Touch Down

Well, I know you are all waiting on pins and needles to know if I made it here alive or not... and despite my lack of sleep, I am here and doing well, and already loving it.. well, what I’'ve seen so far of Khartoum at least.  Africa, even on this new side is still Africa- I feel at home again in the insanity, and already the beautiful Sudanese colors in the dusty sky are amazing me.  My flight went without hassles and the only surprise was that my direct flight from London-Khartoum went via Beruit. Unfortunately we couldn’t get off the plane in Lebanon, but I longingly looked out the little window for 45 minutes at a strange land that my feet have not yet touched.

 

Just about 1:30 am we touched down in Sudan. I’m still finding it a little hard to believe that I’m really here. Without much complication I got some Arabic looking stamps in my passport and moved on through baggage and customs. The funniest part was that the only cart I could find for my luggage had broken wheels and was a bit stubborn in moving- but at 2am with little sleep and a great desire to just finally be somewhere, I was determined. I pushed the thing sideways and backwards and in circles with people looking at me like I was part of a comedy show.  The people I will be working were waiting at the arrivals to rescue me from my luggage disaster, and I was thankful. Within an hour I was in the apartment in Khartoum struggling to make my over-exhausted self fall asleep.

 

This morning I got up for a little gathering that they hold here on Fridays. Apparently Friday is our day of rest, so I timed it well for a good start to my new job with a day off.  Ironically, at this little gathering, I met up with someone that I knew from Sierra Leone and wound up spending the day at the International Club by the pool. Since I imagined myself landing my first day in the desert in 200 degrees, thus far the beginning of the adventure has exceeded my expectations. Hopefully I will continue to be pleasantly surprised.  It looks like this little touch down in Khartoum will last until Monday and then I shall be traveling onward again…