 Walking in the desert for a week
feels timeless. Supplies, water and equipment are carried on
the back of the dromedaries and we go from well to well. Nothing
seems to have changed much here since the antiquity, when caravans
already used to cross the Sahara ...
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- Text and photography by Jean-François
Vibert
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- Zigzagging between the
dunes, the caravan advances slowly in rhythm to the encouraging
song of the camel drivers. Due south, only sand lies ahead. The
Sahara !
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- Our guide protects himself
from the sun with his big nomad's cheich (scarf). How he orientates
himself remains a mystery even after a week of walking in his
footprints !
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- Dromedaries are not over
bright ! But in case of blisters or slight fatigue they won't
let you down. Arriving at a deep Aeolian driven well is - at
last - the opportunity to have a shower. Despite the water from
some wells being delicious, you still have to add purifying tablets
to make it drinkable.
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- As well as being the opportunity
for a much awaited wash, the mid-day break is also a good moment
to start doing something about those fast arriving blisters ...
It's also the moment to cook the daily bread on the sand with
ash spread on top. Flower, water, salt and a few grames of leaven...
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- A little break at the
top of a dune is the chance to have a drink and take a few pictures.
Amateur photographers won't forget to keep their cameras in plastic
bags to protect them...
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- You never feel alone in
the desert, as the paw prints of canidé (?) in the sand
found near the camp go to show. You can also find little sand
roses on the surface of old dunes. Our Beshire guide tells us
that if you dig a bit you can find ones that weigh several kilos.
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- Laying out your little
bivouac every night at the top of a dune is slowly becoming a
ritual ... a rendez-vous with oneself ! As for helping out with
the cooking that is of course up to you, but it's a good opportunity
to ask the guide a few questions.
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- The more wood you can
find, the longer the evening will last... with the traditional
singing accompanied by flute and tambourine. The desert bedouins
are all musicians, they sing when they walk... and they carry
on singing after the tiered hikers have gone to bed.
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- Camels,Vibert,journalist,reportage,,Sahara,nomads...
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- © Jean François
VIBERT - Journalist and photographer - Paris -
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- Specialised in travels, extrems
sports, leisure activities, adventure trips, outdoor sports,
deserts and mountains... Trekking, ski, snowboard, mountain,
bike, sailing, scuba diving, hiking, in line skating... Texts
and pictures for the press and the web, illustration, digital
photography, reportages...
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- Journaliste photographe - Spécialiste
des voyages, des sports de glisse, des loisirs, de l'aventure,
de l'outdoor, des déserts, des montagnes. VTT, trekking,
ski, snowboard, parapente, voile, plongée sous marine,
randonnées, roller in line... Textes et photos pour la
presse et internet, illustrations, photographie numérique,
reportages...
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