I checked into a guesthouse run by German expats and stumbled into bed in the middle of the night, still excited from having finally made it to Khartoum. The next morning I set off on a city tour, partially guided by a driver named Abdullah. As I have seen over and over on my travels, I encountered only hospitality from the people I met. It reminded me of visiting the autonomous region of Kurdistan, which is either part of Iraq, part of Turkey, or completely independent, depending on who you ask. Before I went I was somewhat apprehensive, but after getting there I felt nothing but welcome.