7th Feb 2005. NKT.

It's nearly the end of my prolonged stay at Auberge Sahara. Those guys are grrrreat.....

Kania

Maryam

Olivier

Tears...

...and laughter with Herman

I have decided to bin several things to save weight, including my second pair of jeans. This means I will smell like an incontinent death's door tramp more often, but I should be immune to the stink within a fortnight.
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9th Feb 05. NKT - Magta Lahjar.

Up at 7.00 and away at 9.00. Travelling alone again feels exhilarating for the first 5 miles, and worrying for the next 95. During one cig stop the bike blows over in the wind. I can't pick it up and have to flag someone down to help. The final 125 miles are a mixture of exhilaration and botty pain.

The road after Aleg is brand new tarmac with white lines! It's like being in England except there are camels all over the highway. There's nowhere to stay in Aleg and I've resigned myself to sleeping in a pole-less tent - a bag, if you will - by the side of the road. 25 miles shy of Sangrafa I spot an Auberge sign. It's very simple and barn-like and a lot better than the alternative. Also it's a mere 125 miles to Kiffa where there's a proper place to stay for tomorrow night.

If you're wondering, my tent poles are in Bamako. I can't remember why at present.
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On the day I leave Auberge Sahara, the guests are
A. Eight completely mental evangelist/fundamentalist/missionary-ist Christians.
B. Ten underprivileged/disturbed/just plain bad teenage boys. "Enfants perturbe" in French. Not as perturbe as I was when I found out their two favourite pastimes;
1. Stealing vehicles.
2. "Making fire to" vehicles.
I foresee a re-run of the eternal battle - good vs evil. But which is which?*

The Christians are by far the most joyless guests I met there. Frowning at people and indulging in late night weeping sessions are their chosen methods of spreading the Good News.
Their leader really really really looks like a David Koresh/Rev Jim Jones wannabe.
I'm so glad I got out before the flame-throwing tanks arrived.
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Uh-oh - a hole in the floor toilet. Call me a big nancy boy if you like but I haven't used one yet and I'm not starting today.
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*The Christians are the evil ones of course.