20 october 2008, monday, Ghadames-Awbari Sand Sea

Got up at 07.30. Had breakfast at 09.00. We should leave at 09.30, but in Libya that means a "little" later. Today the complete crew of 6 was there: guide, tourist police, doctor, cook, machanic and a driver. We did some shopping at the grocery opposit of the hotel. Drinks, dates, cookies, etc. He had the time of his life. We said goodbeye to Haid, our touroperator and off we went. First we went to Darj, where we were 2 days before. There we had some espresso and some refuelled. From here we enter the real desert: sand, sand and more sand. There were a lot of tracks. Some were marked with stones, barrels, tyres, wrecks of lorries etc. We had a wonderful lunch out here in the desert: beans, chicken peas, cucumber, tomatoes, tuna, union and bread. After the crew had its midday nap we left again. Next point was Bir Gazeil, a former Italian military airport. After a while we left again and drove through the wide open sand plains to our overnight stay: an open sand plain. We put up the tents inside the cicle of cars, like in the cowboy movies. We even had matrasses, neccesary on these rocky plains! We had a good dinner: chicken with couscous and vegetables. We went all to bed very early. The satrs in the sky were beautiful, you could see more of them then at home.