Dispatches from Afar

Khartoum, Republic of the Sudan.

The Grand Holiday Villa. Sounds nifty, huh? Perhaps a little cheesy. Well, I suppose so; but Winston Churchill stayed here. So did Queen Elizabeth, and Thomas Cook, the explorer. And now me. But I suppose the housekeeping of the day didn’t lift his pipe. Or her toothbrush. The buggers helped themselves to mine. To add insult to injury, Kenya Airways lost my luggage between Jo’burg and here; so I’ve spent the day in 40 degree heat in yesterday’s (insert item of clothing here) so I probably have all the allure of a Turkish wrestler’s jock-strap. One tiny compensation; the Airways woman who took my details was a dead-ringer for Imam. Hey, it’s not much, but given a choice…
Sudan has numerous, challenges, but Big Oil is here so parts of the city are booming; plenty of brand spanking-new office monstrosities and an under-construction hotel for the expats and government visitors. Take a look. What does that remind you of? The word ‘ovum’ springs to mind, but then I’m funny that way. And it’s being funded by? Yes, your friend and mine, Mohamar Gadaffi.
I’m a few hundred yards from the confluence of the White Nile, flowing from Uganda and the Blue Nile from Ethiopia; I’ll take a look tomorrow.
Concrete and dust. Heat and flies. Soldiers from all over the world; Rapid Reaction Force from Norway, troopies from Britain, officers from the US, Belgians, and Lt Geldenhuys from—wait for it—South Africa. What are THEY doing here, I wonder? One bloke in camouflage sounded suspiciously like a Canadian, and we all know how game they are for a punch-up. Ask the Danes. (Seems there’s a tiff over an uninhabited chuck of rock and ice near Baffin Island. Run for the hills oh, ye citizens of Copenhagen.) No doubt it’s great practice for, er, ‘peacekeeping’ in Darfur.
Khartoum airport is infested with serious heavy-lift flying machines and even more significantly serious-looking Sudanese soldiery who mount some intimidating vehicles with big guns. Say after me; ‘So-ma-li-a.’
It’s dark now; still hot as Hades. Very ‘Away from the Sun.’
I forgot to take my anti-malarials. Bugger.