Blogs from Khartoum, North, Sudan, Africa - page 7

Well this is my test run of using this 'travelblog' thing. I will write a disclaimer now for all typos and spelling/grammar mistakes to come in te use of these blogs. I am not actually in Sudan yet, but I will be by friday (hopefully). I figured as a self-proclaimed computer illiterate, I should try to figure out how to use computers and travelblogs before I travel. I am excited (slash terrified!) about going to Khartoum. All i have to say now, adventure.....*said in a weak high pitched voice with knees knocking together and teeth chattering* Disclaimer: No responsibilty will be taken for the appaulingly bad jokes in these travelblogs or the lack of laughter to the forementioned jokes. ........................... But wait theres MORE ......... No responsibility will be taken for grammar, spelling mistakes or typos. ... read more

Its about 5:30am here (probably 6pm-ish for you east coast folks), and among the many things that I have done/prepared for tonight so far, the blog thing hasnt been one of them. Wednesday took us into two once-villages in southern Darfur, and that is about the only description I can really offer. It now happens to be Thursday here, which is the magic day...in the sense that I can finally leave. It'll be nice to be home, to say the least. I'll be getting a job at FinCEN (a contracting company's division in the Dept. of Treasury). I got hooked up by my uncle with the job, so its good pay, good people, and lunches with the head of the Dept. of Treasury (his roommate in college and best friend), so it should be pretty cool, ... read more

Well, I must say that today has been great actually. I conducted one interview with a woman in a hospital ward in Southern Darfur province to get her story that other people were getting as well, and then we just headed back to Khartoum and got in around late evening here. I found a guy to get a digital camera from, but he was asking for more money than I have left for this trip, in cash nontheless, so I said screw that, I have plenty of film...it'll make for a nice binder full of pictures when I get back and actually have the time to put something like that together. Other than that, today was totally chill, and we've all just been hanging out ever since. I caught up on some sleep with an evening ... read more

Well, I stayed in bed for most of today and caugt up on some sleep. When I woke up around 2pm here, I went downstairs to the bar/restaurant and chilled with Nigel, Paulos, and Juan, who had all stayed in for the day, since I ussually go with them and conduct the interviews while Nigel handles all things camera related. Once we started watching the TV in there, I was really glad I did. One French and one Czech journalist were stopped, ambushed, and killed yesterday out in Darfur. We had to watch this on Al-Jazeera (International Arab TV station), so it a bit upsetting to say the least, b/c it almost seemed like they were subliminally glorifying those wretches who were beating those guys bodies. I actually met the Frenchman when I first got here ... read more

Well...its a little after 4am here, probably around 9pm for you east coast folks, or my special lady on the west coast of SA. I cant sleep, my side..and pretty much my whole body hurts, and the painkillers that they gave me at the hospital wore off a long time ago...so I am just kinda stuck. The reason for the title comes from the utter weirdness (severe and characteristic understatement) that seems to pervade here. Nikolai and Bronskpy (two of the Russians) went out to breakfast at a cafe today (well yesterday, technically). I was eating a breakfast pita and fresh fruit when Bronskpy and I both saw two Arab men dragging a black woman into an alleyway. Since I found out about this trip, I have been telling myself that I had to just do ... read more