Leaving Oum Hadjer
The enormous drive back to N'Jamena started on time. We left around 6:30 and headed west. More Withnail & I in the car. Feeling very cramped this time, and uncomfortable. Pete started playing Bob Dylan tracks which everyone loved, except me. I hate Bob Dylan. Feeling personally quite drained and dark at times, but then the good cheer of my companions picked me up. I've really come to like these guys. Matt of course is an old friend, and I was incredibly pleased he was on this trip. Pete who spent much time sleeping on my shoulder, is an amazing person who lives is life travelling the world from one disaster zone to the next taking photos for people like Greenpeace, and things like this in the Guardian. Amazing person for whom everything seems negotiable, and has an incredibly disarming way with people. Steve, who works for the charity showed amazing leadership and focus. A really driven, cheerful and dynamic person. Brad was someone I instinctively liked right away, a quietly spoken Canadian with an original mind, and quietly passionate about his work. All of them great guys, and we all got on remarkably well considering the conditions.
Eventually, after stopping at the goats meat restaurant again (which this time was sans flies), we covered the hundreds of kilometres with little or no incident. Although at one point Pete had mentioned earlier that he had drunk the middle part of his own urine, which is supposed to kickstart the immune response. Certainly Matt and I had peed in plastic bottles in the night rather than go to the vile insecty hole. Pete said at some point, I'm so thirsty, give me that drink Steve. Who handed him an orangey looking bottle. Pete swigged it and said, It's urine! and started gagging into a towel. Steve said he'd used that last night. I was sitting between them and looking at Pete with horror, who then said. What the hell and drank down the rest of it. Brad, Matt and I feeling utterly revolted at this point. Turns out it was a set up, and it was a kind of orange drink.
Reaching N'Jamena at last. Suddenly the city looked rather glamorous and you could see the money compared to Oum Hadjer. We went to the same hotel as before, and this time I had a somewhat better room. I went for a shower, which was a thing of joy and wonder. There was a bed with clean sheets, and best of all air conditioning providing an amazing coolness in the room.
Downstairs to meet everyone again, and with lots of water managed to force down a couple of cans of Heineken, our first booze on the ultimate thirst inducing week.
Then bed called. I went to my room, phoned Lorraine quickly. I can't wait to see her. Then I slipped into the wonder of clean sheets and cool sleep. Bliss.
Below: my room in the compound, Matt in the compound, loading one of the Toyotas, snap from the car, Pete Caton examining a Dudu drink, in the goat restaurant right to left, Sylva, Tchang and Passiri; a laden vehicle; cattle on the road; Steve with a cattle head; an arty selfie.
Eventually, after stopping at the goats meat restaurant again (which this time was sans flies), we covered the hundreds of kilometres with little or no incident. Although at one point Pete had mentioned earlier that he had drunk the middle part of his own urine, which is supposed to kickstart the immune response. Certainly Matt and I had peed in plastic bottles in the night rather than go to the vile insecty hole. Pete said at some point, I'm so thirsty, give me that drink Steve. Who handed him an orangey looking bottle. Pete swigged it and said, It's urine! and started gagging into a towel. Steve said he'd used that last night. I was sitting between them and looking at Pete with horror, who then said. What the hell and drank down the rest of it. Brad, Matt and I feeling utterly revolted at this point. Turns out it was a set up, and it was a kind of orange drink.
Reaching N'Jamena at last. Suddenly the city looked rather glamorous and you could see the money compared to Oum Hadjer. We went to the same hotel as before, and this time I had a somewhat better room. I went for a shower, which was a thing of joy and wonder. There was a bed with clean sheets, and best of all air conditioning providing an amazing coolness in the room.
Downstairs to meet everyone again, and with lots of water managed to force down a couple of cans of Heineken, our first booze on the ultimate thirst inducing week.
Then bed called. I went to my room, phoned Lorraine quickly. I can't wait to see her. Then I slipped into the wonder of clean sheets and cool sleep. Bliss.
Below: my room in the compound, Matt in the compound, loading one of the Toyotas, snap from the car, Pete Caton examining a Dudu drink, in the goat restaurant right to left, Sylva, Tchang and Passiri; a laden vehicle; cattle on the road; Steve with a cattle head; an arty selfie.
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