Today is what I call a kickback day. Nothing like sitting in a bus for hours. How can I enjoy 8 hours thru desert? Because my guide takes care of all the arrangements. And he promised an “enchanting oasis town” at the end of our drive.
Also, our itinerary says “surrounded by endless desert vistas and charming settlements, showing the timeless beauty and serenity.”
I just have coffee in my room. Gabrielle and I hop in the bus. In the memorable words of Stanley Tucci’s character Nigel, “Alright everyone, gird your loins!”
This day is all about DISTRACTIONS from the long road ahead. We will travel about 260 miles to our next destination, Ghardaïa. Our route, while on paved road, meanders through the Sahara. And there is not a whole lot to distract as we motor along on N46 and N1.
Leaving Bou Saâda, the scenery is classic red Saharan desert—flat stony plains, cactus and palms, occasional low hills, and long horizons under an enormous sky. Temperatures have warmed and I finally can wear a short sleeved shirt. The land feels empty, broken only by scattered village, palm clusters, and the faint geometry of foggaras.
We continue our Sahara journey to Bou Saâda. The national road N3 heads northerly to the small oasis of El Kantara before turning in a northwesterly direction onto N70/N78. Not much changes during our 145-mile drive.
Lots of flat desert, rocks, occasional hills and some green where humans and animals might survive. I’m thinking Arizona and New Mexico deserts on steroids.
We depart Constantine for our 170-mile drive into the northern Sahara Desert. The route looks curvy as it winds itself southwesterly on state routes. We drive among the cliffs and low mountain ranges of the Batna Province. These represent a natural geographical break through the Atlas Mountains.
By the time we reached Biskra, the Sahara had fully committed itself to its monochrome phase. The northern Sahara doesn’t believe in variety. The scenery remains stubbornly the same—brown on brown on brown.
Every breakfast combination known to Man and then some appears spread out in the dining area. No known soup, salad, sliced meat, cheese, olive, date, egg, bread, jellies, and mystery stuff is lacking. A boiled egg and yogurt, plus very strong coffee, and I am fortified for another day of desert adventure.
Today, we explore unique architecture, walk in the steps of Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca, and I will continue an attempt to capture the essence of unbelievable landscapes. And, I hope, find a glass of wine!
Google Maps and my eyes tell me – there are no roads where we go. In fact, our destination, a desert camp in Tembaine, appears not on a map. But dessert car wrecks appears. Sounds like a fun direction of travel.
Although Tozeur roads are generally paved near towns, once we venture into the salt flats and true Sahara, our bus will park and we will travel in 4×4 drive Land-rovers.
Climbing aboard a 4-wheel Landrover hints at what our day may be like. While we travel mostly on paved roads thru low hills, sand cliffs and dunes, we seem destined for a distant time and place: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” In reality, our destination – Tatooine.
In 1976, this desert region of Tunisia took on an entirely new look, not geologically but spiritually. Tatooine was born. Its life-forms became cinematographers, gaffers, foley artists, directors and Luke Skywalker.
