I arose early this morning to meet with Justin at 7:30 am and then go to the airport before 8:30. We had a couple loose ends to tie up and got that done in short order. Angelo’s brother rode along with us to the airport. Those of you who may have followed my blog from previous trips may remember that getting from Rumbek back to Juba is the most challenging part of the trip due to “irregularities” in flight schedules. But today went so very smoothly. We were at the airport by 8:30 and had to wait quite some time but by 1:00 we were on a flight to Juba and arrived here around 2:00. It is a new airline, the now third in South Sudan. It has what I think is a rather unfortunate name: South Stone. Have you ever heard of “drops like a stone”? Just seems to me not to be such a good name for an airline.
Anyway, Moses was there to greet us at the airport and help us navigate. The building is being demolished. Tents have been put up to replace the building until the new building is completed and opened – hopefully sometime in the next year or two. This is another sign of some progress. When the Juba airport is done the plan is to improve the Rumbek airport and make it for international flights. That could take a whole day off a trip here!
This is likely my last blog until I arrive back in Chester, VA. I am at Shamrock Hotel in Juba (and was enjoying a fan and AC until the generator went off). It is a place to take a breath before I transition back to the US. I will miss being here and feel there is so much more I could do but I am ready to go home. Three weeks is enough.
-Marg
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