Possibly
the second official country we shall be visiting in Africa is
Algeria.
Depending on the entry point into
Algeria will determine how long it will take us to cross this vast
wilderness of desert and rubble. If we enter Algeria from the
north, expect at least two months in this country. The last time I
was here, we were in fact the last 'overland truck' tours to
navigate this vast desert.
It took us nearly four weeks of
constant driving from dusk to dawn, day in, day out, to get to the
border of Niger. While this is probably the best way to cross
Algeria, I still think we could have seen a lot more of the
country. Spending all day, every day in a truck from dawn to dusk
driving at around 30mph over soft sand is not the most
'comfortable' ways to view the sights.
Stopping only for the occasional
toilet breaks, and cups of tea (there are no places to buy tea,
you have to stop, make a camp fire and boil your own kettle for
all the members), this part of Algeria soon becomes a drag, there
is not much to do or see, towns or villages are very few and far
between, if any at all. The views are not that of the ones you see
on TV or picture postcards of rolling sand dunes, but more of a
complete barren wasteland of... well, of nothing but rubble and
stone, flat, barren, hot. A vastness like no other on earth you
care to mention.
To top all this off, Algeria is a
place where you are not allowed Alcohol, so it's tee total for a
month or two here.
Camping is the norm in Algeria, and
when dusk starts to roll in its just a matter of pulling off the
road (providing you can find a road to pull off) and setting up
camp.
There are a few towns to visit
along the way, albeit small towns, we can stop and see 'some' of
the vast sand dunes, where I'm sure everyone will want to take the
famous photos that appear on almost every postcard featuring
desert sand dunes, probably uppermost in most peoples minds,
however be advised, get a good shot when you see them, as they are
few and far between, and not the 'norm' despite this being one of
the largest deserts in the world.
Some of the few places to stay
along the way include a small town called 'Tit', 'In Salah' and
possibly the best place to stay for any length of time would be
'Tamanrasset' so all the members could visit the famous 'Hoggar
Mountains' where the sun set and sun rise the next morning are one
of the most spectacular ever seen over the ragged mountain scenery
ever witnessed.
It takes around half a day just to
get up to these mountains, but upon arrival you will find a rather
rewarding lodge that will cater for your every need during your
stay.
