Heron on the Nile
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  Final Countdown Early Bird Tue 17 May 2005  

Tue 17 May

My last morning: I have a lazy start, rising at 7:45am. Cleo is walking around the flat talking on the phone in a loud voice but she soon redeems herself by offering to cook-up some tomatoes and eggs for breakfast. At 9am we venture into the souq.

Tailor in Omdurman Souq
Tailor in Omdurman Souq
The waist-coat man (my tailor) happily takes in some mending I want doing and readily agrees to make two children's jelabeyas in Sufi green and red for Cleo all to be collected at 5:45pm. Of course we are treated to coffee while all these negotiations are going on.

Peanut butter lady in Omdurman Souq
Peanut butter lady in Omdurman Souq
The peanut butter lady is sorry to hear that it's my last day and gives me a generous bag of peanuts. The egg man likewise insists that half a dozen eggs are gift. The man in the souvenir jewellery shop gives me a carved ebony key ring. The ice seller I'd photographed a couple of weeks back was very pleased with the photograph I had left for him a few days before. He happily poses in much the same way for Cleo and the merchant where I sometimes change money also says farewell and gives me a box of teabags.

Cafeteria fatour Hassan, Imam and self
Cafeteria fatour Hassan, Imam and self
I go up to the college and meet Hassan for an Arabic class. I give him an English Dictionary as a thank-you present but even then I don't think it sinks in that this is farewell.

There are no 4th year students waiting for my 11 o'clock so I nip to the loo. When I return the classroom is full and an examination revision class is underway. So I give up and go for a final mango juice with mango juice girl.

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