I woke up sweltering in my tent this morning and a group of us immediately decided to seek out the shiny western shopping centre called Afra, to escape the fast rising temperature.We got in a cab and were driven straight there, it was cheap and the cab driver did not try to rip us off.

We got to the shopping centre and had to go through metal detectors, which all went off and no one seemed to care.The air-conditioning in the shopping centre was amazing!I went into the Zain shop and signed up for a mobile sim, which only cost 5 Sudanese Pounds and which I did not have to buy on the "black market", unlike Ethiopia.We all went upstairs to the shiny food court and I had ICE CREAM!I also had a really cold Pepsi, which gave me a brain freeze.We went in the supermarket and went around giggling at the chocolate, pringles and cold drinks which we had not seen in ages.We must have looked quite mad to the locals.We then hung around for a bit and had lunch, before going back to the camp and sitting around sweltering for a bit.

We decided to head off to Omdurman Souq in the worst part of the day, between 12pm and 2pm.The souq was great, I bought myself a little dagger and a new dress……appropriate for Sudan.We stood outside one shop for a bit drinking cold soft drink and the shop owner gave us sweets and refused to let us pay for them….again unheard of in Ethiopia.Kat tried to buy some tea and that shop keeper wouldn't let her pay for it either.

I really nice lady came up and shook my hand and asked me where I was from and told me I was "Very welcome in Sudan", just for no apparent reason other than just being nice.The contrast between here and Ethiopia, as far as the people go is shocking.The people in Sudan are about the friendliest most hospitable people I have ever come across.

We went back to the camp and put on my new Islamic style dress and then jumped in a cab with Dave and went to pick up Siobhan, who arrived in Khartoum today.Dave and I arrived quite early so we went to get fruit for breakfast.We waited around at the airport for about an hour and a half.He tried to get on my nerves as much as possible and I tormented him with my pop rocks, which I found at the shiny western supermarket.

Siobhan finally came through the arrival door and Dave and I held up her welcome home sign which read, "Welcome home She-Bangs, love Kris, Teddy and the fridge".I gave her a big hung and we went back to the camp and sat around drinking non-alcoholic Efes to celebrate, as alcohol is illegal here in Sudan.