Woop my first blog entry. It has actually taken me about 20 mins to get to this point of writing from opening up the site (and I'm not exaggerating) because the internet is so slow. Actually I'm suprised they have internet out here so I can't complain....

So I finally made it to Sudan after 3 horrible days of travelling with tonsillitis. Bloody typical to get sick just as you leave decent doctors behind. Ok, I really don't know what to write as I've seen so much and done so much...

I got a little plane that seated about 15 people from Entebbe in Uganda up to Moyo which is the just on the border between Uganda and Sudan where Ben who I'm staying with picked me up and we drove back over the border. The roads are so bad here and everything takes sooo long and nothing's done on time but that;s 'Africa time'. We have to sweet-talk the guys at the border, giving them mango juice and stuff so they don't make us pay everytime as Moyo is our closest place to shop- it takes about 30 mins to get there from Lijo which is the village where I'm staying. I'm living in a little mud hut- I've banged my head countless times bending to get in but still haven't got used to it. There's no running water but there are girls Ben pays who clean and cook and get water- they carry these massive jerry cans on their heads. SO yeh, the toilet is a hole and the bathroom is a rock with a plastic basin on top. But it's actually ridiculously easy to live without all these things we take for granted (sounding hippy now)- I'm used to it already. But still, I'm looking forward to sitting on a toilet and taking a shower!

The people in the village are lovely- some speak English but I wish I could speak Kuku so I could talk to the kids. At first some were a bit apprehensive of me but the other evening we had a big welcoming celebration with singing and dancing and we all joined in so they like me now I think.... and I give them biscuits. There's this one little girl who probably can't remember seeing a white person before so she cries everytime she sees me. We walked to some markets which are really tiny in another little village and I was sitting by the road with a friend who is Sudanese but lives in Australia and is back visiting, waiting for the other people to catch up. These kids came and were poking their heads out from the grass on the other side of the road. They'd see me then run back and get mor kids to come look at me. I felt like such a freak-show! Then some plcuked up the courage as they had to walk past me to get to the bore hole. I said "do parana" which is like a greeting, to them and they legged it as fast as they could. Sooooo funny. In the bigger places tho, if we're driving through the kids stop and wave 'byeeeeee' in little high pitched voices.

I'm loving it here- wish I could have come for longer. It's so peaceful and relaxing. SO many people were thinking Sudan is dangerous but I feel safer here than anywhere I've been so far. There's only been one anoying pisshead who keeps on coming and asking me for money!

The work we're doing in schools can't start til next week due to all these formalities and lots of discussions that take lots of time. People here like to talk. alot. So this week I'm just writing information packs to take to schools and chilling in the village. Tomorrow I'm having my hair plaitted as it'll be easier due to said showering situation but apparently it should take 7 hrs. fun fun fun!!!

So yes, don't know when I'll next be online as it takes soooo long so sorry to lovely friends who I haven't written individual messages to but yeh just letting you know I'm all good, and loving it. Take care xxx