One part of our Libyan trip consisted of an 8-day four-wheel drive vehicle tour of the Sahara. We flew 500 mi south from Tripoli to Sebha from where we started to drive. The first night we stayed in the permanent Kerkiba camp and continued on to Ghat where we stayed in a hotel. We were not allowed to enter the Acacus area east of Ghat because we would have had to cross land that’s claimed by both Algeria and Libya and both have troups in the area. We had to drive north again and enter the Acacus area heading south from there.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book “The Little Prince” is a story of the author-pilot who emergency-landed his plane in the Sahara and meets the Little Prince, a traveler from another planet. The Little Prince tells the author of his nightly encounters with a desert fox whom he befriended (“tamed”). Whenever the Little Prince describes an unpleasant situation to the fox, the fox sighs: “nothing is perfect.” Since we were in the Sahara and sometimes things didn’t turn out optimally, we quoted: “Nothing is perfect,” sighed the fox. On the right is a picture of the nocturnal Sahara fennec desert fox and the title page of the above book illustrated by the author. We never saw the fox, only many tracks in the sand each morning… We want to return to the Sahara. Then we’ll try to see the fox again. “Inshalla,” said the fox.

The mud-brick ruins of Garama, the ancient capital of the Garamantian empire, can be seen on the left. It dates from the 1^st c. CE. The Garamantes was the first indigenous empire ruling southern Libya from 900 BCE to 500 CE.

Apart from Garama, the only lasting remnants of Garamantian civilization are the royal tombs of Ahramat al-Hattia nearby.

Our first lunch stop in the desert. We hadn’t trained our cook and guides and we got a mix of fresh salads and canned goods (sardines) served at a table. Our Tuareg cook Abu Bakr was preparing camel meat for the stew he prepared every meal for himself and the three guides/drivers. We told them very quickly that we didn’t care for the canned food and wanted to eat what they did. When we noticed he didn’t have that much meat for the entire period, we told him to leave the meat out for us. The stew we got was flavorful and delicious. For the stew he used either couscous, rice, or pasta all with vegetables.

Our Tuareg cook Abu Bakr preparing the camel meat that lasted for a week (with no refrigeration or ice chest). He wrapped the cardboard box with wet cloth.

We were truly in the middle of nowhere, when this boy from Mali in his early teens appeared and quietly displayed handicraft items made by him and his parents. He was a delight and we bought several of the very functional bookmarks. Poor guy, being in Libya illegally, far away from his parents trying to make a living. He said he came by camel.

This is Ghat. Look at the Turkish fort that was converted by the Italians into military barracks. This was our friendly local guide.

From Ghat, we drove 65 mi north and headed south from there into the Jebel Acacus. We immediately started to collect firewood for our daily meals and tea. They very carefully chose only dead wood. Our desert guide and driver of the 4-wheel Toyota was Abdu al Rahman, a pretty colorful character.

The northern Awiss region of the Jebel Acacus (mountains) has some wonderful landscapes. On the right is the so-called Finger Rock that’s 69’ high. Note Yvonne at its base to the right.

A shady spot for lunch and tea.

Having tea is an important affair. It’s a long ritual with very carefully selected ingredients and almost ceremonial preparation. After being boiled over wood, it’s poured back and forth between the teapot and another pot until a heavy foam head develops. Only then is the tea poured into the cups. It’s strong and very sweet.

It’s amazing to find bushes with intensely green leaves.

Above, left, and below: scenes and moods in the Acacus.

Our first camp (the camps are marked on the map above). Our guides set up the tent on the left for us and the single tent for Ibrahim. Since we don’t like tents and have rarely used one in the desert, we just put our pads and blankets on the sand and slept under the desert sky. There is nothing more beautiful that seeing a desert sky at night. Even though we have camped a lot in the California deserts, we have NEVER seen a night sky like the one in the Jebel Acacus. The Milky Way was three-dimensional. A once in a life-time experience. We were lucky enough that the temperatures were so warm that we never used a tent or even sleeping bags.

No more tables. On the left is our mat on which we sat having our meals. This one was breakfast.

Since Juergen like his bread toasted, he used the hot coals they used for making the tea to toast his bread. Tasted delicious.

Yvonne has finally switched to her local outfit (that we got in Ghat). With her is our cook Abu Bakr, the only Tuareg with us.

Abu Bakr helped Yvonne to put on the long, white scarf the way the Tuareg do it.

These are actual Tuareg huts.

Lunch scene in the shade. There was no rushing after lunch; they all had to have a nap. On the left is Ibrahim (our guide who stayed with us for the entire Libya trip), in the middle Abu Bakr the driver of our second 4-wheel drive (his name is also Abu Bakr, just like the cook, but he is an Arab, like the other two), and on the right Abdu al Rahman.

All of our guides and drivers were devout Muslims and did their prayers as best as they could. On the right is Ibrahim doing one of his prayers.

Abdu al Rahman and Juergen.

Juergen left and Yvonne below in the very practical local clothes.

We had a wonderful hike through canyons and found some water in this one. On the right, Abdu al Rahman and Abu Bakr the driver wear their head scarves the way the Tuareg do, i.e., their face covered – at our request.

We visited some local Tuareg. On the left is Abu Bakr (driver) with a Tuareg who is a good friend of his.

Abu Bakr (driver) doing the tea ceremony.

At one of our stops, a local Tuareg appeared and tried to sell local artifacts. Below are some very old arrowheads. We did not buy any, naturally.

Our third night we spent next to the Afozedzar Arch. We arrived late and the arch’s shadow makes a keyhole pattern. Between our two vehicles, Yvonne is positioning our sleeping pads and blankets.

Looking back from where she is, one can see the wonderful arch.

This is how we slept every night. We put the pads on the sand and used a blanket. Our pillows were embroidered with: “Forever Love.”

Breakfast at the Afozedzar Arch.

The first well we encountered after four days. The water felt really good.

We had only material enough for one head scarf. It was Juergen’s turn to wear it.

When Abu Bakr the cook put the Tuareg headdress on, it was cooler and stayed on – even with the jeep’s open windows . We also made a short video clip (open with .flv viewer). Abdu al Rahman put it on in a very perfect way, but it tended to get loose.

Another lunch stop.

Abdu al Rahman wears now a purple outfit.

Abdu al Rahman, Yvonne, Ibrahim, Abu Bakr (driver).

Camp 5.

Our guide, drivers and cook in the desert. From the left: Abdu al Rahman, Abu Bakr (driver), Abu Bakr (cook), Ibrahim. Below: Abu Bakr (driver) and Abu Bakr (cook).

Above, left, below: beautiful Saharan sand dunes.

Below, two local Tuareg. The Tuareg are one of the few people in the world for whom men, but not women, wear the veil. One functional purpose is protection against wind and sand. It also serves a social purpose in the rigid hierarchy of social relationships. A Tuareg man is not supposed to show his face to one of higher status and Tuareg who still follow the traditional way of life will rarely expose the lower half of their face in company.

Abdu al Rahman, when unloading the car, always threw one of the heavy bags forcefully to the ground just behind Yvonne thereby creating a big clunk. He always succeeded in making her jump! On the right is such a moment.

Abu Bakr is preparing the meal. He made delicious soups and stews. Fascinating was his technique for mashing garlic. He put peeled cloves into an empty water bottle and forcefully banged it into the ground. Alter a while the garlic inside the bottle was finely mashed.

Abdu al Rahman relaxing at the fire.

We’re now at the Ubari Lakes which are a stunning sight in the desert. The lakes are very salty (comparable to the Dead Sea). This one is Mavo Lake. Locals soak in the lakes for therapeutic reasons. There is little life in the lakes except for some tiny shrimp.

Mavo Lake.

Gebraoun Lake is the largest of the Ubari Lakes (750 x 900 ft).

Gebraoun Lake.

Gebraoun Lake is surrounded by steep dunes. One can rent the equipment on the right and ski or skate board the sand….

Among the buildings left from the town of Old Gebraoun is this mosque. The Libyan government built a town near the highway and moved the people there.

The prettiest is Umm al Maa Lake on the right and below.

We hope we’ll return to the Sahara. “Inshalla,” said the fox.