Day: September 7, 2026

Traveling to Juba by the Slow Train: A Personal Reminiscence of Sudan in the Early 1980s, Part 1

It looked so easy on a map—a river called the Nile connected the two cities: Cairo and Juba. Only a single country, Sudan, stood between them.

My plan was simple: cross Lake Nasser by ferry boat and follow the Nile south into Sudan. Once I reached Khartoum, traveling to Juba by the slow train seemed like a good option. I was in my twenties and game for anything. Or so I thought.