Yei, Western Equatoria, Southern Sudan to Juba, Eastern Equatoria, Southern Sudan (Latitude: 4° 5' 60N, Longitude: 31° 37' 0E, Altitude: 550m, Time Zone: GMT+3)

Waking up to the smell of the wet ground was nice, and I got ready and prepared for our departure to Juba. Juba is the political capital of Southern Sudan, and currently the site of the peace talks between the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) Rebels and the Ugandan Government. Unfortunately for me, that meant that I had lost my ‘nicer’ accommodation in Juba, and had been relegated to a ‘regular’ tented camp.

The journey out there was less arduous the the previous day’s, as the road was in better condition to the one to Arua; in fact, the road is better than many paved roads in Kenya! The ride also confirmed my previously mentioned descriptions of how green Southern Sudan truly is. However, as we approached the former line of control, many of the areas off the road were noted as having mines and warning people to stay off. There were also lots of burnt out tanks and buildings, as well as Chinese-built people carriers full of soldiers moving towards the barracks outside of Juba; if I closed my eyes for a moment, I could imagine a scene of war and panic unfolding in front of me and was more than expecting an ambush at some point. However, the UN Peacekeepers we kept driving past solidified that the war was truly over.

Closer to Juba, we saw piles and piles of unspent and undetonated munitions which were being gathered for collection and mass destruction. However, it is a little unnerving to see handheld missile launchers (with missiles nearby), grenades, and small bombs just lying a few feet off the road. Thankfully, the war is truly over, and these things have seen their days. We finally made it into Juba, and stopped by at the office to drop a few things off and organise our accommodation. Thankfully the replacement camp that was selected for me was only three minutes away from the office, so I was pleased. I am now the proud inhabitant of a tent with an adjoining toilet and shower. Well, calling them a “toilet” and “shower” is optimistic; it is a personal port-a-potti and an outdoor shower like you’d find at the beach in any developed country, but with privacy screens.

After checking-in, Sungura took me for a drive around town while the handler went to the Chamber of Commerce to seek permission to conduct our surveys. Given that they are cousins (or so the handler claims), I saw no reason to go and left him to it. First, we went to exchange US$ into Sudanese Dinars; this was straightforward as there is a uniform price: US$1 = SD220. I am convinced there is a cartel, and these guys are making millions, but what can I (and every other development worker and enterprising business person) do? Well, supplement their income by buying sunglasses and fake watches from them as well?

Sungura then took me to his house, a mud-walled hut with a roof with layered hay; it was very cozy and actually quite pleasant. He is in the process of making it appropriate for his family (who are based in Uganda) with extra beds and things; he already has a mosquito net, cooking utensils, and some personal items. Despite the heat outside, it was cool inside. On the way out, his neighbours kids ran up and kept saying “Morning,” the only English word they appeared to know. They were so adorable, and all wanted to shake my hand... I don’t think too many foreigners go into that part of Juba, so it was as interesting for them as it was for me.

On the way back to the office, I got to see the entire Southern Sudan ministries complex, the burial site of the esteemed leader, Dr. John Garang. In fact, we made a quick stop to his wife’s office (she is the Minister of Transport & Roads) at my uncle’s suggestion, who knows her. She was not in, but her secretary asked me to pop in on Friday morning before my departure, which I will definitely try to do. He also gave me her card, which is indicative of how much actually development needs to happen – the Minister has a Yahoo address as her primary means of electronic contact! On the way back to the compound, we had lunch at a little Ethiopian place near the office which was excellent – but cost $16. I don’t think I would have spent that much for a quick lunch for two in London or the US... Prices here really are exorbitant! I hope I manage to survive on the US$50 I changed, otherwise I will get fleeced once more by the walking forex bureaus!

I ended up watching one and a half movies at the camp, got through two magazines, and decided to call it a night, skipping dinner as my lunch wasmore than enough. Surprisingly, given that it is a tented camp, there were very few mosquitoes in my tent, so I slept like a baby. Let’s see what tomorrow holds.