Khartoum - Day 100 Traveling through Sudan has been one of the highlights of our trip so far. So many people we knew had negative opinions on the country (that it was dangerous, that foreigners were not welcome, etc) that we wanted to find out about the country for ourselves. In fact, Sudan has been the exact opposite of what we were expecting it to be. First of all, the people and hospitality that we have received throughout Sudan has been astonishing. From the humble farmer in the north who brought us watermelons to welcome us on to his land where we were bush camping to the overwhelming hospitality of the members of the Blue Nile Sailing Club, we have been treated as well as could have been possible been imagined. Most of the people we have met have displayed a genuine interest and wish to help us with our journey. Rather than having any bad experiences, we have been more 'hostages to hospitality' and we have rarely had a night in Khartoum without being invited into people's homes. Before we left Sudan was, for us, a country shrouded in mystery and contradictions- one of the largest countries in Africa with huge oil reserves and yet plagued by border disputes, tribal tensions and humanitarian crises in localised regions. Yet the people are hospitable and friendly, it is sometimes hard to believe that modern Sudan is as bad as the western media portrays it. That said, we have only experienced areas of safety and peace - perhaps the larger picture is altogether different. Khartoum is a busy, bustling city with amazing infrastructure for an African capital. We were privileged to be invited to the Khartoum International Community School (KICS) to give a presentation about our trip. It was a great experience and we hope to keep in contact with the school as we carry on with our journey. We met Robyn Fox who is an Australian teacher at the school, when she was racing a boat at the Sailing Club - she really took us under her wing and as well as inviting us to a dinner party, even had us to stay for a couple of days. We are so thankful for the showers, food, internet access, air conditioning and beds during our stay. On our final night in Khartoum, we were invited to Pickwicks, the British Embassy bar to watch a replay of the Rugby world cup final (2 years to the day after the 2003 final...very patriotic!) and a few pints for the evening. Considering that Sudan is predominantly dry, a pint of bitter was the last thing we were expecting here! Needless to say we made the most of it... We leave for Ethiopia tomorrow and leave many friends behind. We would like to extend our special thanks to Ali Barba (an enigmatic french man and driver for Trans African Expeditions), Wim, Sophie, Michael and Caroline (what an experience!), Mohammed Omer Awadalla, Adel 'Sharia', Mohammed Jadalla and the members of the Blue Nile Sailing Club (thank you for looking after us), Daniel Giovanni (for helping us fix our car), Robyn and the staff and pupils (especially year 7) at the Khartoum International Community School, and Rupert and the embassy crowd for a much needed social night at Pickwicks. Next stop Ethiopia...