Things you don’t expect to see in the desert….!!

Heave!!!

Well!! Apologies for the lack of update and the late post tonight but this has been a COMPLETELY different tour to the last one!!

Just when you think this country couldn’t get any madder it rains for 3 days!! It’s amazing!!

Sun, sand and…..?!

Our gentle introduction to sand & nice relaxed night in the berber camp on day 1 became a night-time orienteering mission & a team-work exercise like no other!!

So we need to be the other side of this lake…?!

The “road” that is usually soft sand was a river & the slow going through this new terrain. As the sun set behind the dunes we waited for Mick, who was rescuing a stranded bike! We prepared for all eventualities – including making a camp fire!!

As we have some moto-cross bikes with no lights & had 5km of dunes between us & the camp a decision had to be made; camp in the desert or ride to camp in the darkness…

The team opted to ride on and, lighting the way for each other, we rolled in to camp 13 hours after we set off!!

We were all well & truly ready for our dinner & bed and excited to see our surroundings in daylight!!

We couldn’t believe our eyes…!!!

Tractor in the desert!!

There was a pile of cars across a lake from us, that hadn’t been able to reach the camp!!

We had to cross with the bikes to fuel up from our jerry cans on the truck (helping some French riders who got stuck in the mud doing the same thing!!) & then we continued on our way!!

A large chunk of our journey on day 2 was very similar to before, with great opportunities to open up in wide open space that would not be possible in many other places in the world…

The viewpoint was a stunning as ever as we looked back at the distance we had travelled. This time we were lucky enough to come upon a helpful berber who kept an eye on the bikes for us!!!!

Kawasaki berber!

His headscarf was even Kawasaki green!!

After a military check point it was then a fantastic long trail on the Dakar rally route; Here you could really feel the size of the place as we were left to ride our own “stage”!

When Mick was asked for any landmarks he said – “there are 2 upturned tires about halfway along the route, they’re original Dakar rally markers, you’ll smile when you see them”. He was right!!

Dakar tire

We were all doing so well until the final stretch to the hotel where, once more, we were thwarted by the flood water & the final hour was completed in darkness yet again!! This time we manage to get guided in by the hotel Land Rover, who had negotiated the safest route around & through the flood water for us!!

Day 3 today and again the Land Rover guided us to our safest route out through soft sand and over the river where we caught our breath & had a drink before heading off for a great 70km, non-stop, blast ending in a quarry – a complete change of scenery once again!

After re-grouping & taking it all in it was an easy ride to Ali’s Nomad Palace where everybody is all in bed now & the bikes have been giving some well-deserved love and attention this evening!!

Only two brave souls had the energy for the dunes today, Kev & Chrissy boy, who returned with massive grins on their face!!!

I’ll report back with how the rest of the group enjoy these newly storm-reshaped dunes tomorrow!!

For now, good night, and answers on a postcard please for this caption competition!!!!

Caption competition?!