"Why do you want to travel to Sudan? They kill people down there". "I'm from Miami-they kill people down there too." This was my response to a question posed by a perplexed Egyptian immigration officer in Abu Simbel, a popular tourist destination only 50 kilometers from the Sudanese border. The veneer of good fellowship between the Egyptian and Sudanese government-never thicker than need be-plunged to its nadir several years back when Sudanese leaders were accused of sending assassins to liquidate President Hosni Mubarak on a state visit to Ethiopia . Since then, the Egyptian-Sudanese land border has been closed. Sudan has achieved the dubious distinction of being included in the venerable ranks of what the U.S. State Department terms "rogue states". This distinguished list includes North Korea and Iran, the common denominator being the chronic and habitual practice of the darker arts of statecraft on an international scale. Back in Cairo, I learned that a freighter would accept passengers bound for Sudan-many of these were Egyptians who would disembark in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and seek gainful employment there. There were only two other foreign passengers travelling to my destination-a Mr and Mrs. Hammersmith from London (Lord and Lady Hammersmith would be a more appropriate title for this supercilious pair). Enduring their company for the next three days at the dining table, I watched the Lady tilt her turkey neck at an imperious angle and make a repulsive kissing sound with her pursed lips whenever she wished the attention of the waiter. The Lord was better behaved only snapping off commands to the staff if an ominous, minatory manner. These long-in-the-tooth former colonialists had apparently enjoyed a fine life in Sudan back in the 1940's. The Lord told me that while life wasn't always easy on his estate "we did have a dozen or so loyal Negroes to assist us" And why the trip back? "Nostalgia, just nostalgia." It was at least 40 degrees centigrade when we sailed into Jeddah, with nary a breeze to riffle the still, oppressive air. The ship would be docked 10 hours-those of us bound for Sudan needed to remain on board as we didn't have a visa to set foot on sacred Saudi soil. I asked the harbormaster if I might be permitted to visit the home of an old acquaintance. He replied that if this person would guarantee that I return to the ship, permission might be given. He was more than a little surprised when I wrote down the home telephone number of "The former His Excellency Field Marshal Dr. Idi Amin Dada, V.C., D.S.O., M.C., President for Life, Conqueror of the British Empire and King of Africa." I wondered if, like Hannibal Lector, Amin wouldn't mind having an old friend for dinner. (I had met Amin previously on a visit to Uganda in 1976. The harbormaster returned shortly and told me that Amin's phone is "permanently engaged." No surprise there-part of the terms of Amin being granted exile is that he keep a low profile. The journey to Port Sudan was uneventful. The first, last and only hotel I stayed at during the next 30 days was the most vile, disgusting hostelry I've ever slept in-filthy beyond repair and one step up the evolutionary ladder from a tar pit. The clerk at the counter was valiantly fighting a losing battle against waves of nausea caused by the decomposing carcass of a rat that had recently expired beneath the lobby floorboards. Apparently rats must be a problem here-opening the door to the verandah, I found two enormous rats-bushy, bristly, red-eyed, snaggle-toothed. Fortunately both were dead, now being consumed by buzzing swarms of huge bluebottle flies that were dining upon the putrescent repast like gourmets I never needed to stay in another hotel-because of the unexpected and unique hospitality of the Sudanese. I traveled by bus and taxi for the next few weeks and there was never a time when I was not offered accommodation by fellow passengers- never an ulterior motive, no threat of danger and my offer to pay was always refused. These events happened in 1993 during a trip to Africa-unfortunately, I have used up 700 words and will conclude here.