The Touareg at Work
Mali 2001: Somewhere north of Timbuktu
The men of the caravans are respected by the “stay at home” types. Those who face the dangers of the Sahara are the “manly men” of the tribe. Although they are slender to the point of being thin, they are strong and fit. They seldom ride as the caravan crosses mile after mile in the harsh sun. They walk beside the heavily loaded camels, yipping at them in a high-pitched cry to urge them on. They must run back if a camel drops out of line and then run forward tugging at the sluggish beast to bring him back into line. They must haul heavy skins of water from the well and carry it to the trough. They wear thin, tattered cotton garments against heat and cold. If they are lucky, they have a cast-off jacket sent by a charity in the west. Tea saturated with sugar is their sustenance.
A friend of mine, when he was young, joined a camel caravan leaving the salt mines at Taodenni and heading to Timbuktu. He was strong and he was confident that he could keep up with the men of the caravan. After a day or two, the walking in the sand at a constant pace for up to 14 hours a day exhausted him. He, having hired his own camel, decided to ride for part of the time even if it would brand him as a weakling in the eyes of the Touareg. The Touareg also ride when they are tired, but my friend rode longer and more often. Then riding became even more punishing than walking when he developed painful saddle sores that soon began to bleed. His desert adventure quickly became a nightmare. He stuck it out. He had no choice. There was no way to go but forward. He rode until he couldn’t bear the pain and then he walked until he could walk no further. Day in and day out for more than twenty days.
When they finally reached Timbuktu, he got a room in the lone “hotel” and fell exhausted on the bed…face down. To lie on his back would have been excruciating. When he awoke, he stood in the shower until the streaming water had soaked his jeans and dissolved the blood that had matted his clothing to his denuded skin. Then he was able to undress. The adventure was over, thank God.