{"id":950,"date":"2015-05-15T14:48:31","date_gmt":"2015-05-15T14:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.camelvoyages.com\/?p=950"},"modified":"2020-11-22T15:17:58","modified_gmt":"2020-11-22T15:17:58","slug":"fabiana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.camelvoyages.com\/?p=950","title":{"rendered":"Fabiana!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"'Fabiana'<\/a>

‘Fabiana’ and Zeydoun<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

The Bedouin have nicknamed me Fabiana! \u00a0I am thrilled to bits with my newly acquired desert name, which in my vainest moments I\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>have worked out is the abbreviated version of Fabulous Diana. With my 70th birthday fast approaching, a morale booster for sure \u2026\u2026.<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nHaving survived seven early days of summer in the scorching Sahara, where the daily temperature ranged from 38 \u2013 40 degrees Celsius, I now have the pleasure of reflecting upon my latest desert voyage in the cool comfort of rainy London. \u00a0It was without doubt the most demanding trip to date. \u00a0The water we took with us on our saddles became so hot that we could have poached eggs in it, or at least brewed a cup of tea. \u00a0To prevent ourselves from boiling over, we soaked our scarves in the cooler water from the blue jerry cans that the camels carried, winding the blissfully damp cotton material around our heads, necks and shoulders. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Abdul<\/a>

Abdul Thompson<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

My uncomplaining travelling companion Abdul Thompson was tailor-made for such conditions, as he had travelled with Adel twice before, knew what to expect, and revels in the desert heat. \u00a0From 12 noon until late afternoon we made ourselves as comfortable as possible under a makeshift shelter of blanket strewn branches; here we enjoyed our lunch, and when not fending off relentless battalions of flies, rested as much as possible until it was cool enough to reluctantly pull on our boots before getting onto our camels for the evening ride. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe morning ride always began at 8.30 am, but even then the sun was gathering momentum. \u00a0Coca cola was our elevenses fix, and a refreshingly fizzy treat with our dinner. \u00a0A constant supply of bottled mineral water sustained us day and night. \u00a0Abdul, a former work colleague of mine, and a very dear friend, is an IT genius, but his instructions on how to get a signal on my Nokia phone were like something out of a Harry Potter book: \u00a0\u2018Walk to the top of the highest dune, take four steps to the left followed by one step to the right, and you will succeed\u2019. \u00a0Incredibly, this unlikely strategy worked, every time! \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Abdul,<\/a>

Abdul, Ali, Adel and Lahajah<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Our guides, Adel and Ali worked tirelessly, planning each day\u2019s journey to include a stop at a well every other day. \u00a0The camels, Zeydoun, Lahajah and Labiar, were not the only ones to appreciate the icy water \u2013 guides and riders alike drenched themselves in it, shrieking with delight. \u00a0The only moment of angst we had during our adventure was when my camel Zeydoun had the misfortune to stride into a patch of quicksand. \u00a0He suddenly went down, sinking up to his belly in the English equivalent of a moorland bog. \u00a0I leapt off, terrified that he might have broken a leg, but all was well, and with gentle words of encouragement from the concerned Bedouin, he heaved himself up and out of this treacherous ground. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nHappily for the Tunisian tourist industry, we encountered two groups on camel trains, and a \u201cfly past\u201d of at least sixteen quad bikes. \u00a0For me, the trusty dromedaire will for ever remain my means of transport, but I was prepared to relax this rule during the first week of my holiday, to accommodate the well-known author Geoffrey Wansell, a man of strict routine, who is happiest traversing the network of London pavements, and, rather than travelling from oasis to oasis, saunters from one London Club to another, getting side tracked into his favourite restaurants along the way. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Geoffrey<\/a>

Geoffrey Wansell with Fabiana and Zeydoun<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In spite of this, he was determined to venture further afield in order to meet the lovely friends I have made in Tunisia, but emphatically drew the line at actually getting his leg over a camel. \u00a0And so it was that Adel took him for a drive in his 4×4, roaring up and down the dunes not too far from the oasis village of Sabria. \u00a0And of course, I was able to introduce Geoffrey to my beloved Zeydoun.<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nGeoffrey was gently eased in to his final desert destination, staying at three good hotels en route: \u00a0The ultra-efficient Hotel Africa in Tunis, the wonderfully eccentric Hotel Dar Faiza in Djerba with its chic restaurant, Le Fort, and the picturesque Hotel Touareg situated in the desert oasis town of Douz. \u00a0He was warmly welcomed everywhere he went, immediately tuning in to the characters he encountered. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nI must not forget to mention our excellent lunch stop in Matmata at the Hotel Marhala, which is halfway between Djerba and Douz. \u00a0Our English speaking driver, Belgacem, was able to give Geoffrey \u00a0lots of reassurance, as well as local information such as the rains in March had been good, which meant the vegetation in the desert was flourishing as a result – the best ever news for the Bedouin and their livestock. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
\nI am already making plans for my return in October, perhaps via Eurostar from St Pancras to Marseilles, enjoying a few nights there before flying to Djerba, my spring board Mediterranean island for the mainland Sahara desert. \u00a0Happy thoughts!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bedouin have nicknamed me Fabiana! \u00a0I am thrilled to bits with my newly acquired desert name, which in my …<\/p>\n

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