It wasn’t the sound of wild birds that woke me from my slumber at first light this morning in Torit, it was the Muslim call to prayer backed up by a chorus of young women singing. The mix brought me out of that deep sweaty dream-state I get from the malaria pills.

Torit is the capital of the Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan.  I was brought to my senses by the morning waiter serving ‘the only guest at the Hotel Torit’ a breakfast of Spanish omelet (they love those Spanish omelets here in South Sudan), bacon, a slice of toast and black tea in a dining room meant to house a lot more folks than just me. He explained that the singing came from graduates at the nearby police academy.

My meeting with tourism officials was scheduled to begin at 9am (it finally happened at 2pm) so after breakfast I followed a lead which led me down to the local community soccer field. Once there, I had to negotiate my way through an ocean of blue camouflaged policeman, dodging UN Landcruisers and truckloads of armed protectors of the event. All the while 208 graduates stood in formation in unbearable sweltering heat waiting their turn to march forward and receive praise from a Catholic bishop and a host of dignitaries positioned conveniently in the shade. The big difference here in Torit is that the curfew is a bit relaxed. However, the mosquitos carry a lethal non-curable form of malaria that drops folks in their tracks. You get chased into your mosquito net soon after dark, and rightfully so since the power gets turned off for the night at 9pm.