The Sudan - 14

This is an amazing hotel. Ive been trying to find a way to describe my feelings about it and i cant quite put my finger on it. Its all about the people here, and if i were a comic writer and illustrator, this place would be the never ending source of inspiration.
Everybody who stays here or passes through here (there seems to be a lot of that) is larger than life and on the edge of it. These are renegade people on a dangerous mission of some kind - and in actuality many of them really are on a mission (there are many development agency people here)
Every underground comic book archetype is here in this hotel. they come and go at odd hours and interact with each other on a mysterious level. We have....
- the large fat English man in sandels with slicked back hair and a long thick bushy pirate like beard. Is he with the petite malaysian (?) lady, who flutters as he politely offers her a chair at his dinner table. He is clearly a wealthy but bent backstreet diamond dealer.
- the two chinese men - do they know each other? they seem to be together and yet distant. The dangerous one has a fu man chu beard, the other is so nondescript, hes virtually invisible. they are part of an international drug ring and close to the triads.
- the dark rugged and very mysterious man. His features are striking but ungiving of his origin. Is that a natural dark skin, or is he heavily tanned, or even just dirty - you could believe it of him. He speaks with no-one but his piercing eyes are always scanning around him. And how come he has a can of beer with his meals? Only he can get away with that here.
- The loud middle-aged, lean and round-shouldered Australian. Telling tales to anyone who will listen and some who wont about his escapades with terrorists, insurgents and militia. His stories are covering something that he doesnt want to reviel about himself - hes running away from something.
And all of these characters find refuge in this throwback hotel from the 50's. An outpost on the edge of war and crime zones. A haven run by a tall, smartly dressed greek man by the name of george - he knows everyone one of his guests and attends thier every need with a broad smile and sweeping calm. George will take care of your passport and documents, George will get you a sim card, George will change your dollars, George will arrange a driver.

And amongst all this sense of darkeness, i feel incredibly at ease. As if im living in a not-so-futuristic chapter of 2000ADs Robo-hunter