WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

At this rate, I'll be Miss Universe by the time I get home:-)

First, though, let me just say that Sudan (or "The Sudan" as a lot of people call it) has been amazing. Not one bit scary or frightening at any time, even when we were bush camping out in the middle of nowhere. The people are gorgeous and friendly and welcoming. There are no demands for baksheesh.The pyramids/temples are ruined and romantic and completely devoid of any other tourists. They are out in the middle of nowhere and you really do feel you're in another time altogether. The weather has been quite hot in the day, cool/cold at night for the most part, but totally bearable. The roads are not nearly as bad nor the trip nearly as challenging as the Drago brochure implies. It's been pretty amazing. It is also very humbling to see how up on American politics the Sudanese are - they are much more in the know than yours truly and they are extremely pro-Obama. The U.S. has a pretty bad reputation here - our visas are much more expensive than any other countries, we can't use credit cards because of U.S. embargoes, everyone hates Bush, etc. Very well informed and opinionated, the Sudanese.

Second, though, of course there are a few downsides. We hit a hotspot of biting, omnipresent flies in Wawa. Horrible little gnat things that flew in your eyes, ears, nose, mouth. We had several consecutive days of sandy desert bush camping and no showers, which made for stinky people and filthy feet and disgusting hair. We spend entirely too much time setting up/cooking/cleaning up breakfast & lunch. It is appalling, as are the horrible rude manners of most pax. You have never seen such a bunch of pigs with their giant helpings and food shoveling and focus on when we next eat and if they are getting their kitty's worth of food. No regard to whether or not everyone has eaten as they heap & practically lick their plates clean. DISGUSTING. And, the group has not jelled - at this point it won't. Argh. It is no India in that respect. "Hindsight is 20/20," right?

And, sadness . . . Ant (one of the drivers, the cute guy of course) is leaving the trip in Addis Ababa. Drago has pulled him off to lead a trip from Istanbul to Bejing . . . with Adam, one of my Drago drivers in India. Boo hoo . . . we're all a bit nervous about who the replacement will be.

We've spent the last couple days in Kharthoum, basically lethargically lounging about doing nothing but upgrading from the Blue Nile Campground to the Inamm Hotel and getting our Ethiopian visas (for which Americans pay $70 and everyone else only $25), as everything is closed on Fridays & Saturdays. And, as I was deathly ill yesterday, I missed the Whirling Dervishes, which I was desperately wanting to see:-( I had an attack similar to that in India . . . a day of fevers, chills, barfing, headache, gut ache, mustard bum . . . and just a bad stomach today. Argh. We leave for Ethiopian border tomorrow and have around a 10-hour drive, I'm not eating much today in anticipation. Immodium, thou art my truest love . . .

Out of communication for the next week or so, bye for now!