Dubai: Week 5 and on to Sudan....

I am having a busy week.... I work Tuesday and Wednesday.... well work - am there to have a hand-over. The office manager who is leaving is a nice Indian lady... the team there is very nice, a mix of people, French, Syrian, Indian, Moroccan, Turkish, American, all very nice!  So I feel a bit better about my decision to accept this job.  The GM is not around...

Tuesday is my mom's birthday, and as tradition has it, I call home to wish her a happy Birthday!  74 years young I think....

Thursday, some last minute shopping, packing. Sadly, Basma's grandma had just died... My God bless her soul! Basma is very upset of course. We go out and have sheisha and we talk!

Friday, is my big day... finally.... I am going to Sudan!  I have lunch with Basma and the kids... then off I go.

With Fly Dubai, you have to buy your luggage, same as in Europe with the no-frills airlines.  I buy myself 30kgs both ways, thinking this is plenty....Well I upgraded from 20kgs to 30kgs going.. I did too much shopping.

I drop off Janine's car and then take a taxi to the airport - Terminal 2.  It's a small terminal, not much there, but clean and quite nice.  I queue up at the Fly Dubai check-in for Khartoum, and all the Sudanese people there have luggage galore... boxes, cartons, bags.... and I thought I had a lot with my 2 suitcases....

The staff are very nice and friendly... good sign. However, they can't find my booking - this is because I had just made my luggage allowance change.  So I go to another counter and pay my money and get my paper stamped.  Back to the check-in... where the staff give me a better seat,further in front!  Could have saved myself the money in booking and paying for my seat.... Oh well....

My flight leaves @ 20.50p.m., I get my isle seat and settle in.  This is the most luxurious no-frills airline I've seen yet!  Brand new plane, I have a tv screen, but you have to pay for movies, food etc... but at least it is on offer!  Very nice indeed! and quite comfortable.

 I sleep....best thing to do.... and I am the only Khawaja (white person) on the plane, among the Sudanese and some Arabs....

Hisham... here I come!

We arrive at around midnight - after a 3.5hours flight, and Walid picks me up...but at passport control they stop me... I had filled in the wrong immigration form... they have to go and find me the right one 'non-Sudanese'.  Then they want a proper address... I am tired... so I call Walid and let him speak to the immigration officer.  Thank God Walid works for one of the big and well known companies in Khartoum.... Finally I am the last person they let in!

Airport Entrance Hall, Big Billboard "Welcome to Khartoum"  ... sorry a bit fuzzy.... like my state of being....

Then there is waiting for the luggage.  It comes through and Walid is outside waiting for me!  So good to see him and Mahassin again.  Mahassin is still up and waiting for me.  She already wants to feed me... I am not hungry, just tired.  We have a little chat and then we all go to sleep.

It is nice to be back!

S & D & L