With a nearly desperate sense of isolation and a growing suspicion that I lived in an alien land, I took to the road in search of places where change did not mean ruin and where time and men and deeds connected. - William Least Heat-Moon

26 February 2020, Tiwilit to cell phone installation, 41.2km
Wild camping UM0 (R0)

140km lie between last night’s auberge in Tiwilit and the next known accommodation. We had hoped to do it in two days, camping tonight at a shop / gendarme checkpoint where we might find shelter from the wind. However, it seems around 40km is all we can manage in a day, even if the wind is more from the side than front.
We arrived early afternoon and pretty shattered at a cell tower installation, three towers, in fact, and were given permission by the resident keeper to camp in one of the open-sided structures on site. The keeper is a slow-moving man, laid-back and unfazed by our arrival. His job description seems to include chasing away goats that nibble on plastic piping outside the installation fence. The fence itself, wire mesh strung between cement pillars, is odd and virtually serves no purpose. It is worn away along all its lower reaches, our best guess being that it has been blasted away by wind-blown sand scudding across the desert.
We whiled away a long afternoon, having to choose between sitting in the sun, or in the shade with wind. We chose the latter and come dinner time were feeling pretty fed up. On the plus side, we were in touch with our world - no problem with connectivity directly under a cell tower.
Before leaving Tiwilit, we had calculated how much water we needed for two days, knowing we would probably have to wild camp tonight. Somehow we miscalculated, finding ourselves at day’s end, not in dire straits, but with less water than was entirely prudent. At some point during the long hours, a man pulled up on the road beside our tower to effect some repairs to his vehicle. We asked if he had a little water for us, the keeper having told us he had none to spare, and were able therefore to have a cup of coffee late-afternoon, the water boiled on our Trangia stove.
As usual, we cooked a simple dinner of pasta with a can of something. This time a chilli con carne, unusually tasty and satisfying.
The desert was pretty today. The sand fine and golden and peppered with sea shells. Speaking of the sea, when we get off the bikes wind-battered, our legs are wobbly, much like they are when disembarking from a ship that has been to sea.
In the 80s, “bed head” was a popular look, with expensive gels sold to achieve the mussy look. Not bathing every day, wind, dust and salt-sweat are equally good stylists.
We just can’t bring ourselves to litter, even when surrounded by litter, and even when we know our host is likely to take our carefully contained litter and just dump it in the desert. I don’t know what the solution is to waste in poor countries…
The stars are boasting in a black, black sky.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…