Two Against the Sahara: On Camelback from Nouakchott to the Nile

Rating:
Summary: Unique view of Saharan Culture
Review: From Morocco in the West to Sudan in the East, Michael Asher and his diminutive and very forgiving new bride, set off to traverse the Sahara Desert the long way.

For Asher, with experience of a campaigning life, this was hard enough, but you have to feel sorry for Marionetta Peru, who gave up her cushy UN job to embark on this madness.

What we end up with is a unique view of Saharan culture. We see the differences between the peoples along the way, as the couple use one local guide after another to direct them from one water source to the next. We experience the differences between Berber, Arabic, Bedouin and Tuareg peoples.

We experience people who are open and generous, and ones who are closed and mean. I particularly like the story of the guide who always grabbed for the largest piece of meat in the dish at dinner time. So Marionetta spent time scraping the largest bone clean of meat, and placed it strategically in the dish to tempt him. True to form he leaped on the large bone and emerged with nothing but gave the couple a good laugh!

An excellen read for lovers of travel and adventure!