Around the World in Five Minutes

Sudan: Chopper Crash Kills 32

In Sudan, thirty two people were killed, including four top government ministers, when their helicopter crashed into a mountain near Talodi, a region near the border with the new state of South Sudan.
According to the State media, SUNA, the crash was caused by harsh weather conditions.

The Minister of Guidance and Endowment, Ghadi al-Sadiq was among the passengers heading to the South Kordofan state to attend prayers on the first day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr.

Missing Diary

Can't believe I left out part of my travel diary! Don't worry, this is the very last of it. My next post will definitely be a fresh topic. All the same, for your reading pleasure.

I started out looking for the Notre Dame Cathedral, but was attracted by the sight of a colossal structure that resembled a Roman temple. I had learned to figure things out myself. It was becoming a headache asking strangers for directions. Not that they were nasty – far from it. My ‘Bonjour’ coupled with ‘Parlez-vous anglais?’ – ‘Do you speak English?’ always brought out the hospitable side of Parisians.


I drew closer to the Roman-type structure and found it was named the Pantheon. Hmm…it wasn’t on my itinerary, but gazing up at the massive pillars and meticulously crafted sculptures, I couldn’t resist buying an entrance ticket. I was digging into my bag for my purse before I knew it!

Diary of a Wide-eyed Traveller (the end)

Apologies for the long delay in bringing you the concluding part of my travel diary. I was desperately hoping I could retrieve some of the pictures I took from my moribund phone - oh well. If this feels a bit rushed, it is because I wanted to honour my promise to give you the full Monty. Enjoy.

The Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

I climbed the rising pavement, inching closer to the steeple of the Notre Dame cathedral. Out on the pavements, people were seated drinking their glasses of beer, chatting and eating pastries.

It was a relaxed but lively atmosphere. People poured out of shops, wandered across the streets, tourists pulled out their maps, and cars zoomed past impatiently.

Diary of a Wide-eyed Traveller (2)

I fell into a long queue stretching into eternity. We were mostly foreigners waiting to buy metro tickets at Gare Du Nord. At least I could bask in the security of a common bond – we were largely non-native French speakers. Thing was, they all looked at ease. As if they knew the protocols – how to get tickets, navigate their way to their destinations and everything else. I suddenly felt at sea. Don’t play the fool, I told myself. Ask questions.