Mon 15 Nov

Kadugli is a pretty town surrounded with hills, green trees and vibrant-pink blossomed baobabs. However, I had no business or place to stay there so I hopped on the bus for Dilling. On the journey I saw women travelling on camels, each inside a sort of tent erected over the saddle. It keeps the sun off and hides them from the, no doubt, lecherous gazes of neighbouring tribesmen. I was very excited as I had only previously seen these in a museum.

When I arrived in Dilling one of the other passengers took me for breakfast. It was a welcome idea as I had not eaten and it was already midday. We shared liver and "ful" (stewed brown beans) and a few other dishes, and then he went and a bought a large bottle of orangeade. The guy was old and thin. He had had many jobs in his time but these days he is working on road construction for an oil company. Sitting on a bulldozer for most of the day under Sudan's relentless sun was indeed hot work he agreed. Anyway, he would not let me pay for anything and hopped back on the bus. Yet another example of Sudanese hospitality – I have not come across anything like it in all my travels.

I went and registered with Security. I showed them a letter explaining I had business at Dilling University and told them I was staying at my friend Adam's house. (There are no hotels, and there was no point in getting the University guesthouse opened up just for me. Fellow volunteer Angus would be away for a few more days.)

In the late afternoon Adam and I wandered up the hill behind the town. The place is in effect the public park, and being the third day of Eid every child and teenager was out, wearing their new clothes.

Later in the evening we went to the open-air cinema and watched a Bollywood movie. There were several forced intermissions while they changed reels on their single projector and several unwelcome interruptions as inconsiderate viewers let their phones ring and then proceeded to conduct their conversations from where they sat.