DAY 93: Thursday - June 3
Pete: Slept out in a sleepsack in a big sandstorm last night which just about left me buried in the sand by morning light. Not a particularly pleasant evening. Stopped in the small village of Arlit to spend some of our last few franks on sodas and meat sauce. The towns in this part o the country are comprised of buildings made from adobe like mud. In fact, they are similar to those found in rural Mexico, and only the long-robed, turbaned people walking the sandy streets would indicate you were somewhere other than Mexico. Cleared the Niger border without difficulty; just the usual three hours for processing. Washed clothes and ourselves from a free flowing underground tap which smelled of sulfur, but was most refreshing. Arrived at the Algerian border post around 3:30 and were delayed when two officials sporting cowboy hats seemed dubious about the eight letters from the four different embassies testifying we were students. So they "invited" us to camp in front of the customs office for the night to resume discussions in the morning. Lillie: We had another lousy night fighting the sandstorm. We cleared the Niger border around noon. We had the opportunity to enjoy the border "oasis" with a sulfur bath and clothes washing. The Algerian border was not so easy. We were asked to stay overnight because the official obviously did not believe our story about being students and actually wanted David to go back to Niamey to get the Algerian Embassy to verify these letters. However, it appears that the officials were mostly lonely in that David spent an evening talking to them and they appeared happy to let us go in the morning. DAY 94: Friday - June 4
Pete: Not much problem after all clearing customs this morning. Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. after another restless night of strong winds and blowing sand. Lillie has been suffering from a bad cold the last couple of nights and days. Do not understand how but she and Zoe both have been quite miserable with congestion, coughing and sore throats. Kept her awake quite a bit these last couple of nights. Headed north into Algeria after clearing and topping off with water from the local well. The desert was flat, rock strewn in parts and blemished every few kilometers with the skeleton hulks of abandoned and stripped down wrecks each standing as silent memorials to previous ill fated attempts to cross this vast arid wasteland. Stopped for lunch at a cluster of massive rocks rising from the sand called Gara Ecker. Went hiking alone with Lillie, she fascinating me with her knowledge of geology and the "rocks" she discovered. The silence of the desert when there is no wind is utter and awesome. In the afternoon passed several cars and a truck which needed water and a push out of the sand. Consumed massive quantities of water. Lillie:
We left the Algerian border around 9:00 a.m. Throughout the day, we met several groups of people who were stuck in the desert. Amazing that anyone would travel alone. Many individuals transport automobiles to Niger and Nigeria through the desert and apparently make quite a profit from the task (French and Germans). We still have not seen the blue, blue desert sky that we had heard so much about. Supposedly, this may be the wrong season. Travel has been slow and will be till we reach Tamanrasset. There is really no road, just a path that can become very rough and sandy very quick. The vastness of the desert is amazing. One area we stopped at around noon was filled with rock formation set against an endless horizon. It really made one feel small to climb up the sand dunes and walk around the rocks for a panoramic view of the desert. The stillness was gratifying. Walking from the truck to the rocks appeared to be a short walk, however it is easy to see that directions are deceiving. DAY 95: Saturday - June 5
Pete: Finally, one of those clear crisp desert nights we had heard so much about. Got a decent night's sleep under the sleeping bag. Clear with blue skies most of the day and we bounced along the bumpy desert tracks all day making good progress toward the dreaded Tamanrasset and the customs officials. Stopped only an hour for lunch and one loo stop. Camped a few kilometers outside of Tamanrasset for our entry into town early in the morning. The houseflies at the site are oppressive, though they cease in their maddening buzzing and swarming as nightfall sets in. Making steady progress on my diet, though the meals of starch and canned veggies does not tempt me to break it very often. Lillie, on the other hand, cannot seem to get enough nourishing food to eat and must frequently supplement the camp meals with canned meats and cheese we wisely purchased beforehand. Still she looses weight. Lillie: Travelled toward Tamanrasset again today. The landscape changed little. The campsite turned out to be very comfortable. Little wind, soft sand, no bugs and a full moon. I got my first good night's sleep in several night. Tomorrow we will go into Tamanrasset and maybe even have a bath. DAY 96: Sunday - June 6 Pete: Arrived in Tamanrasset on schedule at 8:00 a.m. Headed straight to the bank for some of the "non-students" to exchange money and for everyone to check at the post office for mail. At 11:00 a.m. went to the outskirts of town to the customs office. The Youth Hostel cards I doctored for Tom, Lillie and I were accepted as student cards without hesitation. The customs official would not, however, process the truck through until all the non-students had exchanged all their 1,000 dinars. So back into town we went to await the reopening of the bank after the noon siesta. Lillie decided she wanted to eat out, so we found a local restaurant and were treated to an underwhelming meal of macaroni for Lillie, and couscous with the grottiest piece of lamb I have ever tasted. Cost us about $8.00. Tamanrasset is an ancient Moslem town steeped in history. Located in nearly the geometric center of the Sahara, it has long been a stopping point for traders, merchants and travellers. This oasis is currently seeing a lot of construction and development obviously as a result of the glut of petro dollars. An interesting amalgamation of military, Arabs, Tuaregs, Black Moslems and French. Old, yet showing signs of Westernization. Lillie: What a frustrating day! Imagine this, sitting in the lobby waiting to be processed by customs and immigration and waiting for people to change money. Tamanrasset was virtually closed down. Pete and I did get some food at a restaurant. That was a mistake since the food was miserable. It looks as if Pete's scheme to get us out of exchanging the $250.00 has worked here. The final test will be the departing border in about a week. One interesting feeling about Algeria - there are no signs that women are active in their culture. The old Moslem tradition whereby the woman stays in the home is practiced. I really felt out of place walking the streets and eating in the restaurant in that there were no women in sight. I suppose that a woman with a dress above her ankles and nothing about their head must look like quite the floozie. What few women I saw were running around trying not to be noticed in robes that covered everything from the tip of their noses to their ankles. DAY 97: Monday - June 7 Pete: Drove a couple of hours out of Tamanrasset last night toward the Ahoggar Mountains before stopping to camp. Found a neat cove amidst high rock cliffs and near a well for the first wash we had in five days. Spent a miserable night with a fever, sore throat, body aches and all the signs of the flu. Stopped for lunch at a small desert lake in the mountains which had beautiful pink flowers all around. Continued on to the Assekrem Hermitage arriving at 4:00 p.m. Hiked the steep 5 kilometers climb to the hermitage about 10,000 feet atop one of the mountains in the Ahoggars. Neither Lillie or I were feeling strong, but we managed to reach the top. Not disappointed, the views were spectacular. Toured the small rock walled chapel still in use by four Catholic monks. One had been there 25 years. The silence up there was overwhelming. Got the opportunity to speak with one of the monks, although his English was not very good and we resorted to German. The Hermitage was founded by Pere Charles FouCauld in the early 1900's. Set up the tent since by dinner time it was already quite chilly. Lillie:
Today we made our way to Assekrem after a late morning washing in the well about 1 kilometer from our campsite. The Ahoggar Mountains are indeed astere. They are reminiscent of the mountains in the deserts of Arizona. Again, the complexity and diversity of the Sahara is amazing. One day you are totally surrounded by white sand, the next you are nestled in a canyon of slate rock. On the way to Assakrem, a mountain of 2728 feet and home of some hermits, we stopped at some lakes that suddenly sprang out of the sand. Encircling the small ponds were lovely pink flowers and water grasses. By 3:30 p.m., we had reached Assakrem, 60 miles north Tamanrasset. Pete and I got our pack together for the four mile walk to the Hermitage. Apparently, a French priest, Charles de Foucould started the hermitage in 1906. As a Catholic, he must have been quite novel in this Moslem world. The Hermitage included a library and a chapel, which was very sparsely furnished with straw mats on the floor and wooden stools. We met one of the town monks who still resided there. Apparently, their food is brought from Tam, and at least part of their activities include weather/geological data collection. Overall, the walk was challenging and invigorating. Pete and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk together on the "outside." Views of the Hoggar Mountains from the Assakrem Hermitage
Pete & Lillie outside the small Assakrem Hermitage Chapel
DAY 98: Tuesday - June 8 Pete: Left the cool, crisp air and the stark, rocky beauty of the Hoggars early this morning. The 76 kilometers wound and bounced up and down back to Tamanrasset. Arrived in the town before lunch. Lillie and I raced around town before the shops closed at noon buying AA batteries, loo roll and a chunk of cheese. For our sweet teeth, a stop at the patisserie for some custard rolls and lemonade and a chocolate bar on the way back. Lillie encountered her green-eyed "Omar" in one of the little shops along the way and I virtually had to drag her out away from her pretense of looking at postcards. Spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for the water to start flowing from the taps. We wanted to top off before continuing our sojourn across the Sahara as our next opportunity to obtain water is two days drive north. Everyone was glad to be on the road again at 5:00 p.m., though we only got an hour out of Tamanrasset before finding a campsite. The road is incredibly poor, wrought with potholes everywhere and will continue to be so for the next couple of days. DAY 99: Wednesday - June 9 Pete: A long day today. Travelled all day and the roads were some of the worst we have encountered. The road was supposedly paved and David attested that only four years ago the entire stretch from Tamanrasset to Ain Salah was a brand new road. It looked now like tanks had been driving over it for 20 years and there were more potholes than pavement. The jarring and liver juggling ride for nine long hours was enough to make you do a high dive off the crow's nest and end it all. In the afternoon, we came upon the tomb of Moulay Hassan who was a Moslem on his way to Mecca when he died where he is now buried. It has since become traditional for passing vehicles to drive around the building three times before continuing on their way. Luck or the good will of Allah should follow. A nearby burnt out VW van forgot to observe this custom. We did not! Finally, mercifully the truck stopped bouncing at 5:15 and I hurriedly jumped off with my guitar for some soothing self-therapy. The tomb of Moulay Hassan
Lillie: We made our way toward Ain Salah today. The desert scenery has changed during the day from little more than flat land/sand to scattered rocky hills. A hard day of travelling along some of the lumpiest roads we have seen. However, it looks like another clear night. A good book I would recommend is "The Tearful Void" by Geoffrey Moorhouse. His experiences crossing the desert are consistent with some of our experiences. DAY 100: Thursday - June 10 Pete: At least the road improved some in spots today. There would be several miles of good, relatively smooth pavement and then it would revert to the bone shaking potholes. Did not make Ain Salah, stopped 100 kilometers south. Spent the whole day driving across the desert with but one brief stop in the group of homes they call Arak. Came across a well from which was being pumped copious amounts of water. Filled up the jerry cans and then washed up in the blue buckets. Felt great but to no avail. Not later than 10 minutes after we got back on the road, we were assaulted by a dust storm which covered every crevice with grit and grime. The intermittent wind and blowing dust continued all day and into the night. Tried to get some shelter from the wind by sleeping near the truck, but our juvenile passengers drove me away with their incessant blasting of the poor quality tape recorder playing the "Police" for the umpteen millionth time. Lillie: We continued through the desert proper today with really desolate sandy plains formed with mountains. The road became somewhat better. Around mid-morning, we stopped for water at a well and had time for a quick shampoo and wash, the first in four days. It was a very hot day, so I ended up drinking several liters of water while we were stopped. DAY 101: Friday - June 11 Pete: Went ahead for a therapeutic hike this morning. Advanced 9 kilometers before the truck caught up. The peace and quiet of the clear desert morning did much to soothe my now ragged nerves after months of close quarters with the likes of Tom's mouth, Martin's odor, Zoe's clumsiness, Beth's "Brunhilde's" late night parties, etc., etc., etc. Add all this to the long days of bouncing in the truck, the lousy food and the three month long diet and is it any wonder that Lillie thinks I am a little edgy lately? Stopped briefly in the desert town of Ain Salah this morning for diesel and water. Hoped to go for a swim in the town's hotel, but the water was contaminated and that ended those plans. Did stop for a glass of juice and one of those sweet pastries we have enjoyed before at the Marrakech Restaurant in Honolulu. Continued north through the African desert the rest of the afternoon. The skies were clear blue all day surprisingly for the first time since we left Niamey. Lillie: We had a rest stop at Ain Salah today, at about 9:30 a.m. We had hoped to be able to swim in a pool there, but the water had been contaminated. So much for counting on anything in Africa. We did stop by the hotel for a drink and a chance to clean up in the restroom. I could not believe how skinny I looked. My chest was just skin and bones. A hard day of driving today. It appeared that we might be camping in a totally deserted flat rocky plain. However, we did find a bit of green and a well which must have been 100 feet deep or more. If there was water in the bottom, we had no means to get it out. We are making slow progress getting out of Algeria. DAY 102: Saturday - June 12
Pete: Hiked ahead again this morning for an hour and twenty minutes of brisk walking along the tar macked road. It is a great way to clear the mind and body of all the pent-up frustrations of the day before. The solitude in the crisp morning air with nothing but brilliant blue sky and radiant sand to look at is a perfect catalyst for an hour or two of reflective meditation. Stopped for lunch at an uninhabited oasis with a well pumping out voluminous streams of water. Started heading due west this afternoon passing Ain Touta on the road to Timimoun. Camped on a sandy stretch off the road very nearly getting stuck since David disengaged the truck's four wheel drive to improve his gas mileage. Made a huge pot of beef onion soup and proceeded to gulp down three cups of the stuff followed by two cups of pineapple juice and four containers of water. Did not pee a drop all night! Lillie: Today we continued our trek across the same monotonous landscape of the desert. At around 11:00 a.m., we stopped at a familiar oasis for a wash, the first in several days. It really gets old being dirty all the time. An Arab was washing his truck at the free running water. It must have taken him an hour. It is amazing how the local people seem to really waste water when it is available. However, the water was a steady stream out of a pump. It was amazing, but we saw no homes at this oasis. I guess all that is really there is water, not much way one can support himself. After a lousy lunch, we headed to an area of the great sand dunes to camp, the Grand Erg Accidental. DAY 103: Sunday - June 13 Pete: Continued west toward Morocco all day. Stopped briefly in the oasis town of Timimous for a couple of hours. Quaint place, but not much for tourists to do there. In the afternoon, we finally came across the huge sand dunes we had heard about. Stopped at the first group and climbed to the top for some photographs. The sand was fiery hot to the feet and if not for the sandals I was wearing, I am sure my feet would have been blistered raw by the time I got down from the smooth 200 foot tall mountain of pure, granular sand. Camped at the foot of another group of dunes on the western edge of the Grand Erg Occidental, but not before getting royally stuck in the sand due to the previously mentioned lack of foresight on David's part of his disconnecting the four wheel drive. Took us over two hours to dig our way out. The unbelievable cook crew of Zoe and Barry "speedily" whipped out a meal in record time at 9:30 p.m. Lillie:
All the buildings here in the desert look like they are made of mud; however, they must have a concrete base. Today, we stopped in the town of Timimoun for some really great "peppermint tea." The town seems to be going through a building boom, which is something we have noticed in numerous Algerian oasis towns. One wonders if the water supply can handle the growth. Several of the children we have seen in Algerian towns favor Pete's Lebanese relatives; dark hair and skin. It is amazing how Africa has suddenly become olive-skinned and robed. We had a calm, peaceful night camped by the amazing Grand Erg sand dunes. DAY 104: Monday - June 14
Pete: Continued on the road west to the Moroccan border. Stopped at an oasis town on a plateau called Beni Abbès. Beautiful place with quiet streets, friendly people, trees that looked like pine. Spent most of our time in a small restaurant sipping bottled lemonade courtesy of Ahem a friendly Algerian who could speak a little German. A bit of a stilted conversation but somehow managed to exchange quite a bit of information over the blast of Arabic and American music from a distorted cassette player. Especially interesting was his typically Arab views about women (abhorred) and the thought of women in government. Their place is with the children. Besides, they are not as intelligent as men. Camped about 120 kilometers east of Bechar. As with every campsite for the past five days, we were besieged with flies until the sun went down and again when the sun rose. A special added attraction just as we went to bed, another sandstorm drove us into the truck for a night of restless sleep. Lillie: We plan to cross into Morocco tomorrow. I am not feeling too well, a bit weak in fact. Looking forward to better food in Morocco. Today we stopped in the town of Beni Abbès. Not much there, but we did get a cold drink. Pete had a conversation with a local Algerian who expressed his views on women and their place in the world. He was really disturbed that the Prime Minister of England is a woman! Again, we tried to find a place to swim, but the hotel manager was not in so we could not get permission to swim. |
The desert was flat, rock strewn in parts and blemished every few kilometers with the skeleton hulks of abandoned and stripped down wrecks each standing as silent memorials to previous ill fated attempts to cross this vast arid wasteland
The silence of the desert when there is no wind is utter and awesome Clear with blue skies most of the day and we bounced along the bumpy desert tracks all day making good progress Tamanrasset is an ancient Moslem town steeped in history Located in nearly the geometric center of the Sahara, it has long been a stopping point for traders, merchants and travellers The Assakrem Hermitage was founded by Pere Charles FouCauld in the early 1900's The road is incredibly poor, wrought with potholes everywhere and will continue to be so for the next couple of days The tomb of Moulay Hassan who was a Moslem on his way to Mecca.............. It has since become traditional for passing vehicles to drive around the building three times before continuing on their way Luck or the good will of Allah should follow We were assaulted by a dust storm which covered every crevice with grit and grime The long days of bouncing in the truck, the lousy food and the three month long diet and is it any wonder that Lillie thinks I am a little edgy lately? The solitude in the crisp morning air with nothing but brilliant blue sky and radiant sand to look at is a perfect catalyst for an hour or two of reflective meditation The sand was fiery hot to the feet and if not for the sandals I was wearing, I am sure my feet would have been blistered raw by the time I got down from the smooth 200 foot tall mountain of pure, granular sand An abandoned French Foreign Legion Fort in the middle of the Sahara |