In the Field

The drivers didn't make it all the way to Rumbek that first day.  They had to stop in Tonj for rest and get up early the day of our departure.  They arrived at 0900 ready to pack us out, but we noticed a flat tire which needed attention.  Luckily, two spares are carried on each of the two vehicles.  We loaded up and took off.  The drive was about nine hours of four wheeling over difficult roads filled with potholes at next to breakneck speeds.  We needed to move fast in order to get to Gogrial before night fall.  The military was on the move, and we feared multiple roadblocks once evening came.
There were soldiers along most of the road.  Some were real soldiers, and others were guys with AKs and no uniform.  It was difficult to tell who they sided with.  We saw many AK47s, SKSs, and Chinese copies.  There were soldiers from Libya who had been either hired or had chosen to help.  I wasn't sure who's side they were on.  We knew that we didn't want to get stopped.  So we kept moving.  Fast.  And hard.  And we made it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyzCIPjY5uU

This is a brief shot at the ride.  What I later found out, was that this was the good part of the road.