It’s the weekend! The day begins with meeting Judith
(married to Mike who flew me yesterday) for a traditional South Sudanese meal
of ‘rolexes’. In a country as visibly poor as South Sudan, it seems a strange
idea that we are going to be munching on luxury watches for breakfast. I’ve
also conscientiously been watching the food I eat so I don’t get an upset
stomach, a goal that is unlikely to be helped by downing a load of metal cogs.
Fortunately, the rolexes Judith returns with from a local vendor are actually
rolled up chapatis with a fried egg inside. She informs us that she buys these
rolexes from a trusted vendor to avoid picking up any fakes.
As we munch away, conversation turns to the subject of food.
From what we saw from the skies yesterday, South Sudan is an incredibly lush
land, with the potential to be a breadbasket that feeds all of Africa. With
virtually no infrastructure in place on the ground, the country remains more of
a basketcase.
Today is a big day for the team on the compound; a
delivery of furniture for the newly built accommodation units is arriving. It’s
a case of all hands on deck, as existing furniture is first moved to make way
and then the huge truck is unloaded. The new desks, tables, cupboards and more
all need taking to the correct houses and then require assembly. My mind is
more than willing for the task, but my body is still weak. The reward for our
labour is an evening meal at one of Juba’s up and coming restaurants along the
Nile river.