So the British love to talk about the weather, and I am no exception...
I had always imagined I was coming to a dry land, where the sun always shines, but I could not have been more wrong. Since arriving in Africa in January, I seem to have been in a perpetual rainy season, and I have been wondering, am I missing home and chasing the rain, is it following me, or does it just rain a lot in Africa?
I heard a lot of stories while I was in Rwanda about how hot and dry it can be. But for my time at least, it was green, and lush, and wet. I remember one particularly wet weekend camping on the shore of Lake Burera. Our $10 tents did not fair so well, and were it not for our local gin-jackets, I don't think we would have either.
And then I arrived in Nairobi, where it is not only wet, but often cold and grey too. If I am honest, this is actually a refreshing change from sweaty Sudan.
But Sudan... Sudan must be dry. Right? Well, sure, it has its fair share of dry and dusty landscapes. The 10 hour drive to our field site in Kassala is notorious for the countless dead cows and camels along the way (trying to count them is an irresistible way to try and pass the time). It is seemingly so dry the animals don't decompose, and lie mummified, littering the side of the road. But in my first week in Khartoum, the heavens opened and it poured with rain.
Finally, my travels have brought me to South Sudan, where there is absolutely no disputing the fact it is rainy season! All 3 WFP flights to our field site in Twic have been cancelled this week because the airstrip is submerged, and the streets of Juba turned to a fast, muddy river, knee deep in places. Even now the roads have stopped flowing, the thick, sticky mud seems set to stay for the season. In the towns, the only way to get down the high street is in a 4WD, while in the countryside, a tractor is an essential comrade for anyone brave enough to venture out.
Last week I was in Upper Nile State visiting some health clinics along the Sobat river. Given the mud, we use a boat to get around during the rainy season. It seemed quite an adrenalin rush, zipping down the river, stopping at 8 SPLA military check points along the way. But it turns out that even our new, speedy boat can't outrun the rain clouds, and we spent nearly 2 hours being pounded by the rain. At 50kph, it felt rather like small needles pricking your skin. Still, there is always someone worse off than yourself; the driver's wife was in the boat, and heavily pregnant, but the driver made sure he stayed dry under his raincoat, leaving her to sit the rain out in her pretty summer dress...
