Meta tags:
Headings (most frequently used words):
october, 2007, 2006, tuesday, november, 2009, may, and, september, the, blog, monday, wednesday, sunday, 2011, 28, friday, post, is, gallery, saturday, in, thursday, 01, desert, art, travel, 20, 06, 2013, 2012, for, old, school, sarah, at, 31, 13, 23, 03, 25, travels, morocco, kitmax, photography, july, 2014, 11, this, test, message, fellow, blogger, 05, yetminster, has, new, it, called, run, by, hedin, want, shop, window, all, great, artistic, talent, area, says, hold, regular, exhibitions, teach, ins, master, classes, here, also, renowned, cafe, serving, delicious, local, fare, lunches, snacks, throughout, day, 22, 16, april, 27, 30, 09, 08, 07, 02, 17, 14, 10, 24, 18, june, 15, archive, about, me, keep, contact, http, yetminstergallery, co, uk, web, no, bird, maxwell, progress, yardangs, buddhist, temples, picnic, on, silk, road, china, blogsite, count, down, progresses, gobi, testing, fingers, poised, information, norma,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (819), and (627), was (140), for (117), our (111), desert (95), #october (89), with (89), kitmax (82), were (73), this (73), 2006 (63), posted (61), had (53), comments (52), all (51), from (50), sand (49), great (39), across (38), his (37), long (36), into (36), are (35), then (34), that (33), well (33), will (33), reached (32), 2009 (32), tuesday (29), after (29), time (29), off (29), drove (29), road (28), now (27), land (27), out (27), many (27), 2007 (27), may (26), which (26), old (26), through (25), some (25), have (25), drive (25), where (24), raymond (24), dunes (24), one (23), wednesday (23), here (23), november (22), their (22), two (22), site (22), route (22), very (22), camp (22), fort (22), town (22), but (21), day (21), journey (21), over (21), left (21), river (21), way (20), later (20), kit (20), water (20), arrived (20), there (20), south (19), first (19), september (18), down (18), silk (18), car (17), just (17), back (17), post (16), bagnold (16), few (16), sea (16), would (16), them (16), new (16), next (16), good (16), night (16), trip (16), saturday (16), camped (16), your (16), lrdg (15), much (15), they (15), monday (15), set (15), only (15), small (15), made (14), most (14), sunday (14), bird (14), dune (14), sandy (14), maxwell (14), com (14), blog (13), years (13), patrol (13), around (13), before (13), more (13), what (13), last (13), friday (13), visited (13), rock (13), plain (13), mountains (13), gobi (13), chinese (13), jian (13), about (12), three (12), north (12), been (12), hours (12), sun (12), not (12), rover (12), border (12), big (12), too (12), guide (12), constable (12), 2011 (12), west (11), could (11), has (11), get (11), found (11), fuel (11), wadi (11), morning (11), high (11), piste (11), valley (11), soft (11), passed (11), you (11), visit (11), home (10), several (10), range (10), murzuq (10), under (10), another (10), area (10), touareg (10), amazing (10), evening (10), side (10), miles (10), who (10), stopped (10), main (10), comment (10), www (10), far (10), 000 (10), mountain (10), spent (9), light (9), crossing (9), east (9), got (9), early (9), days (9), thursday (9), travel (9), onto (9), turned (9), terrain (9), top (9), local (9), ago (9), camel (9), trail (9), city (9), china (9), run (8), british (8), followed (8), when (8), patrols (8), cross (8), every (8), being (8), away (8), group (8), year (8), still (8), used (8), richard (8), historic (8), skills (8), stone (8), flat (8), barren (8), stony (8), cars (8), stop (8), wide (8), each (8), dinner (8), photographs (8), excellent (8), shall (8), gorge (8), spectacular (8), saw (8), walls (8), jade (8), raid (7), army (7), other (7), between (7), right (7), went (7), take (7), took (7), again (7), guards (7), satellite (7), picture (7), near (7), tea (7), driving (7), late (7), dry (7), temples (7), continued (7), web (7), camels (7), steep (7), crossed (7), quite (7), lost (7), central (7), both (7), grand (7), end (7), thank (7), edge (7), whole (7), sands (7), khara (7), kashgar (7), lay (7), buddhist (7), morocco (7), atlas (7), friends (6), pass (6), division (6), wavell (6), while (6), however (6), met (6), like (6), discovery (6), history (6), people (6), supplies (6), hour (6), came (6), welcome (6), ruins (6), important (6), built (6), climb (6), plateau (6), soon (6), rocky (6), breakfast (6), fire (6), place (6), point (6), ground (6), until (6), gps (6), supply (6), since (6), lake (6), black (6), looked (6), tent (6), bed (6), own (6), expedition (6), together (6), nearby (6), hot (6), hard (6), accompanied (6), reach (6), really (6), little (6), algeria (6), wall (6), website (6), khoto (6), taklamakan (6), philippa (6), didn (6), running (6), never (6), see (6), complete (5), april (5), war (5), along (5), information (5), felt (5), did (5), commander (5), eventually (5), units (5), self (5), sahara (5), led (5), best (5), size (5), those (5), tunis (5), follow (5), cairn (5), head (5), nick (5), simon (5), colourful (5), red (5), hotel (5), entered (5), camping (5), hit (5), walked (5), splendid (5), rough (5), full (5), 300 (5), descended (5), started (5), afternoon (5), wheel (5), lunch (5), rovers (5), difficult (5), speed (5), seen (5), also (5), navigator (5), dawn (5), bought (5), pictures (5), huge (5), deep (5), http (5), lecture (5), salah (5), mohammed (5), traditional (5), canyon (5), foot (5), keep (5), dunhuang (5), square (5), basin (5), rivers (5), ancient (5), tibetan (5), cliff (5), bank (5), campsite (5), traders (5), section (5), check (5), caves (5), erg (5), view (4), june (4), july (4), family (4), military (4), reaches (4), dakhla (4), clayton (4), free (4), building (4), major (4), trucks (4), unit (4), its (4), motor (4), any (4), aircraft (4), past (4), short (4), called (4), look (4), than (4), want (4), men (4), proved (4), once (4), newly (4), reserve (4), 1941 (4), norma (4), africa (4), kalansho (4), reaching (4), crispin (4), greeted (4), centuries (4), man (4), equipment (4), stuck (4), picturesque (4), coffee (4), formation (4), large (4), happy (4), birthday (4), presented (4), times (4), experience (4), backed (4), trees (4), feet (4), strong (4), team (4), driver (4), warm (4), travels (4), vast (4), bordered (4), tuckbox (4), returned (4), guard (4), ramparts (4), goal (4), front (4), entrance (4), contact (4), return (4), rest (4), dried (4), supported (4), course (4), enjoyed (4), clearly (4), photography (4), love (4), interesting (4), watch (4), marked (4), appeared (4), centre (4), fertile (4), saddle (4), scenery (4), gave (4), rocks (4), altitude (4), 000ft (4), 500 (4), known (4), charming (4), told (4), mongolia (4), ray (4), travelled (4), machine (4), uyghar (4), hotan (4), low (4), laid (4), suzi (4), without (4), ming (4), click (4), 2012 (4), gallery (4), portugal (4), powered (3), posts (3), 1940 (3), father (3), officer (3), france (3), australian (3), egypt (3), against (3), senoussi (3), 18th (3), making (3), mediterranean (3), surprise (3), pat (3), name (3), numerous (3), getting (3), feat (3), impossible (3), proposal (3), field (3), command (3), 7th (3), such (3), immediate (3), hands (3), given (3), hand (3), call (3), colonial (3), unfortunately (3), won (3), instead (3), hostile (3), success (3), among (3), scots (3), yeomanry (3), mounted (3), part (3), southern (3), libya (3), taken (3), going (3), news (3), departure (3), date (3), 1st (3), final (3), defenders (3), rendezvous (3), ferry (3), further (3), yellow (3), extra (3), turn (3), loaded (3), wine (3), explained (3), clock (3), giving (3), appointed (3), tunisia (3), white (3), cave (3), four (3), record (3), tall (3), welcoming (3), smile (3), roman (3), revealed (3), quality (3), carved (3), palms (3), nice (3), fine (3), laden (3), carrying (3), abandoned (3), patches (3), eroded (3), memorable (3), rising (3), beyond (3), horizon (3), increasingly (3), negotiating (3), wind (3), wonderful (3), corridor (3), broke (3), sank (3), memory (3), thousand (3), lined (3), must (3), historical (3), crest (3), tamarisk (3), lies (3), below (3), can (3), hole (3), stock (3), fixes (3), style (3), fuelled (3), vehicle (3), maintenance (3), storage (3), solid (3), research (3), planning (3), alone (3), achievement (3), leaving (3), space (3), covered (3), extraordinary (3), examined (3), surrounded (3), lakes (3), open (3), floor (3), mamdu (3), points (3), carry (3), third (3), twin (3), soup (3), prepare (3), find (3), beautiful (3), dress (3), clear (3), book (3), stood (3), inner (3), adjacent (3), arms (3), planned (3), joy (3), wild (3), afterwards (3), received (3), yesterday (3), ahead (3), power (3), isolated (3), setting (3), scene (3), memories (3), dust (3), salt (3), served (3), irrigation (3), occupants (3), put (3), thanks (3), talk (3), presentation (3), landscape (3), show (3), shade (3), life (3), event (3), itself (3), sites (3), uninhabited (3), poised (3), blogsite (3), badly (3), chicken (3), dates (3), cold (3), towns (3), house (3), tamanrasset (3), pinnacle (3), narrow (3), above (3), come (3), prayer (3), precipitous (3), tents (3), packed (3), trading (3), proceeded (3), remote (3), joined (3), plantation (3), safely (3), tuned (3), enter (3), buddhas (3), covering (3), earth (3), treadwell (3), rae (3), surfaced (3), wood (3), ages (3), flowing (3), work (3), maps (3), soaring (3), kept (3), upland (3), waved (3), dusty (3), makes (3), tarmac (3), picnic (3), goats (3), sheep (3), images (3), image (3), formidable (3), yardangs (3), developed (3), cafe (3), provided (3), series (3), khan (3), mongolian (3), medieval (3), rocket (3), google (3), mongol (3), shrines (3), failed (3), chebbi (3), spain (3), merzouga (3), todra (3), foum (3), zguid (3), art (3), 2013 (3), 2014 (3), blogger (2), march (2), older (2), plan (2), map (2), background (2), notes (2), ralph (2), young (2), royal (2), program (2), became (2), special (2), leave (2), engineering (2), degree (2), returning (2), active (2), 1916 (2), western (2), december (2), 1917 (2), siwa (2), armoured (2), coast (2), attack (2), lcp (2), comes (2), bill (2), guy (2), compass (2), managed (2), using (2), ford (2), considered (2), proposed (2), senior (2), vehicles (2), need (2), accurately (2), accomplished (2), aware (2), idea (2), keen (2), help (2), six (2), weeks (2), volunteers (2), coming (2), theatre (2), assuming (2), region (2), zealanders (2), approached (2), initial (2), fight (2), realized (2), london (2), passage (2), following (2), zealand (2), spare (2), give (2), arriving (2), finest (2), territorial (2), professional (2), michael (2), crichton (2), stuart (2), words (2), leptis (2), magna (2), preparations (2), advanced (2), 3rd (2), aix (2), spend (2), tobruk (2), shown (2), heading (2), feature (2), zeigen (2), replenish (2), noble (2), robinson (2), clay (2), montford (2), brother (2), brought (2), ship (2), drivers (2), briefing (2), itinerary (2), aid (2), waves (2), gendarmes (2), douanes (2), walkie (2), talkie (2), serious (2), simple (2), troglodite (2), marble (2), number (2), sabratha (2), factory (2), everything (2), sudden (2), wet (2), streets (2), enjoying (2), harbour (2), baked (2), shore (2), 9th (2), inhabited (2), odd (2), bluff (2), jagbub (2), heavily (2), litres (2), hundred (2), ridge (2), different (2), places (2), ladders (2), outcrops (2), oct (2), paté (2), jam (2), crispbread (2), turns (2), dropped (2), tyre (2), pressures (2), bir (2), eastwards (2), temperature (2), degrees (2), climbed (2), ready (2), everyone (2), sang (2), groups (2), 12th (2), mid (2), either (2), unmarked (2), primary (2), destination (2), survey (2), 1930 (2), otherwise (2), powerful (2), saluted (2), soldiers (2), marlene (2), encountered (2), mph (2), progress (2), 1000 (2), announced (2), shallow (2), waiting (2), celebrate (2), master (2), checking (2), slow (2), wouldn (2), says (2), classic (2), quick (2), skilled (2), recovery (2), arabic (2), himself (2), moving (2), film (2), countless (2), practiced (2), outpost (2), five (2), kilometers (2), silence (2), 15th (2), waterless (2), wreck (2), photos (2), sight (2), shimmering (2), green (2), vegetation (2), soared (2), 16th (2), sleep (2), door (2), pack (2), kettle (2), joins (2), chairs (2), appears (2), sleeping (2), star (2), break (2), sugar (2), available (2), palm (2), maze (2), soya (2), onions (2), markets (2), dotted (2), 17th (2), looking (2), brigands (2), looks (2), chief (2), hair (2), boundary (2), distance (2), haze (2), candle (2), lit (2), suddenly (2), singing (2), locals (2), gasp (2), courtyard (2), captain (2), capture (2), air (2), aeroplanes (2), spacious (2), travellers (2), almost (2), remembered (2), hangar (2), behind (2), meet (2), challenge (2), navigation (2), 19th (2), messages (2), mountainous (2), traction (2), gabran (2), blue (2), 2000 (2), 800 (2), awbari (2), unchanged (2), suspension (2), roof (2), track (2), bordering (2), expanse (2), beds (2), carried (2), able (2), change (2), rabbit (2), sizeable (2), fed (2), knowledge (2), tomorrow (2), europe (2), support (2), due (2), engaging (2), illustrated (2), helpful (2), say (2), magnificent (2), thought (2), tour (2), force (2), minute (2), done (2), know (2), mind (2), moved (2), wishes (2), fascinating (2), congratulations (2), blown (2), highly (2), enjoyable (2), 26th (2), niger (2), travelling (2), forts (2), guests (2), tales (2), computer (2), safe (2), algerian (2), deteriorated (2), make (2), cooked (2), vegetables (2), language (2), shopping (2), single (2), donkeys (2), animals (2), outline (2), village (2), inquisitive (2), kids (2), plains (2), assekrem (2), watched (2), towering (2), carefully (2), momentum (2), maximum (2), admire (2), pointed (2), pinnacles (2), steeper (2), valleys (2), houses (2), snaking (2), wound (2), flash (2), boulders (2), hermits (2), hermit (2), reminded (2), him (2), slices (2), cake (2), lift (2), chapel (2), hermitage (2), 1910 (2), summit (2), foucould (2), patch (2), gravel (2), vac (2), tissemt (2), cameleers (2), djanet (2), agent (2), calls (2), plaintive (2), starlit (2), collected (2), sent (2), bouncing (2), easier (2), rewarding (2), stew (2), delicious (2), unique (2), garden (2), source (2), verdant (2), passes (2), tefedest (2), lone (2), half (2), paw (2), prints (2), attached (2), 700 (2), 600ft (2), 250 (2), forms (2), ring (2), occasional (2), interior (2), 600 (2), striking (2), surrounding (2), goods (2), zones (2), nearly (2), tibet (2), beijing (2), today (2), suzie (2), mao (2), manned (2), mosque (2), productive (2), cotton (2), aral (2), refuelled (2), honda (2), mud (2), whisky (2), these (2), geologists (2), join (2), prepared (2), party (2), stars (2), socks (2), position (2), bound (2), fully (2), rolling (2), mazartag (2), ride (2), friend (2), wear (2), usually (2), cycles (2), none (2), slowly (2), traffic (2), signs (2), influence (2), her (2), ornate (2), chose (2), pounds (2), carpet (2), shop (2), connected (2), process (2), requires (2), nearing (2), string (2), spinning (2), disappeared (2), plotted (2), eagles (2), closed (2), trough (2), desolate (2), bandits (2), miran (2), fee (2), even (2), wallet (2), ruoquing (2), steps (2), compelled (2), start (2), divert (2), reputation (2), chooses (2), highway (2), occasionally (2), worked (2), altun (2), cattle (2), double (2), unsurfaced (2), bumpy (2), stretch (2), oases (2), forgotten (2), mogao (2), variety (2), stands (2), might (2), 24th (2), octoer (2), locked (2), gashun (2), curious (2), rows (2), fried (2), gate (2), invaders (2), garrison (2), face (2), design (2), fearsome (2), described (2), ghostly (2), snow (2), whispering (2), winds (2), gear (2), northwards (2), ruo (2), shui (2), rises (2), knew (2), launch (2), fighter (2), amazed (2), alike (2), 1372 (2), emperor (2), slaughtered (2), gorges (2), live (2), flock (2), selection (2), drâa (2), anti (2), bay (2), biscay (2), santander (2), tracks (2), trails (2), african (2), depart (2), relief (2), gearing (2), lifeless (2), zagora (2), wrong (2), shepherd (2), text (2), sarah (2), school (2), insert (2), watermark, theme, profile, february, archive, subscribe, atom, previous, refers, follows, trawled, multiple, sources, 1896, 1990, innate, curiosity, inventiveness, boy, encouraged, engineer, tradition, completing, shortened, training, 1915, engineers, deadly, trenches, utilized, educational, study, cambridge, university, receiving, honours, 1921, duty, formed, frontier, threat, hoists, flag, conducts, surveying, till, kms, darb, terfawi, named, australia, captured, birth, lrps, concerning, john, gordon, familiar, names, kennedy, shaw, prendergast, avid, explorers, wars, personal, money, methods, learned, improvements, occasions, model, explorer, outbreak, 1939, form, patrolling, spy, neighbours, roundly, dismissed, diplomatically, unsound, physically, staff, operate, uncharted, seemed, feel, feasible, chart, furthermore, reconnaissance, marshall, archibald, middle, explorations, assigned, rats, pitch, began, propose, plans, higher, commanders, chain, enthusiasm, deadline, operational, transferred, headquarters, decided, robust, forces, reliant, choice, australians, arid, outback, acclimated, divisional, gen, bernard, freyberg, victory, wwi, colleague, within, offer, demoralized, hurry, accurate, instrumental, campaign, danger, informed, 2rtr, 7rtr, longer, safer, rushed, waters, raiding, missions, immediately, authorized, doubling, lrp, actually, originals, forced, else, elsewhere, divisions, coldstream, britain, various, backgrounds, mix, integrating, organized, capt, yeomany, recruited, gone, letters, maori, raised, colony, rhodesia, letter, arch, septimus, severus, alicia, items, tofrance, provence, comforts, chambre, hôte, booking, marseilles, shows, egyptian, jaghbub, continue, expect, 000km, stocked, darker, locate, wells, andrew, bid, farewell, case, 4th, marseille, board, comfortable, berth, assembled, intricacies, briefed, 5th, docked, shouts, officialdom, beaurocracy, conflicting, instructions, fixers, argued, amongst, themselves, gesticulated, wildly, directed, channel, impounded, irritating, consuming, dock, villages, chilli, beans, hung, adornment, buildings, matmata, communities, booked, barbar, albeit, floors, posters, residents, 6th, cleared, customs, recovered, broad, clutching, visas, fitted, libyan, plates, park, learnt, unleashed, wrappings, rain, squall, christening, unparallelled, craftsmanship, paved, forums, squares, borders, lapped, gently, tripoli, passing, pretty, scale, decorative, features, capitals, plinths, 8th, ben, jawad, windy, swim, woke, adem, finally, 10th, sparkling, mistake, german, memorial, topped, containers, gain, dusk, windbreak, perfect, 11th, thursd, storms, bright, halo, real, unbounded, void, rattle, increase, flotation, artistically, salama, pumping, station, farenheit, ridges, alarmingly, frequently, straps, towropes, boards, fashioned, push, shove, fatigued, nightfall, mars, bars, progressively, worsening, descents, flanked, crust, arches, powder, noon, tree, cruised, basked, chuffed, photograph, crash, lady, liberator, 13th, featureless, location, dump, cairns, sas, tread, played, wartime, favourite, lily, radio, ended, jumble, directional, interspersed, varied, 15mph, depending, smooth, whale, kufhra, sign, inhabitation, clumps, watered, surface, accessed, digging, briefly, 14th, integrated, competent, planner, notebook, calculator, logging, food, plotting, finds, landrover, pace, compared, 633, holder, dishwasher, management, bad, learner, fund, facts, charge, medical, reliable, amiable, industrial, strength, reading, member, strongest, asset, confident, personality, mechanical, entrusted, sourcing, lively, motivated, learning, playing, poker, bronzing, conducting, interviews, derived, lifelong, user, french, para, adviser, deployment, profiles, tsaibo, replenished, eternity, mussel, oyster, clam, shells, searching, preserved, plane, crashed, piece, interest, blackened, volcanos, waw, namus, crack, volcanic, crater, 2km, core, lush, 104, deg, passengers, feeling, strain, cool, awake, fill, burner, box, doubles, dining, table, always, chirpy, chris, swagman, tube, hint, rustle, emerges, sheet, holds, others, discuss, challenges, recommended, checks, move, 0830, lead, second, order, elevenses, jerry, cans, stand, install, lids, remove, mugs, crockery, cutlery, accessories, assemble, parasol, boxes, mackerel, fillets, mayonnaise, bread, 5pm, 6pm, tucked, mounds, sometimes, speck, boundless, unpack, tonight, dehydrated, mince, peppers, carrots, routine, volcano, 0900, 1400, hrs, uncomfortable, lime, highlight, discover, truck, sort, knows, story, tell, dash, troop, brindled, beard, brigand, brush, mirage, meets, sky, tmissa, lili, triumphant, entry, imposing, dressed, rule, britannia, hope, glory, amazement, rounded, corner, room, crenellated, slight, rise, overlooking, fell, raced, simultaneously, disable, bombs, depot, mixture, achieving, dream, posed, shook, celebrated, absent, brave, pioneers, airfield, bullet, scarred, dogs, enemy, lines, navigated, inhospitable, planet, modern, retaken, please, stay, supporting, precious, added, excitement, arrival, timely, washing, clothes, refitting, repacking, ounce, extractions, oasis, fringed, rushes, completely, sides, accessibility, garamantes, germa, 20th, skirting, round, allowed, conditioning, 4pm, herds, sculpted, caused, sickening, crunch, bump, jolt, fixing, rack, repaired, bolts, nuts, clamps, ingenuity, imagination, outcrop, scattered, bushes, recession, 21st, fast, glistening, deposits, ascended, escarpment, gas, pipeline, seems, forever, tough, tyres, sustained, punctures, wheels, 22nd, derj, schedule, ghadames, lived, warren, edifice, system, gardens, supplied, living, unfathomable, telephone, week, tremendously, successful, suppliers, advisers, wishers, kind, answered, 23rd, exploits, content, brian, stevens, how, impressed, audience, adrian, thornton, awestruck, magnitude, undertook, beauty, unfolded, bringing, magical, laura, plumbley, fantastic, particularly, luck, anthony, hopkinson, dear, loved, putting, penny, derek, beautifully, élan, virginia, peter, slide, music, emotional, drama, courage, surprising, archaeological, discoveries, treating, marvellous, alice, greatly, patrick, baty, modestly, recounted, inspirer, treat, listen, providing, reassurance, sixties, wondering, decade, bring, benedict, missed, anything, organization, something, constantly, worried, wonderfully, brilliantly, lavinia, realising, amount, energy, notwithstanding, convey, poetic, mysterious, factual, elements, fun, aspect, actual, entertaining, venue, think, social, occasion, script, performers, musical
Text of the page (random words):
hu then prepared us an excellent dinner of hot noodles chicken quarters and beef slices and then to my complete surprise and delight a grand birthday cake for me complete with candles and a singing chime birthday wishes followed the geologists arrived and we had a grand desert party around the camp fire the sun sank behind the old fort and the first stars appeared the party went on until all the chinese great wall wine was finished a birthday feast in the desert what a unique and happy event it was in the night our campsite was visited by a lone jackal whose wild plaintive call echoed emotively across the starlit river bed paw prints near my tent indicated he was after a tempting row of socks which were hanging out to dry on my guy ropes he didn t risk it however and the socks were still there at dawn october 15th 2009 visit to mazartag fort the old fort was reached after a long climb over rock and loose sand it was sited in a commanding position on a great bluff of red rock marking a bend in the river it was constructed of successive layers of stout timbers bound in place by sun baked mud over 2000 years ago nearby were two wood pens surrounding burial sites of ages past every detail of the fort was examined closely and we imagined this distant tibetan outpost guarding their colonial interests long ago we spent more time on our dry sandy bank before striking camp and setting off up river again we found with some dificulty the steep climb back onto the bank we dismounted and pointed the heavily laden honda at an angled approach exhorting jian hu to make big speed the car reared up the bank slithering sideways and scrambled to the top it was a hazardous obstacle the front wheel lifted fully clear of the ground and only the momentum stopped the car from rolling after that we powered our way through much soft sand and arrived back at the desert road we handed back the sand shovel we had borrowed from the rest house refuelled and set off again posted by kitmax at friday october 23 2009 no comments monday september 28 2009 count down progresses gobi trip on target for october 9th 2009 watch this space k constable maxwell kit kitmax com posted by kitmax at monday september 28 2009 no comments sunday september 20 2009 taklamakan desert the taklamakan is a vast desert plateau with an average elevation of 4 250 feet it is the largest expanse of barren sand in central asia covering 200 000 square miles stony desert forms an outer ring at the edge of the basin a soil covered plain dotted with occasional vegetation forms another ring between the stony desert and the vast sandy interior of the basin the basin is the most remote place on earth from any sea climate is extremely dry with annual rainfall less than three inches 85 percent of the interior takla makan is composed of sand dunes from 300 to 600 feet high in some places a growth of tamarisk stabilizes dunes groves of poplar grow along rivers that cross the basin and forming a striking contrast to the surrounding hot dry sandy desert thank you spacecowboy2006 for this interesting post we shall enjoy scrambling up those 600ft dunes posted by kitmax at sunday september 20 2009 no comments gobi desert 2009 my next desert trip starts in october 2009 in kashgar north west china we drive across the taklamakan desert to dunhuang and visit the cave of 1 000 buddhas we enter the gobi and travel to khara khoto the black city lost for 700 years and now engulfed by desert sands more to follow posted by kitmax at sunday september 20 2009 no comments friday november 30 2007 i sent this last blog post from a wind up computer attached to a camel s hind leg sorry for the delays raymond and i are now safely returned from our amazing expedition across algeria photographs will follow keep tuned in for news kitmax posted by kitmax at friday november 30 2007 1 comment wednesday november 28 2007 tefedest we drove across the desert and arrived at thetefedest mountains a traditional touareg stronghold the range is dominated by mt garet and we camped at the foot of the mountain next day we visited a lone pinnacle of rock far across the sands and discovered a charming canyon where we spent half the day the pinnacle soared above the flat valley floor and the walls of the canyon were sprinkled with huge boulders little fox paw prints scurrying about told of much nocturnal activity the tefedest range is quite small very remote and proved to be our guide s homeland in the afternoon he took us on an amazing journey up a wadi which got smaller and steeper and more barren it was a very difficult drive indeed and i was beginning to wonder for our guide s sanity when the mountain opened up into a small valley with a few reed houses and surprisingly a green and verdant plantation my garden announced mohammed proudly and there fed by a year long water source was a verdant garden with figs dates herbs greenery and plants it was an extraordinary sight in this most barren of all mountain passes we left in the evening and returned to the plain and were passed by three racing camels in full colours all of them known to our guide their riders joined us later for tea around the campfire at dawn an old camel drover turned up in camp i should have guessed mohammed s father it was a great privilege to be among so many traditional touareg and to share with them a glimpse of their unique and secretive lifestyle we arrived back at in salah after a most colourful rewarding and fulfilling trip we were greeted by our agent s family and had a traditional goat and couscous stew seated on the floor in considerable discomfort and eating with our right hands delicious we are now wending our way back to europe it is a long way towns are about 500 miles apart down here and we have a few towns to reach on our way back to tunis and the ferry mediterranee photographs will be posted on the website after i get home in december posted by kitmax at wednesday november 28 2007 no comments a lot has happened since our last blog we had a good journey to tamanrasset bouncing down the assekrem mountain was slightly easier than bouncing up it we collected our escort back up car and set out for the weirdly eroded rocks of targrera the back up car was leaking fuel all the way and we sent it back with our guide for repair we spent a happy 24 hours exploring a remote desert canyon at night we were surrounded by jackals their plaintive calls wafting across the starlit plain at the foot of our canyon the car arrived back a day later and then broke down again and then had a succession of problems after which i voted it unusable we dumped it in the desert and drove back to tamanrasset to give our agent his due backed up by a couple of satellite calls to switzerland the euro liaison team a replacement car arrived and our trip continued we had now lost 4 days and had to cancel our trip to djanet and mount tazat however all clouds have a silver lining and we then proceeded to have an unscheduled tour of some of the finest desert scenery north of djanet and across the amadror plain on the way we passed 150 or more camels at a watering hole they were being saddled up by a team of cameleers the camels snort and roar grunt and bellow generally in good humour as the workers saddle up loads of water and feed for the journey ahead a very colorful scene traditional desert life unchanged for centuries we reached the saltpans at tissemt which was an important trading site the salt was loaded onto camels and then taken to far away niger and traded for grain posted by kitmax at wednesday november 28 2007 no comments labels tissemt salt quarry friday november 09 2007 the night was very cold and we were now over 9 000ft altitude oxygen was in short supply too and we felt quite breathless after exertion raymond and i pitched our tents on a rough patch of gravel i cooked a dinner of vac packed veal with spuds and onions from in salah i awoke at dawn and set out to climb to the summit 1 000 ft above us to visit the hermitage of père foucould it was the incomparable foucould a viscompte in his own right a cavalry officer and latterly a committed hermit who settled on this magnificent site to devote his life to prayer and meditation and also to write a dictionary of the tuaregs entire tamashek language i puffed my way up the precipitous incline and reached almost an hour later the summit the view is spectacular unparalleled and showed a skyline bedecked with unworldly red rock pinnacles each one catching their first light of a new day the hermitage built in 1910 is a small stone rectangle harbouring a tiny chapel a stone altar is perched on three natural stone columns a simple cross hangs on the end wall and prayer mats are gazelle skins each of the two to three hermits lives alone in crude rocky shelters and come together for communal prayer in the chapel 20 years ago i met one of the hermits and he gave me his last cup of coffee i vowed then that i would return one day to replenish his small stock so it was with the greatest pleasure that i found the padre hermit reminded him of our meeting and presented him with coffee sugar milk and two slices of lyn s cake he was thrilled and we chatted happily he looked hardly a day older clearly a lift of hi altitude abstention beckons but who posted by kitmax at friday november 09 2007 no comments thursday november 08 2007 the random pistes on the upper plains converge into a single snaking trail which wound it s way across the rising terrain here and there flash floods had swept away whole sections of the trail circuitous routes beckoned and the land rover bounced stoically across boulders shale and steep inclines after 3 hours we had achieved 30km not much above walking speed after a brief stop we continued we still had 45km and 4 000 feet to go the trail got steeper and the landscape gave way to pinnacled ramparts enclosing secluded valleys their entrance blocked by tumbled rocks the size of houses we left the piste and drove up a steep narrow wadi to cross a saddle between two towering pinnacles it was a hair raising ascent as first one wheel lost grip on the slippery river bed and then another beside was a 100 ft drop and we had already passed one wrecked car in a ravine far below the wadi could now be called more accurately a dry waterfall and had to be approached with carefully planned momentum and maximum traction we made it just and stopped on the saddle to admire the scenery great pointed monoliths of fluted red rock thrust skywards and gave the landscape a quite surreal appearance we arrived at assekrem late watched the setting sun spotlighting first one great towering pinnacle and then another posted by kitmax at thursday november 08 2007 no comments wednesday november 07 2007 we drove to in amguel where we left the tamanrasset road and struck east for the mountains the piste wandered across fertile wadis separating rocky plains and all the time rising we reached the little village of hirafok little changed since my last visit here 20 years ago i recognised the tea house in the village centre and those inquisitive kids must be the offspring of the inquisitive kids i met all that time ago we passed several groups of donkeys strong animals and well marked in grey and black outline quite unlike the working donkeys we saw in the towns we camped in a soft sandy wadi the night was cold and mohammed lit a fire with a single match and we sat around it toasting our toes posted by kitmax at wednesday november 07 2007 no comments tuesday november 06 2007 we arrived at in salah early enough to spend a relaxed morning shopping for vegetables dates and other supplies for our journey south we met our guide a tall welcoming touareg called mohammed his wide winning smile augured well and his desert knowledge is unsurpassed next morning his chief m haffoui appeared a distinguished man carrying dignity and style a great welcome and good language skills we left with mohammed to drive the long route south the road was well marked but badly deteriorated in parts we reached arag gorge a tortuous and spectacular land fall and the scene of many battles in days past we stopped to refuel and then pulled off into the desert to make camp for the night we nestled into a hollow of the dunes and cooked up canned chicken accompanied by in salah vegetables posted by kitmax at tuesday november 06 2007 no comments friday november 02 2007 raymond arrived at tunis airport safe and sound we left for the algerian border next day we crossed into algeria and we had a long drive south and we reached in salah one day early posted by kitmax at friday november 02 2007 1 comment saturday october 13 2007 testing i am looking forward to hearing all about your adventures on your latest expedition and will be poised over my computer ready to post your blogs norma cumbria posted by kitmax at saturday october 13 2007 1 comment wednesday october 03 2007 fingers poised i am poised over my keyboard waiting to get kit s tales of his next adventure to post on to the blogsite watch this space norma posted by kitmax at wednesday october 03 2007 no comments travel information october 2007 kit constable maxwell and raymond bird are now in countdown for their departure to algeria at the end of october days are spent checking lists packing and modifying the land rover and organising guides visa local permits posted by kitmax at wednesday october 03 2007 no comments monday october 01 2007 dunes are calling kit constable maxwell and raymond bird will leave for algeria at the end of october our destination this time is the hoggar mountains in the far south of algeria near the niger border they will be travelling in kit s trusty land rover we shall visit old forts and battle sites to review the history of this strange and compelling land we shall meet touareg tribesmen the masters of the desert and travel with them to visit unexplored corners of this uninhabited terrain lecture on october 12th 2007 a lecture honouring the long range desert group s desert raid on murzuq in 1940 41 was given in hampshire on october 2007 it was well received and over 70 guests attended posted by kitmax at monday october 01 2007 no comments tuesday may 01 2007 desert lecture at vsc london on 26th april comments what a splendid evening last thursday thank you for a most engaging illustrated talk of your exploits the historical content was just right very helpful brian stevens this really was an excellent and most professional presentation and a great social event as well thank you so much for what was in every way a really memorable and highly enjoyable occasion accompanied by excellent script performers photos and musical accompaniment robert just to say how much we enjoyed and were impressed by your presentation yesterday a great success and clearly enjoyed by your audience adrian thornton hi there just to say what a really excellent evening that was many many congratulations on realising the whole even...
|
