Day 5-13 – November 9-17th
Desert painted with sand
The further to the south, the less road civilization. The roadsides and the distinct lines separating the lanes disappear. The prosperous Libya more often gives up place to the desert wilderness.
This unbelievable spacetakes their breath away. They have never seen such a vast horizon. The landscape is like from the Red Planet. The participants of the Kazimierz Nowak expedition are riding through the Jabal Nafusa mountain massif, which stretches long from Tunisia. Its highest point – 837 m a.s.l., the cyclists reach slightly lower – 788.
The wind is blowing like hell and sometimes it’s difficult to keep the right direction. You can’t see other cyclists. The drivers of the dangerously scorching trucks are grinning from ear to ear and the car passengers are zooming in on the strangers from Poland through the open windows.
In the barber ruins of the city of Yafran they became convinced that, after all, someone was riding here on two wheels: a children rusty bicycle with…two handle bars is a proof of recent life.
The severe conditions – accommodation on a dry, cracked ground – are eased by good-natured local inhabitants. Such as a Sudanese oasis guard, who galloped on a donkey to the Poles offering a small goat for dinner.
- When the evening approaches, I kindle a cheerful fire from thorny bushes, which smells nice – the Poles are reading at loud the Nowak’s letter to his wife and by showing his numerous photos they are converting to the Nowak’s religion their guarding pickup driver of the Amid stage and its Libyan participant Fadel.
The other one is picking up. November the 11th, there is a reason to celebrate. The day before his birthday for the first time he covers the whole daily distance.
- Libya surprises us a lot. People are extremely nice. Very helpful and hospitable. The Libyans are more civilized, they are more similar to the Europeans than to other African inhabitants. Paradoxically it seems that the socialism and the kaddafism had a good influence on Libya – at least when compared to other African countries – points out the expedition participant Piotr Sudoł, when riding on well-kept roads and passing through villages full of tidy people and well-stocked shops.
The villages astonish with prosperity, the desert with landscapes. Sometimes it’s like in Australia with a vivid red sand and small green bushes, sometimes exactly like on a western prairie. More and more often the wind sculptures in the sand creating the rows of rough waves.
On Friday they cover 140 kilometers to Sinawan. The killing 7 hours on the bicycle, that weights 50 kilograms with the filled traveling bags.
Looong downhill rides and much loooonger climbs. They cope with it by riding an echelon. Further to the south, less road civilization. The roadsides and the distinct lines separating the lanes disappear.
The desert has the right to get rid of the uninvited guests. Like Nowak, they approach humbly and cautiously to Ghadames – the city called “The Sahara gate”.
- It’s a beautiful oasis on the desert with 30 thousand inhabitants – says Piotr Sudoł two days after their arrival. – It swarms with buildings like from the stories of „One Thousand and One Nights”, tight-fisted , in wonderful colors. I’m sitting at the source located within the city, in front of me a palm tree, an idyllic view.
They are surrounded by serious Touaregs. They seem to be secretive but after a closer contact they are in fact very friendly.
Another commemorative plaque was hanged in the youth hostel in presence of noble elders, dozen of serious men, who were impressed by the presence of Nowak in their city after have seeing the photos.
But it’s time to say goodbye to the Ghadames Touaregs. The bicycle caravan keeps going to the south, 10 days through the infinite desert.
