Our visit to Port Sudan was one of the most interesting excursions a person could make. Not only did we experience another exciting and impressive YMCA school, meet with a committed and dedicated YMCA Board of Directors and experience some great Red Sea culture, but we had an interesting experience with Sudan Airways. We had
only one choice to fly to Port Sudan as one of the two airlines flying there was booked solid. Sudan Airways had seats to we were relieved to know tht seats were still available. The 4:00 pm flight out of Khartoum was unexpectedly delayed, but we finally flew and managed to arrive in the port city late in the evening. To return, however, was more of a task. We had travelled with 3 Germans from the YMCA in Germany who support a YMCA school in Port Sudan. They were to leave Monday on the afternoon flight. Call after call to the airline resulted in delay after delay and the plane never did arrive in Port Sudan and so it could neve leave Port Sudan. Dr. Wageeh and I were scheduled to leave the next afternoon, but as there was no flight the day before we were to leave there were seveal passengers anxious to get on a plane. The next morning, call after call to the airport and delay after delay to our flight and the flight that never made it from the day before. Figuring that Air Sudan would not consider two flights to Port Sudan in the same day, we cancelled our tickets for today's flight and booked two seats on yesterday's flight, thinking that would give us a better chance on actually getting on the plane. Still more delays after delays and we finally made it back to Khartoum just after 10:00 pm last night. We would very much suggest not flying Sudan Airways. We never really knew if we would get back or not. There are no display b oards with information or even available staff that knew when any plane would come or go. It all just happened by accident that most passengers found out about the actual time of the flight. The flight we were on was actually 31 hours late. Sounds like trains in Canada!
Today is report writing day and laundry day. Tomorrow Dr. Wageeh and I will be travelling back to our Gabarona school with a group of visiting CIDA officials that really want to see this school. We will be visiting the downtown school again and then will start to wrap up this great trip to Sudan.
Word has it that Helen, Kim and Nancy have started to adapt to Northern Ontario weather conditions and are slowly coming to grips with the realities of home.
Stay tuned.
only one choice to fly to Port Sudan as one of the two airlines flying there was booked solid. Sudan Airways had seats to we were relieved to know tht seats were still available. The 4:00 pm flight out of Khartoum was unexpectedly delayed, but we finally flew and managed to arrive in the port city late in the evening. To return, however, was more of a task. We had travelled with 3 Germans from the YMCA in Germany who support a YMCA school in Port Sudan. They were to leave Monday on the afternoon flight. Call after call to the airline resulted in delay after delay and the plane never did arrive in Port Sudan and so it could neve leave Port Sudan. Dr. Wageeh and I were scheduled to leave the next afternoon, but as there was no flight the day before we were to leave there were seveal passengers anxious to get on a plane. The next morning, call after call to the airport and delay after delay to our flight and the flight that never made it from the day before. Figuring that Air Sudan would not consider two flights to Port Sudan in the same day, we cancelled our tickets for today's flight and booked two seats on yesterday's flight, thinking that would give us a better chance on actually getting on the plane. Still more delays after delays and we finally made it back to Khartoum just after 10:00 pm last night. We would very much suggest not flying Sudan Airways. We never really knew if we would get back or not. There are no display b oards with information or even available staff that knew when any plane would come or go. It all just happened by accident that most passengers found out about the actual time of the flight. The flight we were on was actually 31 hours late. Sounds like trains in Canada!Today is report writing day and laundry day. Tomorrow Dr. Wageeh and I will be travelling back to our Gabarona school with a group of visiting CIDA officials that really want to see this school. We will be visiting the downtown school again and then will start to wrap up this great trip to Sudan.
Word has it that Helen, Kim and Nancy have started to adapt to Northern Ontario weather conditions and are slowly coming to grips with the realities of home.
Stay tuned.
Photos: German YMCA visitors to Sudan (Fritz, Andrea dn Matthias); and a bus loaded with Southern Sudanese leaving the North before the referendum.
No comments:
Post a Comment