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

9PM I looked at Da Vinci Hotel, which asked for 50 USD but was agreeable to 30 USD. Shanghai Restaurant looked closer to the clinic, so I took a motorbike to check it out. There was nothing but a building there and no one answered. Someone on a motorbike drove me to Beijing Juba Hotel for free. They wanted 135 USD but then the boss lady showed me a room for 70 USD. I bargained for 40. When the other boss lady came for the little building rooms, she heard that I was traveling and gave me the room for free.