The flight back to Khartoum was uneventful although there was an amusing episode as the straggling Westerners ended up being taken from the airport to the AMIS check-in center on the back of a flatbed truck. On the steamy wooden floor of the truck, I leaned back on some soft luggage and surrendered to the hot Khartoum breeze while having a bird’s eye view of downtown traffic and the mini-taxis that one sees throughout the capitol.
My evaluation colleague, Peter, wisely opted for a nice hotel as we would be spending our final week holed up writing our final report. The Grand Holiday Villa is a stunning colonial-era hotel located on the banks of the Blue Nile. The name Blue Nile is a misnomer, of course, as the water is brown. But the vista is a wet one, that alone unique for Sudan.
As we work on the report in Khartoum, I find myself rediscovering the simple pleasures of drinking water from glasses rather than plastic bottles, wireless Internet connection, hot water; and more than two food choices on the menu. Also, rather than the haggard faces of ex-pats there are well-dressed Arabs meeting for tea in the lobby. The environment is rich, even luxurious. Although I might have felt embarrassed by this contrast with Darfur, in fact I am relieved.