Sun 24 Apr

I am down at Ab Roaf enjoying a swim. The sky is really grey like there's about to be almighty downpour – but it doesn't happen. On the way back I am last to board the minibus so I sit where the "commisari" (conductor) would be if there was one. Jokingly I try to collect the money. Some wise old man in jalabeya and turban suggests I pay for everyone… it's so easy to take all this fudulling for granted without thinking of giving anything back. At 20SDD a pop and a 200SDD note in my pocket I pay for nine passengers including myself but this only causes confusion as people leave and join the bus all along the route and the driver couldn't remember who had been paid for and who hadn't.

It is a tough decision about visiting distant relatives. I have been quite fuddled (confused) for the past 24 hours - completely unable to make up my mind about how to spend May. Even when I left college this morning I started walking towards home and then switched to catching a bus into Khartoum. I have now finally put my passport in for renewal. This means that at least for the next three weeks I shall remain in Sudan, ie that I am NOT about to jump on a plane to UK or Zanzibar.

After that of course, the original plan is direct to Zanzibar, followed by Egypt. I fear I'll not be allowed back into Sudan to use the return portion of my air ticket to London, but the Egypt work should pay for me to fly home from Cairo anyway. Cashflow is tight as I cannot use credit cards locally apart, perhaps for a one-way flight to Nairobi. So I might have to go and look for some lucrative work.