No power for 5 minutes
12:30AM After having boarded for almost an hour, they shut off the power for 5 minutes which definitely gave me qualms. The rest of the trip was uneventful.
Terrace at IST airport
Turkish Airplane overlooking Greenland
Monday, April 26, 2021
April 25th, 2021 Khartoum, Sudan to San Francisco, California
12:30AM After having boarded for almost an hour, they shut off the power for 5 minutes which definitely gave me qualms. The rest of the trip was uneventful.
April 24th, 2021 Khartoum, Sudan
8AM Hashi got a taxi from the local app to the University of Khartoum. The university is old and pretty.
University of Khartoum
Al Kabir Grand Mosque
10AM We walked to the Al Kabir Grand Mosque and then to Corinthia Hotel, which is the best hotel here in Sudan. We sat here for a few. It was 40 degrees Celsius outside.
Corinthia Hotel
12PM We finally
reached the National Museum of Sudan. It is closed inside for renovations but
there were three outdoor relics that remained open. Some of it was reportedly
from 1500 BC¸ 3600 years ago. Some of the colored paint is still visible.
Painted wall from 1500 BC
Paint still remains!
Outside the National Museum of Sudan
12:15PM We returned to Lantian Hotel.
8PM I found some random person to drive me to the airport for 300 SDG. When I finally got to the Turkish Airline counter, the agent wanted to get a registration. I had to walk out of the airport some 200 meters to another office. They first said I have issues with Corinthia Hotel as they needed to confirm that they were my sponsor. One of the chiefs decided to let me go. I paid 5 USD and got back into the airport.
April 23rd, 2021 Pyramids of Meroe to Khartoum, Sudan
6AM We left for the Pyramids. It was very good from the distance. There were great relics and very accessible though I didn’t know significance. I got a 500 SDG camel ride between the two pyramid sites. When we got out, I had to pay for a 5000 SDG ticket.
The pyramids is well preserved inside.
8AM We left for Naga archeological site and Musawwarat. There was no road there. It was half an hour on just dessert. They were almost next to each other. After half an hour, we took off for Khartoum. The driver and I eventually agreed on 450 USD, 50 more than the original cost due to the fact that he had to line up for diesel.
The driver killed a sheep while driving.
I agreed to give 10 locals a ride outside the Musawwarat.
7:30PM I went
to Fish Wok after exchanging some CNY with some sales person I met at Lantian
Hotel. The Saj al Samak or Fish Wok close by was closed. I got the takeout from Saj al Samak on 41st street and got
back at 9PM. Even the fish was dry after being grilled.
Saj al Samak, or Fish wok
This was way too dry.
April 22nd, 2021 Jebel Barkal and Atbarah, Sudan
6AM The driver arrived, and we took off for Jebel Barkal. The drive was around 5 hours. The pyramids were small and did not look that old. It is not a site that I would recommend.
12PM I finished this site in about 1 hour. The Nubian House wanted 150 EUR per night. So the better idea was to drive another 4 hours to Atbara. We arrived at around 4PM. The Adel Hotel there is 9500 SDG, which is almost exactly 25 USD.
Adel Hotel at Atbarah
Ramadan snacks before final prayer
Ramadan prayer
April 21st, 2021 Juba, South Sudan to Khartoum, Sudan
5AM I woke but went back to sleep and didn’t leave until around 11AM. I would have taken the room for free 10 years ago but I left 20 USD and 15 CNY just as a tip.
Beijing Juba Hotel
Main Mosque
12PM I took a motorbike to get the COVID certificate. I then took the same one to the mosque before getting to the airport. We agreed on 2 USD but he then wanted 3 USD. I was ganged up on again by these despicable people and eventually gave him 4 USD. They threatened to take me to the station and I had no time to waste and didn’t want to risk missing the flight. I exchanged 5 USD for 2500 SSD at a loss. I had to pay a “transit” tip for 5 USD just get past another round of tip men. When I got to the gate, the man helping wanted more money and I just told him I am not paying him anymore.
1PM I got to the gate at 1PM and had to wait until take off at 3:30PM. We weren’t on board until 4PM.
6PM We arrived.
The immigration officers made us wait for another half an hour as they came
back from Ramadan. Samuel picked me up and sent me to departure gates. I wanted
to know if I needed another COVID test to back home but Turkish Airline was not
going to come until 9PM.
Someone who had trauma was being transferred to Khartoum on this Badr flight.
7PM I asked
Samuel to send me to the Chinese Restaurant near the airport. I took a room for
259 CNY. They made me some spicy noodles that gave me diarrhea the next day.
April 20th, 2021 Mogadishu, Somalia to Juba, South Sudan
5AM I woke but no one was around to help so I slept until
7AM. I asked them to call the captain as he was the only one who had authority
to let me go. I eventually got on the phone with him. He said he would show but
did not in half an hour. The immigration officer did come to get me out though.
8AM We got through but the idiot did not bring my passport.
He went back to the other side to retrieve it. Then Uganda Airline gave me a
hard time with the COVID test. They then said they would send me to Djibouti or
Turkey due to the absence of a negative test from Somalia itself. The
immigration officer did get on my side eventually to tell them I was in
transit. But it took my begging to get the Uganda Airline Manager to help me.
They left for 15 minutes or so and I was not going to stay stranded here
without another effort. I paid for a 35 USD test and they said they would get
it to me by 9:30AM, half an hour before my departure. The Uganda Airline
Manager did come back at 9:05AM and said my COVID test at Djibouti is good for
now. I also got my 35 USD back. I waited another 20 minutes for them to bring
me my passport. I finally got through customs and paid the immigration officer
a 10 USD service fee.
Alcohol spray
10AM The flight
took off for Uganda. Good riddance.
12PM I was
still on edge when I arrived at Uganda. They took almost an hour to get us three passengers going from Somalia to South Sudan through Uganda our boarding
passes. I also got into trouble having the metal support I had for the
compression stocking.
1PM I finally
got to the lounge. There wasn’t much offering there in terms of food but at
least I got my boarding pass. I talked to Housen briefly about the letter of
intention to Magenta.
3:30PM We took
off for Juba, South Sudan.
3:45PM The
flight took an hour and half but there was an hour time difference. The people
here are so annoying. They stopped my luggage for no reason and wanted money
for having a camera. I gave them 20 USD and ran away as soon as I could. The
longer I stayed, the more money I would have to give them. I went to Badr
Airline office, who recommended me to get another test just in case. I have to
go get one. I don’t want what happened today earlier happen again.
5PM I took a
motorbike to the Queens Clinic. The cost of a COVID test was 80 USD, double for
foreigners.
Probably the best apartment complex in South Sudan
All Saints Cathedral
6:30PM I walked about 20 minutes to the nearby church and took another motorbike, 1 USD, to Juba Bridge Restaurant.
7PM I had 2
sodas and some roasted lamb there. It was too salty. They initially said 1 USD
was 600, then 580, then only 500, which means 10 USD is only 5000 SSD. Since my
meal was 5500, it wasn’t enough. They let me go eventually.
Juba Bridge Restaurant
April 19th, 2021 Mogadishu airport, Somalia
6AM We left for the airport. We waited until 7AM or so before
boarding for Somalia.
Mogadishu Airport
9:45AM We arrived at Mogadishu. The immigration agent would
not let me pass without an invitation letter. Hotel Jawhara would not provide
one that states that they would be fully responsibility for my safety. I agreed to have API Hotel come try. They wanted 175 USD a day and they
would not take me anywhere out of airport complex. I disagreed after I got out.
We walked back and they took back the letter of invitation. The visa was cancelled. I waited for a
while and finally what I expected came, they were just going to hold me until
my flight tomorrow.
12PM I am held at the airport police station until tomorrow.
How was I supposed to know that I needed an invitation letter when it was not
on any of the official website? I spent the entire day in their office and outside. They took away my cell phone so I couldn't make any contact with outside.
At least I had my computer with me.
Airport police station office
5PM I pled several times and even tried to sneak to the
airport entrance before being caught 20 yards away from it by the captain.
6:30PM I had some Ramadan dinner with the police station
staff. They drove me to the airport beach and the captain introduced me to
several people who worked for the UN on the airport base. They tried to plead
with the captain but he expectantly refused again.
Ramadan dinner
10PM Captain let me sleep in the conference room. The room
is set at 16 degrees Celsius and freezing overnight.
April 18th, 2021 Djibouti
4:40AM We arrived at Djibouti. While the flight is continuing to Somalia, which is what I will taking tomorrow, I got off with half of the passengers. It is hot in Africa. We got into this room with a voodoo negative pressure tent and passed through to get a mandatory 30 USD COVID test. They make you spit in a 50 mL Falcon tube and we waited until everyone was finished. A couple of Americans claimed that it was just for extra income for the customs. One French doctor working for Doctors without Borders corrected that when we were waiting in line and said I could get the results in the afternoon for future use.
6AM I tried to walk toward downtown which was only a couple
of miles away. The taxi was going to be around 15 to 20 USD. I got a driver
outside the airport to agree to 5 USD to the China Restaurant. When we got
there though, he wanted more. I eventually gave him 10 USD after the police in
the station started pressuring me.
11AM I walked to downtown which was about a mile away. The Mosquee Al-Hamoudi was closed until 1AM. I got some money through Visa exchange. I was dehydrated with this heat. I then walked toward Hopital Bouffard.
Downtown Djibouti
1PM I got there and after going back and forth with people
there, I finally got them to print me a negative result sheet dated 4/18/2021.
I tried to get lunch at Saba Restaurant for seafood. It was closed for Ramadan.
That didn’t stop me from trying again later in the evening. I took a bus back to the Heron area. Hotel
Kempinski was the best resort in town and the bar did not open until 3:30PM. I was to return later.
2:30PM I got back and took a shower before taking a nap
until 6PM.
Prayer during Ramadan
6:30PM I walked back toward the bar nearby Hotel Kempinski.
It was fair and I got into the hotel from the back entrance. This is a large
complex and is probably the best in the region. I took a look at their
international buffet and then walked toward Saba Restaurant. I walked about 1.5
miles and it was really closed like they had told me earlier. Some people on
the street told me to go to Hamdani Restaurant. I walked to it as well and it
was closed as well because of Ramadan.
Hotel Kempinski
Outdoor bar at Hotel Kempinski
8:45PM I finally got to the town center area with all the
buses and took one back to Heron area. I got back around 9:15PM. I went to bed
and woke at 4AM for the conference call.
April 17th, 2021 Istanbul Airport
4:40PM I arrived at Istanbul and sat in the IGA lounge until 1:30AM or so. The food has gotten worse but it still remains a top lounge as I remembered it. The flight to Djibouti left on time at 1:35AM.
Istanbul Airport
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