D68 – 50.0Km
‘This night and for the first time since our entry in the desert of Ténéré, Mohamed and Agali drew up their igloo, thus forsaking their faithful partners the stars.As opposed to what we had believed to include/understand, the night is not announced fresher than with accustomed but the Moon, of a perfect roundness, is not their friend preferred for a rest which wants to be alleviating.Ludo, Laëtitia and Serge have the chance to have this same Moon as a guest of honor to their breakfast taken at 5h30, before this near planet leave its place to the sun king which today shines of all these fires. This small moment of romanticism is quickly forgotten. Serge and Ludo are in disagreement on the road to be followed before even as the stage does not start.Serge wants to choose a North-eastern trajectory and Ludo for a layout more EastFinally Serge ends up being resigned to follow the option of his follower and the future will show to him that it was right.With 6,5 km, the first true reference mark of this crossing of Ténéré is reached:Achégour, a simple name on a chart, become the goal to reach before opening the way of the town of Dirkou, which we will reach in 130 kilometers.Achégour, is not a city, even not a village, it is a mirage in the desert.Here are days and days that we see only sand and there draws up a palm tree, some green grass tufts, a handle of trees to the abundantfoliage in which a couple of corbels elected residence. It is the place impossible to circumvent of all the passengers of the desert who forward in the corner bus Achégour, it is quite simply the name of a well.Water here, is only to three or four meters of depth.Mohamed, Agali and Jean-Claude take care to fill there some jerrycans like it, it will be possible to wash some clothes. The track, which for two days looked like a weaving loom, is become again a length and narrow layout much easier to locate and follow. Except track, as in mountain, involves some risks with the strong consequences fortunately well less dramatic.While wanting to cross through sand, Mohamed, actor in the heart, offered a small turn in the fech-fech.For not initiated we still made party one week ago, this double syllable indicates a soft and fine sand extent like talc. That which has misfortune to pose its wheels there sees immediately constrained to come out the plates for sand.Alexis, in the jeep is very happy, he holds finally his sequence ‘ sand probleme ‘.One needs all the experiment of our two nigerians to put an end to suspense in this sandy powder, while making progress the 4X4 measures per meter using the aluminium plates.The mule having smelled the trap had just time to buck and circumvent wisely the obstacle. On the edge of the track, an old knowledge:an overloaded truck overflowing of everywhere like a milk pan forgotten on fire, isstopped on the edge of the track, exploded radiator.All its passengers, i.e. of the soldiers, civil, hens and ducks, have patience quietly lengthened in the shade of the machine.It is the second time in 2 days which we double this sideboard and each time, it is stopped due to mechanical breakdown.Normally these trucks carry out the Dirkou-Agadés way into four to five days.When they do not fall broken down, which seems rare, the trucks run 22 hours out of the 24 kind passengers perched on the goods to 5 meters of the ground, to sleep and to be made the cooking while rolling. Serge during this time progresses after a fashion, bandana and hat on the head.According to asperities of the ground he chooses to run naked feet or in beforehand cut out tennis shoe at their end.he will arrive at the camp soaked of the head at the foot, heat since yesterday returns in force, not a bit of air does not raise the least sand grain.Since yesterday, Serge is contained and little chatterer. The members of the team are worried…serge will be explained why he is extremely tired and that mood is not always good there in these moments.He explains why to spend as much time to trample in sand uses it and that in those moments, he is necessary to let it begin again itself, to respect his silence. The bivouac is installed in a world where sand and the sky are dividing the horizon.Portrait of the day:Mohamed Rhissa Mohamed took over at Agadez with its record player in order to transport all the material whichthe trailer contained.It will accompany us until Toumou.This Touareg, born in Agadez did not seem to us very talkative at the start.With the wire of the kilometers, we discovered a malicious man and a very good guide. Time to time, he launches out in great discussion in Tamashek with his friend Agali.he speaks also Arab.When it joined the 4×4 at the start of the camp the morning, it likes to follow the prints of our runner in sand.’
