Dancing with Dervishes

Whilst in Sudan I've been reading Paul Theroux's travel book Dark Star Safari, and been visting some of the places he visited as he passed through on his way from Cairo to Cape Town. We went to the Blue Nile Sailing Club, as he did, which is an interesting slice of colonial history. There, there is an old gunboat that was used to attack the Sudanese and later converted into a club house for Memsahib boaters. Looking out over the Nile, we met an American Ex-Navy Sailor, which ties in somehow. We went to the hotel where Theroux stayed and met its Greek owner,"Lovely place you have, $190 per night you say?, ahem, we'll think it over...."
One of the main things I wanted to do whilst here was to visit the Dervish Mosque, Hamid-el-Nil, which Theroux describes so evocativily. Dervishes of the Sufi is a branch of Islam, Mystical, out-there, my style of religion I thought.
And so it was.
Many of the Dervishes bore a fair resemblance to Rastas or Indian Sadhus with their robes, sticks and dreadlocks.And they had drums. Big ones, pounding as the devout swayed, twirled & chanted for Allah. At first I stood on the sidelines but the drums made me wanna move. There were a few other tourists there and when a couple of them entered the ring to take photos It prompted me to do the same, not so much for the pictures, but to get near the drums and dance, although I did take the odd snap as you can see. I found the Dervishes interesting dance partners, very enthusiastic about my joining. Are you a muslim? they asked. Inshallah! (best be diplomatic, although I know I'll never join any religion, as I know better) Is this your first time here? Aiwa! (yes), but I know this. The pounding Rhythms, spaced out dancers, group euphoria, welcoming of all;
Its was nowt but a rave, Sufi style.
So whilst Theroux finds it wierd, I found something familier.
He should have danced.