After having been away for just over two weeks, I was 'welcomed back to Sudan' so warmly that it felt like I had been away for years. But these welcoming gestures also seem to go hand in hand with a sense of curiosity I was confronted with as soon as I landed at the airport. Some of the items I was carrying with me, were clearly unknown to the people who were checking my bags at the customs. Before I knew it, quite a few people had gathered around me and my (fully open!) suitcases to see what on earth I had brought with me. Without understanding exactly what they were saying to each other I could imagine they were all trying to guess what it was; everyone clearly convinced of his/her own knowledge. At some point it felt like I had ended up in some kind of guessing game! After some time, I was allowed to go and finally greet Frank who had been waiting for me behind the gates. The fact that I had to leave my 'unknown items' behind for further investigation didn't stand in the way of wishing me a 'welcome back' and a very pleasant stay in Sudan.
