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Camping outside the city: Camping outside the city
JLBG Says: On a recent travel, when we were more accustomed to the desert, we chose to camp some 20 km outside the city, in the wild, 200 m away from the road, on a flat place protected by a small embankment (on the left). Usually, in the desert, we did not mount a tent but as their...
Camping in the city: Camping in the city
JLBG Says: On our first passage in Laghouat, which was our first ravel to the Sahara, we chose to camp on a small square shaded by poplars (which meant that there was water in the undersoil!), on the outskirts of the city. The place was very quiet and we were not bothered by anybody.
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On the main street in the city, a road signs warns about the distances southwards :
Ghardaïa, 190 km
El-Goléa, 450 km
In-Salah, 850 km
Tamanrasset, 1,600 km
And last but not least,
Capetown, 13,000 km
If you plan to go all the way south, do not forget gas, water, food ... and passports!
Written Feb 20, 2007
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A third instrument accompanies the dance. It is not a musical instrument but … a gun! It is obviously a very old gun. The man pours some black powder inside the gun, then he adds pieces of paper and packs hard with a rod. Once there is enough, e shoots in the air and there is a rain of small parts of paper falling on every one! Kind of confettis! Moreover, the noise made by the gun warns those that are further that there is a show going on.
Written Feb 20, 2007
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The dancers are accompanied by the ghaita and bendir. The bendir is made of a goatskin taut on a wooden frame made with the wood of the "micocoulier" (Celtis integrifolia ), local species of Nettle Tree also known as Hackberry or Lote Tree
The ghaïta is difficult to see on the second photo. I have enlarged it (third photo). It is a kind of oboe.
Written Feb 20, 2007
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On the one hand, women living in Laghouat are heavily veiled but on the other hand, Ouled Naïl woman coming from the nearby Monts des Ouled Naïl are well known as unveiled dancers. Their dance has nothing to do with belly dancing, which is traditionally practiced in the Orient and not in the Maghreb. There are usually two women that dance together, face to face. The audience gives banknotes that they slide into their waist belt.
Written Feb 20, 2007
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Storytellers are very popular on souqs. Even if you do not understand the language, it is interesting to look at the storyteller. He can tell a story for may be half an hour or more and he is not only "telling", which as a visitor you will not understand, but he is also playing and you will often be able to guess part of the story, especially if you watch at the audience (second photo) that over reacts to the story!
Written Feb 20, 2007
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As there are few tourists, children are friendly and never bother the visitor. If ever that happened (that happens sometimes), there will be very soon some grown up that will immediately bring them to reason. However, they watch the visitors and I wrote in the last tip that it would be improper to take a close up of a woman, even veiled. If ever you tried, you can be sure that there would be a child to prevent you from doing it and to warn the woman to hide herself even more!
Written Feb 20, 2007
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On one of our passages in Laghouat, we were lucky to see the weekly souq (market).
The first photo shows a general view on a part of the market, along the main avenue.
On the second photo, I have enlarged a part with several women. Laghouat is a very religious city and women are clad in a white (or black) garment that covers them entirely. Moreover, they completely cover their head and face with a veil that leaves free only a tiny triangle of about 2cm for one single eye! That would have been improper to make any closer photo but if you enlarge the second photo, you will understand what I mean.
Updated Feb 20, 2007
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Favorite thing: Just south to Laghouat, driving to Ghardaïa, this is the beginning of the true desert. The landscape is made of hills half stony, half sandy, standing on a reg made of small stones that hide more or less the sand that show as soon as there is some wind, which happens most of the time!.
Written Feb 20, 2007
Laghouat stands at an elevation of 450 meters, where the Atlas range meets the Sahara. North, the green mountains of the Atlas range, with Djebel Amour and the Monts des Ouled Naïls. South, the...
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