist country, and foreign backpackers are rare here, so it is very difficult to communicate with a foreigner who does not understand Arabic.The tenants who gathered had obviously realized this, and they gave up the "bilingual communication" where the donkey's head was wrong with the horse's mouth, and switched to body language, gesticulating for a while, and everyone laughed heartily.

The Sudanese girls Guoflan and Nada who lived with me in a three-person room can speak a little simple English because they work in Sharm El Sheikh (a famous tourist attraction) in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

"I'm the youngest girl in my family," Godfrey said. "How many siblings do you have," I asked. "Seven." "Wow. Where's Nada." "Six." "Wow." "Wow what are you doing?" "...nothing."

"And what about your siblings?" Godfrey asked me in turn. "No, it's just me." "Wow." "Wow what are you doing?" "...It's nothing."

This kind of nonsensical conversation went on for a long time, and finally made the three of them a little tired.Guoflan and Nada borrowed a hookah from the front desk. The shiny silver body was connected to a long soft pipe, and the water was gurgling.I rested my chin and quietly watched the two girls puffing away leisurely in the room.

For a non-smoker like me, the biggest difference between hookah and cigarettes is the taste of second-hand smoke.Hookah smells like fruit, but the smell of second-hand smoke from cigarettes can only make people frown.

There was still a heat wave outside the window, and some winding asphalt roads were twisted by the heat a few times, looking like a rattlesnake, and it wouldn't surprise me if it burst open now.Looking around, there is not a little bit of green, and naturally I can't hear the songs of the tireless cicada choir in my hometown in summer.Under the dancing sun, Wadi Halfa, a small border town in Sudan, looks barren and dilapidated.Air conditioners, fans, and running water have all become luxuries, and even electric lights will trip at any time.If you want to take a shower, you have to scoop a bucket of water from the large water tank, carry it into the narrow shower room, and splash the water on your body with a small ladle.

In the hazy heat, I fell asleep in a daze.It was evening when Nada woke her up. "Do you want to sleep outside?" Nada pointed to the door.I seriously suspect that I heard it wrong. I don’t sleep in the room. Could it be possible to sleep in the yard?

When Nada opened the door, I was stunned for a while, and then slapped myself on the head.

Under the dark sky, dozens of beds were already filled in the yard, as if by magic tricks, many tenants appeared without knowing when, sitting on their respective beds and chatting happily.Walking out of the door, hey, there is a cool breeze, and I feel comfortable all over my body.Unlike the heat and humidity in East and Southeast Asia, the air in Sudan is dry and hot, and the places where the sun hits it almost melt.But when the sun goes home to sleep, the earth becomes a shade.Therefore, people have developed the habit of sleeping in the open air at night.Just as mosquito nets are a must for sleep in Sri Lanka, air conditioning is a must for hotels in Sudan.If not, either roll up your bedding and sleep outside, or you will be too hot to sleep all night.

The sky is full of stars to accompany me to sleep, what a Sudan who "covers with the sky and spreads with the ground".

cross the sahara desert

Known as the "stove of the world", Sudan has high temperatures all year round and is one of the hottest countries in the world.On the hottest day, the outdoor temperature can reach 70°C, and the indoor temperature can be as low as 50°C. It is a season when metal cannot be touched during the day, and the delicate flesh will immediately make a "hissing" sound when it touches the hot metal. September is not the cruelest season in Sudan, thank God, it is "only" 9°C now.

At noon, I went all the way south along the Sahara desert. After more than ten hours, the scenery outside the car window remained unchanged, as if I had never moved.The endless stretches of yellow sand, covering the sky and the sun, filled the sky with dust, baring their teeth and claws, as if to devour every living body that walked in here.The largest desert in the world, a barren land without even a hair, the Sahara is demonstrating mercilessly, sending a warning to the group of stupid humans in front of her.These tiny beings trembled through her body, begging her for mercy in awe.

The sky will be barren, the earth will be old, and the Sahara will still be the Sahara.Passing through the largest loose sand on the earth, I stood on the territory of "Black Africa" ​​and rushed towards the unknown world.

Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, has gray-yellow ground and gray-yellow houses. Everything is gray-yellow and gray-yellow, just like paint spilled on a canvas, full of colors.A high-rise building with a sense of design appeared in front of me, but then I realized that it was almost one of the few high-rise buildings in Khartoum.It is difficult to convince people that this is the capital of a country with its depressed appearance. In the tone of the leaders' speeches, it is: the environment is cruel and the infrastructure is backward.It seems that the revolution has not yet succeeded, and comrades still need to work hard.

Looking at the whole street, I am the only one who is still in the "white" category, and the rest are all black.It is said to be black, but in fact it belongs to the whiter category of blacks. It looks like a mixture of blacks and fair North African Arabs, and its skin is neither white nor black.Nine out of ten men had bald heads and wore crisp white arabesques.The women floated around the khaki-colored streets in gorgeous robes with large flowers. The casual style of the robes seemed to directly pull out a long piece of cloth to wrap the whole body.Muslim women wearing headscarves are everywhere.Like Egypt, Northern Sudan is a Muslim country.

I was dizzy from the scorching sun, and the world in front of me was both real and illusory.Khartoum International Youth Hostel does not have affordable multi-person beds, only air-conditioned single rooms that exceed the budget.I asked Nada about cheap hotels, and Nada took me home directly.

You come to my house, eat, live, no money.Nada expressed her kindness to me in broken English.

After writing this, everyone will think that this must be a beautiful story of "foreign travelers being warmly received by local residents", which is a cliché but still touches people's hearts.Even I thought so myself, and thanked Nada with tears of gratitude.However, the actual situation took a completely different direction. I guessed the beginning, but couldn't guess the ending.

Nada lives with her six siblings in a run-down town an hour's drive from the capital.The earthen house, several beds, several cabinets, and a 20-inch color TV about 20 years ago.

Let's buy food first.Nada turns into a supermarket.The rations for seven people, plus me as a foreigner, so she bought several large bags of food and messy daily necessities in one go.

I don't have enough money on me, you pay first, and I'll give it to you tomorrow.Nada stared at me with a smile, her gentle eyes made me say no.

I hurriedly took out Sudanese pounds and settled the bill for Nada.For the money I paid I got a comfortable air-conditioned single room at the Khartoum International Youth Hostel.In that case, it would be better to live in a youth hostel.Thinking of this, I immediately blamed myself secretly: Nada kindly stayed with me and provided me with food and drink, but I was still thinking about the money, it really shouldn't be.Pooh!Pooh!

French fries, potato chips, grilled sausages, flatbread, instant noodles without soup... The food in a wonderful combination couldn't resist the attack of eight mouths. Vegetable leftovers.

After eating, Nada insisted on taking me to meet her boyfriend, and took a taxi in a foreign way.

You pay the taxi fare for me first, and I will give it to you tomorrow.Nada smiled and looked at me again, attacking my defense with gentle eyes.Facing the taxi fare equivalent to half of an air-conditioned single room in the youth hostel, I flinched a little. Nada quickly made a "guarantee": You will live in my house, eat and live, no money, and stay as long as you want.

I told Nada that I would only stay for two or three days at most, and "stay as long as you want" is a polite phrase that both parties know well.However, Nada was very kind, how could I refuse to pay with my position of "keep my mouth shut".I couldn't help but secretly feel ashamed: it's really poor and short-sighted, and it's really inappropriate to care about these little money.

At night, Nada plays with my camera.

"Give this to me." Nada looked at me with a smile. "This is really not good, I only have this camera." "Then give this to me." Nada noticed my netbook again.

The camera and the netbook are the two most valuable things in my body. I am short of breath, so I can only wave my hands in shame.

"You live in my house, eat, live, no money, stay as long as you want." Nada repeated her "guarantee".

I had no choice but to bite the bullet and negotiate with Nada a few times.She finally gave up temporarily unwillingly.

"Lend me some money, I need to go shopping tomorrow." Nada said. "But I bought food and daily necessities today." "I bought other things, and I will return them to you the day after tomorrow." Nada took the trouble to show her charming smile.

I was at a loss for words.The sense of abnormality that lingered in my heart from day to night became more and more intense, and many images overlapped before my eyes.

Over the past year of travel, I have received help from many well-meaning people, and I have also fought against con artists who only stare at travelers' wallets.These strange and familiar faces are vaguely intertwined.Although travel funds are not abundant, I am definitely not a person who can eat, drink, and live with a calm face and no guilt.If I accept other people's kindness, I will demote myself. I feel that I owe something from the bottom of my heart, and I always want to do something to repay the other person's kindness.However, the Nada in front of me made my sensibility and rationality fight, and my righteousness and shame and self-blame appeared in turn.Actively wanting to do something for the other party and passively receiving material demands are two different psychological states. The game theory rhetoric in psychology began to emerge in my mind.In short, I am more and more convinced that the money I paid will never come back to my pocket.

Dig up a treasure

Sleeping under the stars, a family of hungry mosquitoes danced around me en masse.Looking at the Nada family sleeping soundly not far away, I was curious how they resisted the attack of these mosquitoes.Maybe the mosquitoes who are used to eating local dishes also have the habit of trying new things, and want to suck my exotic oriental blood.

Tossing and turning.I decided to stop this endless mental struggle, right or wrong, 36 counts.The next day, I bid farewell to Nada's family.

"You live in my house, eat, live, no money, stay as long as you want." Nada once again used her "guarantee" to keep me.

I thanked Nada and decided to go.Seeing that she couldn't keep me, the girl who was sincerely trying to keep a guest from afar changed her style in an instant.

"Give me a few hundred dollars." "Why?" "Because...the food you ate yesterday." Nada said lightly.

God is sorry, I did pay for the food, not only my share, but also the rations of Nada's whole family, and a lot of daily necessities that have nothing to do with me.

"No, I've already paid for the food." I finally said no with my thin skin.

"Then... I'm going to take a taxi to see my parents." Plan A didn't work, so Nada immediately activated Plan B.

Looking at Nada, who justly made up reasons and demanded money from me, my guilt gradually dissipated.Rejecting Nada's unreasonable request, she turned and left.

Raising my left hand, on the back of the hand is the "Hannah" handprint that Nada helped me draw in Wadi Halfa--a hand-painted human body that originated in India, also called "Mehndi". It looks like a tattoo and keeps ten It will disappear without a trace in a day or so.The pigment comes from a plant called "Hannah", hence the name for hand-painting.I held up my left hand full of patterns, as if viewing a work of art.Suddenly, I remembered that Nada, who had painted my handprint that day, said "Fifteen pound" (15 Sudanese pounds, about 20 RMB) to me with a smile. I thought it was a joke and didn't care.In retrospect, it suddenly dawned on me.It turns out that from the very beginning, everything was "coded and priced".In Nada's eyes, I am a "rich stupid foreigner", nothing more.As for this "silly foreigner" abusing his conscience and morality to fight against himself, it has nothing to do with her.

Some people are nice to you and just stare at your wallet.And the people who say hi to you and give you great hospitality in places where foreign tourists gather are at best a junior version. If they are smarter, they should first give some small favors to foreigners.The so-called "take people's short hands and eat others' short mouths" is the reason.

Through this incident, I realized two things.First, at certain times, people have to be soft and tough, and their skin is thicker than the wall; second, when they are outside, the money borrowed is like water poured out.

Impressions of a country often depend on the people you meet there.Just when I was about to draw a bad conclusion for Sudan, a kind-hearted old man in Sudan appeared during my trip. He helped me several times and offered me food and drink, but he still refused to accept me. A penny, while he himself lived in a dilapidated round thatched hut.The old man was wearing a clean white robe, with a very straight waist, and he waved to me cheerfully, watching me go to Ethiopia ahead.This makes me have a delicate mood when I think about Sudan.

Aren't all kinds of life and seeing all kinds of people the precious wealth of travel?

(End of this chapter)