Across the mountains to Sahara

We had a hot night - by the time we realised the aircon wasn’t working (or wasn’t effective enough for such a large room) we couldn’t be bothered to pack up and change rooms. We got a window open and tied up the thick curtain, leaving the net one in place to keep out the flies. The air outside at 30 degrees was cooler than the room. (Mr Know-all, husband of Transmit Only, explained to Mr C that the down button would lower the temperature and the other up one got the fan going. Obviously we hadn’t managed to work that out ourselves. He’s the one who has had no WiFi since he got here as he employs someone in his company to deal with IT issues).

We set off at 8am to head south to go over the Auress mountains, an extension of the Atlas, climbing to 1500m.

As we climbed over the mountains it became more arid and there were fewer trees and more cacti. The road was twisty but the surface was smooth - so far the roads are in much better condition than home. We stopped to see the monument at the place where the revolution started with an ambush of a French military convoy. It was at a narrow gorge, Rhoufi Canyon, where the Romans had hacked their way through.

Our next stop was at a local cafe for coffee where we saw more bombings in Gaza on the news.

We took a side road to reach a viewing point to Ghoufi village, old dwellings in the rocky hillside which had been abandoned when the inhabitants moved up to make homes by the road. (The trip notes said it was a troglodyte village but the only cave dwelling was a hotel from last century.
Some of the group bought mugs and trinkets from nearby stalls.

We drove a short distance over dirt tracks to a guest house where the US ambassador has stayed. We had a nice lunch of cucumber, tomato and lettuce salad, French bread, a spicy dip and a plate of a kind of couscous with a thin ribbon-like pasta. 2 enormous chickens which had been cooked over hot coals were also served.

We left at 1 to continue the journey over
the mountains. Eventually we reached
Piskara the biggest town in ziban area and gateway to the desert which is very flat with scrubby tussocks. Population 350,000 as the city is huge link between north and south and is the furthest point south the Romans came. Then Vandals then Byzantine.

Taxes here are imposed on Salary, depending on how much you are paid. Nothing if under 30,000 dinar then 12% then 20% the highest is 31. Sales tax 17%. Luxury goods 100% on luxury cars, Chanel gowns etc.

We had another loo stop. Some of the shops are shut as people have gone to their families to celebrate Eid - not the end of Ramadan - the sacrifice of Abraham’s son.

Occasionally we saw date palms, grown for export. We bowled along for hours on good roads, progress only being impeded by all the speed bumps in towns and villages and the police change over and showing of a document by the driver. Our destination was the simple oasis town of Touggourt, from where the first motorised crossing of the Sahara took place in 1922. We got here at 6.15 with our 12th police escort of the day. Our hotel is very simple but the aircon works. Hurrah.