October 3, 1980

IN SALAH — TAMANRASSET, ALGERIA
My alarm buzzed at 4:15 (I never expected to use it on this trip, but then my canteen was an afterthought, too.) Many people were sleeping around the bus, which is more like a cube-shaped truck with windows-- this is what's always used for this stretch of desert-- apparently tougher than regular buses.

Around Ghardaia, the surrounding area was solid rock. Around In Salah, it was all sand, with a few beautiful, giant, reddish dunes. I thought deserts were monotonous, but the terrain changed frequently throughout the ride. Sometimes it was flat and sandy with a few shrubs; sometimes littered with boulders, sometimes outcrops of rock. At one place, there were small outcrops-- 10 feet cubed or so-- with holes, caves, and fascinating shapes carved out by the sand and wind. One rock was almost lollipop-shaped. Sometimes there were hills of sand or dirt or rocks or a combination of these, carved with dried-up stream beds, the result of flash floods. A few trees with pine-type needles grew at their feet.

Though there was a cool breeze from the bus windows, the seats grew hot and uncomfortable and the bus was way overcrowded. Made a few stops at tremendously isolated cafés and gas stations. At one stop, there was no café, but a man appeared with a tray of tea, which he offered to us, free.

During the 11-hour trip, the foreigners sought each other out. Besides Jean-Luc, there was a Frenchman Eric; a Swiss, Raymond; a Dane, Jens; and a Ghanaian, who speaks English. Reached Tamanrasset at 4pm and found several more who'd been there for 4 days. Seems there's no public transportation going South-- the only way is to hitch, which generally means finding a truck driver who's going in a day or two, arranging payment, etc.

Got my first hot meal in a few days, then joined the others, who'd grouped together on the sidewalk for security, till we were kicked off and slept on a nearby field.

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