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Kassala is one of the most frequently visited spots of Sudan. Here, up against the Ethiopian plateau, temperatures are a little bit cooler than in other regions of Sudan. And the attractions are striking.
The mountains of Kassala are soft and wild at the same time. Popping up from the flat ground, they seem to take a colour different from the ground. When haze slightly distorts everything on a certain distance they take the colour of light blue, rising up from the reddish brown. The shape of the mountains are probably from volcanoes, it is the core now left, while softer species of rock has eroded.
The city of Kassala itself is made up of low houses organized by a rectangular street map. Spread around the whole city of some 150,000 people, are tens of thousands of trees.
Kassala is a mixture of great nature, and a fantastic market, that brings you back in time more than most markets, as it is not traditional, and dingy. The products sold here are primarily fruits, the juiciest and most tasteful of Sudan. And the local handicrafts have a most distinct style, and is generally of a good quality, not just good artistry. The atmosphere of Kassala is easygoing, and the tourist accommodations easy to come across. Kassala has a surprise to many foreigners; a lot of Sudanese tourists, where the majority seems to be newly wedded couples.
Wad Medani is a commercial centre of the Gezira agricultural district, and is mostly a place where people live. The number of inhabitants is apparently closing in on a million. Wad Medani has lively trading activities, with good suuqs. The beaches of Wad Medani are good, situated across the river, on the eastern river bank of the Blue Nile. The whole place is quite nice, and has more of modern facilities than most places in the Sudan (except the Khartoum area). Many Sudanese put their honeymoon to Wad Medani, and this adds to a fairly easygoing atmosphere.
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