The Sudanese Embassy

Well the big plan for today was to get my Sudanese Visa all organised but it hasn't quite gone to plan. Last time it was done in a day, this time it appears it might take 2.

It's a bit of a mission to get a Sudanese visa in the first place - especially in Cairo. There's a complicated process. Here's how it works:

Step 1 - Line up in the line that says "PASPORTS" (nb: spelt with only 1 s)
Step 2 - Answer the mans questions about why you are going to Sudan. "I need to ride my bike to Capetown and to do this I need to ride through Sudan" I tell him.
Step 3 - fill in the form the man gives you and take it over to the photocopy man who will copy that and your passport and your entry visa for Egypt
Step 4 - take these forms back to the "PASPORTS" line and line up again in the line
Step 5 - Get the PASPORTS man to squiggle something in arabic in red pen on the form
Step 6 - Go line up in the "Cashier' line and give the lady 100USD
Step 7 - Take the receipt back to the PASPORTS man (you need to line up in the line again)
Step 8 - Come back at 1000am the next day and line up into the PASPORTS line

Fingers crossed I'll be able to pick it up tomorrow without any issues and it will all be processed when I go back tomorrow at 1000am.

I met a sudanese man who has a brother who lives in Perth. I tell him my sister lives in Perth too. He wants to take me around the corner for tea but I have never gone and had tea with an arabic man that didn't end up in either a marriage proposal, or him trying to make me pay a minimum of 50 egyptian pounds to buy some of his perfume. Only it's actually called "essence" rather than perfume I learnt yesterday (when I found myself having a cup of tea with a random Egyptian man I met on my walk who got offended when I tried to call it perfume!).

So I tell the man I have to get my visa first.