Friday 21st September – a wedding in Atbara

I slept very badly on Thursday night.  I was very nauseous and think I must have eaten or drunk something that disagreed with me.  The weather is even hotter than Khartoum, to a point of being unbearable in the heat of the day, which I think is a contributing factor.  On Friday I was only capable of eating the most basic things, bread, salad and fruit.  I stuck firmly to my filtered water.  This was a major nuisance and very embarrassing to me as a guest, although everyone was very nice about it. 

The Bride

In the afternoon we went to a wedding across the river in Atbara.  Weddings in Sudan have various sections over several days, and also vary from tribe to tribe.  Today’s part was held at the bride’s family home and celebrated the handing over of the dowry (from groom to bride) and signing of documents.  Afterwards there was music (bagpipes and drums) and dancing.  As with the first wedding I attended, men and women sat in separate rooms.  This all changed when the music started.  Guida, the headmaster’s wife, interpreted for me.  Everyone wanted to speak to me as it is extremely rare to have a foreigner in this part of Sudan.  All apart from one tiny child who was clearly terrified when asked to shake my hand.  By the end of the event, I managed to get her to smile, which I felt was a triumph.

When it was time to go, Guida couldn’t start the engine.  This is the second day this has happened.  The first day we all thought it was the battery, but the battery has been changed since then.  We were given a lift back by somebody at the wedding.

When we arrived back, I showered and went straight to bed.