As I was browsing through a book store in DC, one title caught my eye, “Unsuitable for Ladies: An Anthology of Women Travellers.” It was a collection of women’s travel adventures from the past and the present who ventured off to see the world and dispelled the myth that “real ladies do not travel.” As I thought about it, I realised that we as Bangladeshi women have also come far metaphorically as well as geographically. We have moved beyond the safe confines of our homes and gone out into the world- for work, studying or for the sheer joy of travelling. Here are some of my stories about my travels over the years, hope you enjoy them!

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Dust seems to be a normal part of life here in Khartoum. A fine red haze is definitely going to be among the souvenirs that I bring back from Sudan.  I arrived here a few days ago and already being in Sudan feels frighteningly normal. I along with a group of 6 other Columbia University students have set up temporary base at the UNFPA offices in Khartoum. We are conducting a reproductive health assessment of Sudan. So for the next two weeks we will be talking to UN agencies, NGOs, government ministries to try and assess what the reproductive health needs are in Sudan, what is being done and what should be done. 

Our group had been told over and over again about the rigid Shariah law that operates in Sudan. Modesty in clothing, in behavior had been reinforced to us repeatedly. It did seem daunting at the very beginning to go to a country where tourists are not a common sight, where English isn’t a common language, where groups of women traveling by themselves and meeting government officials is not a common sight. However, no matter how different each country and its customs might be, learning the basics of how to travel safely is usually a good start. So I learnt common Sudanese Arabic phrases, read about the do’s and don’ts of traveling around Khartoum, where to live, what to eat, how to behave and just hoped for the best. 

Khartoum is an interesting mix of poverty and wealth like any other city in a developing country. It doesn’t quite feel like the capital city somehow or at least how I visualized a capital as being. Some parts of the city consists of small tin shed stores, next to half abandoned, half broken down buildings. On one hand Khartoum looks dry and dusty, and then suddenly there is lush greenery all around, vivid bougainvillea, and other plants whose names I don’t even know. 

I went for a walk along the Blue Nile yesterday evening. The Nile seemed never ending as we walked along its banks. Unfortunately most of the government buildings are along the Nile so dawdling too long in that area isn’t quite encouraged for foreigners. Cameras are an absolute and utter no no unless we have a special permit and even then we cannot take pictures of office buildings or the palace or…yes the list is rather long. 

The social life in Khartoum is scarily similar to the expatriate one in Dhaka. Thursday at the German Club (not International Club in this case!!) is the big night, people all know each other, they eat, drink and complain bout work. And ohh yes you need to be put onto the guest list at the German Club in order to go there….. its nice to know that some things are the same no matter where in the world you are. 

And speaking of same things.. I ran into someone I knew back in UNDP Dhaka while I was in Khartoum.  Of course I didn’t know his name or designation or what he was doing but I recognized his face and voila there he is once again working for the UN in Sudan. Supposedly anyone in this planet can be connected to another person through a chain of five acquaintances, the so-called six degrees of separation. Let me tell you.. lies all lies. Especially if you are Bangladeshi, two degrees of separation seem to be the norm for us.Â