Destination Dakar: Merzouga

 WhatsApp pinged and the message read, "Help! We are out of water and are weak. Keep falling down every 20meters.  We can't make it to town!"

  Barrie jumped in the truck and I took the bike. 

...that was a bit of shame as the pool was delightful. 

Thats the dunes you can see through the arches, not beach! 

Knowing that today was the shortest in terms of distance, we had a leisurely start. Everyone prepping for the day ahead at the auberge after a great breakfast. 

Barry and I first, followed by the rest in a larger group. There was no tarmac at all today, it was all open piste, river bed, tracks and dunes. 

The start of the day was wipe open land to the horizons. Out here in the middle of nowhere, like a collection of lost property, was an unmanned fossil and trinket shop with honesty box! Difficult to believe, but seeing is believing. 

Barrie striking a pose for Klim action wear. 

As we munched the miles, like hungry truckers, the horizons drew closer and became much more difficult, or 'technical' as the biker fraternity like to call it.

Call it what you will, it can be unforgiving as I have experienced. Best to curb your speed unless you like an abundance. 

Floating along on a KTM powered cloud I remembered thinking yesterday that those miles were the best ever, but no longer, now today was the best ever and yesterday was shit! 

It really harsh out here, I'm amazed that anything can survive without protective armour and plentiful water. In our group today we had people run out of fuel and water, it was only by working together that we get through a single day.  Nevertheless, we passed unaided goats, donkeys and camels, all doing better than we could manage. 

We're further south now and the land comprises much more sand and much less shade. Youre subject to the furnace above with no respite and stopping is dangerous, as odd as that may sound. Nicola, our French dirt biking comrade, stopped with a slower group and almost over heated. He still had not recovered when he caught us at the hotel much later. I find the best method is to keep moving,allowing evaporative cooling to do it's job. I'm drinking about 5 litres of water a day though. 

 

The tree above  was the first shade we seen in perhaps 90mins. Obviously we took advantage of it whilst the camel below just chilled out. 

Reached Erg Chebbi, and our hotel in Merzouga, in the early afternoon. The colossal sand dunes dominate everything in a silent and majestic manner.  I know that sounds like total cheese, but they really are spectacular and worth seeing. 

The sunset is particularly beautiful.

And to come full circle; our poor french friends, Thierry and Eric, had been bested by a wicked combination of  heat, water shortage and bikes to heavy for the route. (Honda Transalp)

  They sent their location via Google maps, which was fortunate, as cell signal cannot be depended upon.  Still, finding people in the dunes is not easy. They had to rev their engines and I would beep my horn and use sound location when the cell signal failed. ..but here they are, happy and smiling and watered, I should probably add, they weren't found by the side of that road! 

Today's route was from Boundnib to Merzouga, just 160km, but they were hard won kilometres in the heat. Everyone felt it. No tarmac. 

Cafe Hotel du Sud was our resting place for the night, but i think you'll agree that the name does it no justice.