14 photocopies later and I have authorization to travel

Today, Khartoum residents awoke to what I initially thought was a dense fog until one of the other guests at the hotel informed me that it was a mini-Haboob.

Let me explain.

The Haboob is a dust storm that typically consists of windy conditions and a dense cloud of sand dust. So instead of airborne particles of water that create the mist we associate with fog, we get airborne sand. Sound like a housekeeping nightmare? It is. I remember eating sandwiches at the beach as a kid and always finding at least one bit with speckle or two of sand. Imagine that scenario times one thousand. Everything edible really has to be covered, or it will certainly be full of sand. Sand manages to creep in through cracks between the window and the wall, under the door, and every time you enter or exit a building or room. That means that mopping is a constant chore.


Three years ago, Khartoum was exposed to a centennial Haboob that featured much stronger winds and dumped tons (literally) of sand onto the city. Here is a picture. It is not altered in any way. I am glad that happens only once a century.

Tomorrow I travel to North and South Darfur and I am looking forward to seeing our offices and getting my feet wet.

More news to follow...