19 october 2008, sunday, Ghadames restday

Today we had to be ready at 09.00. We had an excursion this morning with a local guide to visit the Ghadames museum and the old city. First we visited the museum that showes the history of the city and als for a famacist interesting collection of medicinal plants, which were used here. After that we went to the old city, which was nearby. It is an interesting city that was build to fight the hot and dry environment. All steeets are covered, so it is nice and cool in the streets and houses as wel. They also have an ingenious water system for irrigation of the gardens, the houses, toilets, animals, showers  etc. They are busy rebuilding the old city. Beautiful town! We had lunch inside a house of 3 floors. Niceley decorated inside. We had to sit on cushions to have our meal, which was served on the floor. After this visit we went back to the hotel and some wanted to sleep, others wanted to work on their cars etc. At 16.00 we went with 4 cars to the petrol station near the Dar Ghadames hotel. We filled up all the jerrycans as well. We went back to the hotel and bought some mineral water for the desert part of our Desert Trail. We checked the oil, cleaned the air filter and cleaned the inside. Now it was almost 17.00 and we went to the festival of today, which was held 7 km outside the city in the direction of the Algerian border. Along the way we visited Tuneen, which looks almost the same as Ghadames, but all smaller and more simple. This town was for the poorer people. We walked through the covered streets and gardens with a well coming from 500m deep. That water was warm and had a kind of metal taste. Our tourist police man climbed a date palm just usung his hands and bare feet. He got us some dates. They tasted well.

After that we went on to the Berber festival in the desert. When we came there there were a lot of people and cars. Also a lot of traditionally dressed Berbers and camels. There was also a Berber tent, where you could eat and drink tea. Cars were racing over the dunes. Magnificent! We sat on the top of a dune to watch all that. After a while sunset began and then you get beautiful colours. In the dark we went back to Ghadames. We went to a petrol station, where our guide filled up his car with 300liters of petrol for 15 dinar(=10 euro)! Then we went to a restaurant to have dinner. It was at the back of a police station. There we met Hadi again and also his wife and child. After arranging the last details and payments we went back to the hotel, where we did some email with our satellite system. Works well.