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Chad - Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

20-days Camping Adventure, September 2021

By Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret

February 20^th, 2022

Motivation

Some years ago I was asked by a friend if I intended to visit all countries in the world. "If I had the chance, of course that would be great, but at least I would like to visit the ones I’m interested in - and that excludes only few", I replied. Guys you can imagine the next question and guess which country came first to my mind. Bingo, Chad. Few did I know or believed to know about the country. No coast, lots of sand, boiling hot, a more or less finished civil war and terrorists roaming around the border areas: that was the picture in my head. Absolutely nothing that justified a trip.

Well, and then I stumbled over stunning desert photos with bluish lakes and palm trees which looked like not being from this world. I learned that the pictures showed the Ounianga lakes in Chad. A short Google research brought up more stunning pictures of a scenic, huge canyon roomed by herds of camels enjoying the patches of water (Guelta d'Archei), epic desert landscapes full of sandstone sculptures (Ennedi) and very weird groups of men with beautiful painted faces making incredibly mad gestures (Gerewol Festival). Now my interest was awakened, and remembering the great time I had at the Mt. Hagen Sing Sing Festival in Papua New Guinea and the desert camping in Oman, Chad was back in the game. Fortunately, also the safety situation has improved, and some travel agencies again offered tours, including Diamir, my preferred one. As Corona limited the options and I had to cancel my South Korea trip already for the second time, the opportunity window for Chad just came at the right time and I booked a 22-days tour with Diamir, covering all the great places and events I had seen on pictures before.

Itinerary and Map

Chad - Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere

Facts

Population: around 16 million
Size: 1,284,000 km²
Capital: N'Djamena
Biggest City: N'Djamena, 0.9 million people
Main Languages: Arabic, French
Currency: Central African CFA Franc (XAF), 1 EUR = 655 XAF (12/2021)

Chad has three major geographical climate zones, which can be easily differentiated on a satellite map. The Sahara in the northern third, the Sahel in the centre and the East Sudanian Savanna in the South. The wet season is from May to October in the south and June to September in the centre. These months are also the hottest. Best time to travel is from October to March, as the heat becomes more bearable then.

Departure

Looking at the huge queue in front of me, my plan to spot out my Chad travel companions already on the flight to Addis Abeba seems to be slightly overoptimistic. Okay, most likely not the 50% Ethiopian-looking travellers. But also the rest will somehow not fit into my scheme. The middle aged mother with two children? No way. The young couple in stylish outfits? No, beach destination I decide. The older, well travelled looking couple. Well, they kinda look adventurous, but two huge hard top cases? Come on, luxury safari I assume. A middle aged women with desert boots, well, could be. But why the heck would she go to Chad? Why the heck do I go to Chad, comes immediately to my mind. So what do I expect, the Indiana Jones or Lara Croft type? Just can’t find anyone in the line that fits. I finally give up and decide to try it again later in Addis at the gate to N’Djamena.

The flight with Ethopian was good. Punctual, spacious plane (A350) and best: vacant middle seat! And indeed: in front of the gate to N’Djamena around 15 westerners wait for the flight, drastically reducing the potential candidates. Soon, I find myself in a discussion with Richard from Austria and Jeanette and Martin from Leipzig. Four more to go.

To my surprise the flight to N’Djamena is with a modern and big 787 Dreamliner. The front section is filled by 2/3, but the complete back section is deserted. I could have had a complete row for myself if I had seen it before.

Day 1 - Arrival and meeting the group

The entry procedure is a bit chaotic, and my non-existent French is of no help. But somehow I manage to pay for my Covid-19 antigen test (40 $, what the f….), get it done, get my passport stamped, manage two more checkpoints, collect my baggage and finally leave the airport building. Sven, our guide from Diamir, is already waiting. My seat was quite in the front of the plane, so together with Barbara from Switzerland, we wait until step by step the rest of the group appears: besides Richard, Martin and Jeanette who I already met before, Ines from Switzerland and Silke and Gudrun from Germany. None of them looks like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft but rather normal instead. What the hell did I expect?

I'm surprised to hear from Sven that the group tour just before ours had to be canceled due to missing invitation papers from the government. So, obviously we had more luck. In fact we learn that we are the first tourist group in Chad for almost two years, giving us an even more adventurous feeling.

Together with our local drivers Ali, Ahmad, Adi and Hassane, we drive to the Radisson Blue, our luxury retreat for tonight. It will be the last soft bed and climatized room for 18 nights. We have dinner at a close-by restaurant, a welcome opportunity to get to know each other. Who travels to a destination like Chad is of course a travel enthusiast and it quickly becomes clear that we all have plenty of travel stories to share.

Group picture (without myself)

Day 2 - To the "place where everyone meets"

The tour this morning starts with a flat tire just a few minutes after we have left the hotel. What a start... and it won't be the last flat tire today. Soon after we leave N’Djamena the bad tarmac road becomes a dirt road.

For lunch we have salad. This will be our typical lunch for the whole trip. Tomatoes, onions, sometimes cucumbers, mostly enriched with rice, noodles, couscous and sometimes topped with tuna. Afterwards, a hot black or hibiscus tea with plenty of sugar. In general quite tasty, in particular when considering the limited supply possibilities during the trip.

We stop several times on the way to get permits, for bio-breaks or a stroll through a village. We are a bit reserved with taking pictures at the beginning, as we are not sure how people will react. But here in the south people seem to be relaxed with it. People are friendly, the kids shy and curious at the same time. No wonder: our appearance must be as exotic for them as theirs is for us. As so often, football helps to break the barrier and generates a lot of smiles. Taking some pictures and sharing them is another good way with the kids.

We also have our first encounters with the local cattle and are stunned by the huge horns of the local breed. Cattle herding is a major economic activity in Chad.

It's pitch black when we finally arrive somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We are in the middle of the bush. Pitching up our tents for the first time in the light of our headlamps is a bit challenging. But soon on the trip we will become experts, pitching up the tents in just five minutes.

The festival is already in full swing, it typically takes around one week. Not far from our tent we can observe some dancing, the performers illuminated by torches.

The Gerewol is a festival of the Wodaabe nomads, were young men dressed in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather together to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women. The Gerewol occurs each year after the rainy season when the Wodaabe cattle herders gather just south of the Sahara before moving south to their dry season pastures. In contrast to the Niger, where the Gerewol takes place at a fixed date at the town of In-Gall, the dates and places in Chad vary and are depending on different groups. Without having some connections with the tribal leader it would be impossible to find the right spots and dates. In our case the tour plan was changed on short notice, starting with the festival (instead of ending with it), as the rainy season has ended earlier as usual and the Wodaabe started already to move south.

Day 3 - 4 - Gerewol Festival

Only in the light of the next morning we can examine our campsite: a combination of bare ground and pockets of gras, trees and bushes.

It's a calm and beautiful atmosphere in the soft morning light. The kids are already curious about the strangers in their front yard.

New groups of nomads arrive and pass by like a speed train, leaving nothing else then dust in the air (okay... and some cow droppings). Honestly, I'm stunned how fast they move with their complete household.

Together with the group we make our first get-to-know visit, saying hello to the different families that have spread out over the area. The curiosity is on both sides. Some are a bit shy, others very open.

You show what you have during the Gerewol. The huts are decorated and the best household items are on display. There are visible differences between the families when it comes to their household or size of their herds. Of course, the ladies are also dressed in their best clothes, and together with their upright walk (no computer spines) show grace and dignity.

The older men sit together in the shade but are less interested in us.

Where people gather for a festival, merchants are not far, hoping for some good business. Sweets, cookies, flashlights and medicine seem to be the offers of the day.

The hair is artfully prepared.

The girls look very exotic with their tattoos, hairstyles and dresses. I like that we stay here for two complete days. While on the first day some are a bit shy when I ask for a picture, they are much more relaxed the second day. Some even ask for a picture.

After the morning impressions, it's time for a rest in the shade. It quickly gets hot once the sun is up. Florant, our "Chef the Cuisine", has purchased a goat from the Wodaabe, now cutting it into more manageable pieces. A tough job. If the picture looks brutal, keep in mind that this goat - until its quick end - most likely had a better life than 99.9% of all animals sold in our western supermarkets.

After lunch and some rest, we hear singing out of the woods. Of course we walk over. A group of young men are preparing for the afternoon event. The atmosphere is relaxed, and they pose proudly when asked for a portrait.

Then the warm-up dancing starts, sometimes interrupted to welcome new arriving participants. An older guy gives advise to the young dancers and singers. The chants are very rhythmic and remind me a bit on mantras in buddhism, although the whole atmosphere is much more energetic and less meditative.

The warm-up is already observed by some ladies, kids and older men. Even here, cellphones are not uncommon and we find ourselves photographed several times. Intercultural curiosity!

When the heat of the day settles, the dancers gather in the open, showing their performances and skills under the critical eyes of the ladies. There are five or six different dances, although the "Gerewol" is the most famous one. That's when the the young men try to impress the ladies with their beauty, by showing their white teeth and crazy rolling of their eyes to show the clear white in them as a sign of their overall health and strength. Sometimes, they dance in a row and sometimes pairs of two come into the front to show their performance and then are replaced by the next couple. We are fascinated by the performance and overall atmoshere.

The dancing and singing goes on until late at night. Most of us are already back in their tent, overwhelmed by the impressions of the last two days. I decide to leave the camera behind and dive a last time into the energetic atmosphere. Occasionally, people pass by and shake hands with me. I'm surprised they recognise me even in the dark. I interpret it as a sign to say it's nice that you are here. Goose-skin moments, I feel privileged to be able to join their festival. When I'm finally in my tent, I slowly fall asleep, hearing the chanting still in the background. What a tour start!

Day 5 - Back to N'Djamena

The next morning we have to say goodbye, a long day awaits us.

Stop in a small village.

Although the same way, the return trip feels longer. On the way, we stop at a bunch of huts. The people here are from another tribe and no nomads like the Wodaabe. We ask if we can have a short look and are immediately welcomed. We are even invited into the hut. It's to my surprise decorated with plenty of colourful plates and feels quite cozy.

I just picture the strange scene when a group of nine dark-skinned people from Chad with their four Toyota Landcruisers would come into a village, ringing on your door and asking friendly for permission to have a look into the accommodation. How would you react?

We camp an hour before N'Djamena. Looking for a nice spot, our drivers stop at a mud brick factory. Well, factory might be exaggerated. It consists of basically some mud-holes, where youngsters with basic equipment make bricks, which are then drying in the sun. A brick is sold for about 0.1 EUR. Around 400 are required for a small hut. Although a tough job, for the youngsters a good and rare opportunity to make some money, we learn.

The perspective with the drone offers a stunning view on the area. Quite different compared to the perspective from the ground.

Day 6-9 - One the Way to the Ennedi

I wake up, enjoying a beautiful sunrise. The temperature in the early morning is the most pleasant of the day. After breakfast, we discuss the plan for the day. Then off we go.

Approaching N'Djamena, we are back on solid roads, but still have to be careful due to the many potholes. We see several nomadic groups on the way. In contrast to the Wodaabe, their dwellings must be more like round huts, considering the framework they carry around on their donkeys. A strange sight, somehow reminding me of some tribal scenes from a foreign planet in a Star Wars movie. I wonder where the movie makers got their inspiration from.

A rare sight. Where there are pockets of water left from the rainy season, the scenery just seems to explode in lush green.

Finally, arriving back in N'Djamena, we push on going, just having a short stop for a cold beer. A nice treat after the sweltering heat in the bush.

In Massakory, we leave the tarmac road behind us. The off-road adventure begins. It will be 11 days until we are back on tarmac. Again, we stop for a short visit of some nomads. This time, a small gift is expected before our wish for some pictures is granted, which we gladly give. Life for sure is not easy here. The land is much dryer than a bit more south. The colourful dresses of the ladies and their smiles are in stark contrast with the bare land around.

We drive along the Bahr-El-Ghazal (river of the gazelle). It's not a constantly running river. Now, after the rainy seasons, it's more pockets of water separated by sections of fine sand.

We build our camp next to a nice swampy pocket. To my surprise, there are no bothering mosquitos and we can enjoy a spectacular sunset.

Like Garden Eden

We stop at a village and encounter the first nomads with camels.

Today, we have lunch break at a thorn-tree grove, the typical vegetation in the Sahel. We share the groove with some camels and very shy monkeys. I try to take pictures, but without success. They won't let me come close enough. We pass Moussoru on the way, the district capital, where we have to obtain our permits. It's an ugly little village with lots of dirt around. We are asked not to take pictures, as the local authorities don't like it and used to make trouble in the past.

Soon after lunch we drive through an endless landscape covered with yellowish grass.

Although it feels like the middle of nowhere, we are suddenly overtaken by a motorcycle, a strange moment. We have to stop several times when one of the Landcruisers has problems, obviously with leakage of a pump. The drivers are mechanics at the same time and used to improvise, a lifesaving combination out here. Fortunately, the Landcruisers are rather easy to repair. Nevertheless it takes a lot of time and it becomes clear that we are running behind schedule. We drive until sunset, then we set up the camp as usual somewhere in in the middle of nowhere.

The scenery reminds me on a Safari in Kenia, unfortunately without the wild animals. However a lion encounter would be probably no fun out here!

After breakfast and preparing the cars, another long driving day awaits us. The scenery gets drier and drier. We are clearly approaching the outskirts of the Sahara.

We stop at a waterhole, a welcome break to stretch the legs. The area is full of goats, cattle, camels and donkeys. I wonder what the animals eat out here and I'm amazed to see how fast a bunch of camels can empty a huge pan of water. It's a matter of seconds.

It's a lot of driving today with short occasional stops.

The surface conditions allow for fast driving, and our drivers make use of it. It's like spurring a horse, riding into to the sunset in a wild West movie.

Only the next morning we realise where we have set up the camp last night. It's on the edge of a giant oasis, as the pictures of the drone reveal. We have some visiting camels - they look gorgeous in the early morning light.

We still have problems with one of the Landcruisers. This time it's obviously the electric, caused by an accidentally inverse-polarity incident, while changing the batteries. Unfortunately, it's the car which carries the diesel barrels, which we heavily rely on. Leaving it behind and sending someone with the correct spare parts from the next village is no option. The only way is to tow it to the next village, which is half a day away. We pray that the thin rope will be strong enough, especially as we have to cross some sandy patches on the way.

Around lunch time we make it to the village of Kalait, where we have a longer stop to get the car repaired and to stock up for the upcoming days in the Ennedi. Although no beauty, Kalait feels more welcoming than Moussoru. Besides the bigger cities of N´Djamena and Abeche, it's the only place on the whole trip where we get some cold drinks. I count five just for me during our stay. The shopkeeper becomes our best friend.

Here in the north with a majority of muslims, taking pictures of people becomes a bit more challenging. Especially the women often refuse when asked. One lady even insists to see my photos when I take close-ups of the goods in her shop. When she realises I haven't taken pictures of her, everything is fine.

It's already late when we are finally ready to depart after the car repair. Or at least we thought we are ready to depart, as extra stops in the village follow to fill up the diesel barrels, our water supply and finally to get permits. We wonder why this had not already been organised during the car repair... but it is a it is.

When we are finally ready to leave, the soft afternoon light has already taken over. It becomes clear that a long drive into the night lies ahead of us to make up some lost time. Ines and Sabine have suffered quit a bit today and are a little bit pissed when we arrive. It was their car that was towed today. As the air-con was off, the only way to get at least some cooling was to open the windows, which resulted in constant drizzles of dust from the car ahead. After half a day that must feel like being a living Wiener Schnitzel. After the car repair, the air-con is still not working, and the prospect of travelling completely without is not tempting, considering the heat of the day. Fortunately, the drivers somehow manage to repair the air-con by the next morning. It's unbelievable how they always find ways to repair something, following the Toyota slogan "Nothing is Impossible".

Day 10-12 - The Ennedi

The area of our camp site is covered by huge boulders. We have reached the edge of the Ennedi Massif. Today, a lot of sights are waiting for us.

After 1.5 hours we are close to our first sight for the day, the Guelta Bachikele. We have a short stop to take some pictures and the other three cars are already gone when we start. There are many tracks on the ground that follow different directions. We have been searching for already 30 minutes when we suddenly get bogged down trying to cross a dry river bed. The sand is extremely soft. Generally no big deal, we dig the wheels free and then we make it forward for about ... 15 cm, pushing hard. We try three or four more times but don't gain any ground. We try to set back, not much better. Then we collect wood to give support to the wheels. Now we make it 30 cm per trial. It's hot, sweet runs over our faces. Slowly, slowly we work us backwards to the edge of the river bed. But the edge goes a bit up and we don't make it, no matter how hard we try. We are frustrated and start getting nervous. Are the others not searching for us, where are they? It must be already 1.5 hours since we lost them. There are quite some trees and bushes around us. Not easy to see. Finally, I see Ahmad's car in the distance and start running towards it. They stop and I think they must have seen me, so I slow down. But then they continue in another direction, ... what the hell ..., now I run and shout like a madman, and finally they stop again and turn towards me. Saved!!!

They were searching for us already for a while and had a local with them who had seen us on our way. Pushing together, and with Ahmad's extraordinary driving skills, we finally get the car out of the sand pit. Hassane, the boss of the local crew, is not amused when we finally arrive at the Guelta. The whole driver team catches hell from him, to stick together in future. I feel a bit guilty as it was us who took the extra time for taking some more pictures, when the others already left.

We quickly have a look around the Guelta, as we have to hurry up. Gueltas are pockets of waters in wadis and often a central point to water the animals. It really feels like an oasis here.

Next, we explore several sights, the delicate Arch Julia, the massive Arch Aloba and the Five Arch Rock. Somehow the drone seems to have problems with the stones around, especially at the Arch Aloba. Although not far away and in clear sight I have connection problems several times, and I'm glad when I finally have the drone safely back on the ground. Hassan already mentioned that several drones had been lost in this region. I decide that not using it is also no option for me, but to be extra careful.

Next, we drive to the Elephant Arch. The scenery in the warm afternoon light is mesmerising. The rocks seem to glow in all shades of red and orange.

We cannot get enough of the scenery. Every corner offers new surprises.

It's hard to move on, but the next day, more highlights are waiting for us in the Ennedi!

Our overnight camp is in close proximity of the Terkei Rock Paintings. After enjoying our breakfast in a beautiful scenery, we go for a short hike to explore the paintings. There are many ancient paintings in the Ennedi and also in the Tibesti, some up to 7,000 years old. The ones in Terkei are very well preserved. And especially the horsemen look very dynamic and gracile. Beautiful.

What really drives me crazy are the burdocks in the yellowish grass we encounter way too often for my taste. This round sticky bastards with their hard spikes are a real pain in the ass, especially when wearing trekking sandals, which are otherwise very comfortable. Trying to get rid of the burdocks using the fingers of the other hand, they just stick on them. Flipping them off with the fingernails sometimes works, and sometimes ends in pain when not aiming exactly.

We move on towards our next highlight, the famous Guelta d'Archei. On the way, we pass a small village. Beautiful location but very remote. A school for the kids, no chance. No wonder that the analphabetic rate in Chad is at 60 %. Even if there was enough money (which there isn't), how would you organise school education in a country three times as big as Germany, but with just 1/8 of the population, and a solid share of nomadic or semi-nomadic people?

The famous viewpoint in the Guelta can only be reached via an 1.5 hours hike. It's still in the morning and the temperature is not too high yet. We take a bottle of water and off we go. We first have to hike up, then we go downhill into the Wadi. It's strenuous and involves a bit of climbing, but we all have the viewpoint in mind. Down in the Wadi, there are only a few pockets of water left. We stay quiet, as we hope to see one of the rare and endangered desert crocodiles. No joke. Very few are left, and they are extremely shy.

After some more hiking (without crocodiles) we have to climb up again to a kind of plateau, and then suddenly there we are. The view opens to the left into a narrow section of the Wadi, offering a spectacular view to hundreds of camels below. Actually, we see and hear them, as the steep walls significantly emphasise their roar. I try to imagine when in a couple of months, when other water sources will have dried out, even thousands of camels will gather here. We are stunned, take pictures like crazy and enjoy the scenery. My trial with the drone is short one, as again I have significant problems with the signal, although not much more than 50 m away from me. It's also quite windy and when I see the drone approaching a wall when instead it should just stay still in the air, I bring it back.

After a while, we have to leave. It's around noon and the temperature significantly increased since we started. The way back feels much longer and more strenuous, and we empty our water bottles with alarming speed. The water just seems to evaporate the moment I drink it. The effect of the hot dry air is just crazy. Again, we have to climb up, my mouth gets drier and drier and I completely empty the bottle, thinking I can do the next minutes without, until we reach the cars. But it's much longer than I thought. My tongue starts to stick on my palate, my lips feel swollen. I stumble around, having only the water in mind that awaits me back at the cars. I'm not the only one, we all have completely underestimated our water consumption while walking in the midday sun.

When we finally make it back to the cars, I take a 1.5 litres bottle and empty it in one go. Then I take a second one and empty it in 20 minutes. I have never felt so thirsty.

After we have rested a bit, we drive around the Guelta to enter it from the other side by car. Much easier, but of course without the spectacular view from the top. Some of the camel herders are not so happy when we take pictures of their camels, which is kinda strange. They beef around, but they do not get aggressive. It's a bit like a game. Someone takes a picture, they run towards the person waving with their fingers. In the meantime, someone else takes a picture ... again running and finger-waving. We are nine, so they have a lot to do.

Next, we explore the Manta Geli Rock Paintings. This time younger, only 2,000 years old.

On the way to our planned campsite for today, we pass some strange mushroom rocks and a huge rock formations that reminds me on a heat sink. A strange sight.

The campsite for tonight looks like from a fairy tale, with rock sculptures that challenge the fantasy. Between the rock formations, wild donkeys roam around. In the night, they call loudly to each other. Impossible to sleep. I curse them, shouting I would make donkey salami out of them if they didn't stop. But they only become even louder. It sounds like laughter in my ears. Damn bastards!!!

In the morning, Martin shows me a scorpion hiding under a stone. It's tiny, maybe 3 cm, not more. It's the first one I see here, but Ines had one in her tent at the beginning of the trip, and the crew killed one on the camp mats. They are not deadly but their sting is very very painful, we learn.

After a short drive we reach Fada, the district capital. We go straight to the hospital, as we are requested to make another Corona test after 7 days. After a while of waiting, we are told that a PCR test is not possible as they have a power shortage. We get a certificate as proof that we have tried it and are released from our duty. Back at home, showing pictures and telling that story, a friend asks me why the lamps at the fan are obviously on when allegedly there was a power shortage. Good point, Sherlock Homes.

Fada has more atmosphere than the other desert cities we've seen so far. But it also has a trash problem - at least on the main square, otherwise it looks relatively clean. Here in the north, it's not easy to get beer. But Florant knows a place and brings us to a rather inconspicuous place. The beer is far away from cold but still welcome.

We make our way trough the Mourdi Depression, a 50 km wide rocky valley. The road is tough, very bumpy. Some short sections uphill had got tarmac in the past, some are okay, but others are harder to drive on- than off-road.

Again, we pass fascinating rock sculptures on the way. We stop at some obviously man-made stone piles and learn that these are pre-islamic graves. A pinnacle stone on top indicates a man's grave. How intuitive ;-)! We also collect some firewood, as the gas seems to be out.

We enjoy the desert scenery in the warm evening light and the grey clouds in the background. From time to time, a road indicator shows the right direction. But, as the indicators are so erratically distributed and the traffic lanes in the soft sand sometimes depart in different directions, keeping the right direction seems to be magical, especially as Ahmad, who is generally in the lead with his car, does not have a GPS - nor needs one, as he says.

Tonight, we camp between some trees. The main species that grows in this hostile environment. Their air-filled fruits look like balloons or like little butts, examining them a bit closer ;-). Despite their funny appearance outside, the fruits carry a quite poisonous milky liquid inside, which even can result in blindness when getting in contact with the eyes. We are told to take extra care.

Day 13-15 - Demi Salina and Ounianga Lakes

Today, we have to cross some dune fields. Even for our experienced drivers it’s not always easy to judge if the sand in front of us is hard enough to drive on, or not.

We stop at a waterhole where a camel caravan has rested overnight. I’m surprised to see the water source so close below the surface. The area is rocky, so I assume it must be a kind of cavern that holds the water.

More than one time the cars get bogged down in soft sand, but it never takes more than a few minutes to get them free. Actually, welcome moments to stretch our legs, to enjoy the scenery and to take some pictures.

Mid-morning, we arrive at the Demi Salina. Despite the palm trees that appear like green sprinkles of life in this otherwise hostile reddish, rocky and sandy environment, it’s hard to imagine that people live here by own will. But they do, as this area is famous for its desert salt, which lies just 30 cm below the surface. It’s hand-mined with simple tools by the local women. The pits of the mined salt are covered, so they are not blown away from the hefty winds the area sometimes experiences. In the past, the salt was transported by camel caravans, nowadays a truck shows up from time to time. The red salt looks like sand but definitely tastes like salt - I can confirm after a trial. Yuck!

Emptiness, no more to say.

We have lunch at Lake Teguedei, a salt lake in a stunning scenery. I use the lunch time for a first overview of the area with the drone. The drone delivers really cool pictures even before we see the lake with our own eyes. After lunch, we have a walk to the lake, passing by a strange structure which turns out to be a date storage. From the shore, the lake looks far less impressive than from the drone perspective, but shortly after we climb a small hill which also offers a great view.

We can’t wait to reach our overnight place for the next two days. After all the heat, sand and quick washes for the last days, a refreshing swim awaits us. How promising is that! When we finally spot Lake Bokou, we really get exited. The lake in this desert landscape looks like a Fata Morgana.

How great is that: a fresh water lake in the middle of the Sahara Desert - all for our own! We pitch up our tents and then go straight for a swim. The water is gorgeous, clean, clear and refreshing. Paradise in the middle of nowhere! The atmosphere after sunset, floating in the lake, is out of this world. I’m emotionally deeply moved and know that this travel moment I will never ever forget.

The next morning starts like the previous day ended, with a gorgeous swim.

We have the whole day to relax. Some of us walk around the lake. The biggest part is covered with water reed and only two sections close to our camp are accessible. Despite the palms trees, comfortable shade in the midday sun is sparse and the upcoming wind brings unpleasant sand showers. Well, even paradise comes with some drawbacks. The group splits up and everyone tries to find a halfway shady spot in the surrounding area. I decide that for me, the best place is at the lake shore, even without shade. Protected with sunglasses, hat and a linen shirt which gives a great cooling effect when wet, it works for me and I spend the time listening to my audio book.

The soft, warm light in the late afternoon is prime time for the drone, and I’m thrilled by the results. It brings a completely new perspective and shows how unreal the lake appears in the desert landscape. From aloft, further lakes are visible in the distance.

The Ounianga Serir Lakes are a complex system, which is unique in the world. Usually, lakes in such a hot and dry environment would evaporate and get saline. Here, it’s different. The lakes are connected to each other through the sand dunes. The big inner lake lies lower and has no reed coverage. It therefore evaporates much, much faster than the reed-covered outer lakes and accordingly is saline. Water flows underground from the outer lakes to the inner lake, creating a kind of pump effect, which feeds the outer lakes with freshwater from a fossil underground source. The reed coverage, underground water flow, evaporation and refilling from the underground source are in a delicate balance. No wonder this lakes became UNESCO World Heritage in 2012.

Sand structures in the golden afternoon light.

In the morning, we drive to Lake Teli, the biggest and saltiest of the Serir Lakes, where a village is located. Honestly, I wonder why people chose to live here and not at the freshwater lakes.

Our drivers stock up on dates, the best in Chad we are told.

Another stop brings us to a garden full of melons, tomatoes and cucumber. The small lush pocket of land feels a bit surreal in this environment.

After a drive of around 40 km, we arrive at Ouinanga Kebir, another set of lakes with fascinating unreal colours. Especially from the drone perspective, the lakes look spectacular.

The village of Ouinanga Kebir is not very appealing, even the beer is lukewarm. We have a rest to stock up supplies and gasoline. The scenery could be from a Mad Max movie. Knowing that the highlights are behind us and several long driving days back to N’Djamena are ahead of us, my mood goes down a bit. Scotty, beam me back!

In the middle of the desert, we stop at two very aged truck. One of them has a breakdown and is being repaired by the crew. They are from Libya and transport mattresses and other stuff. We take some pictures, the mood is relaxed - and then turns within seconds! Suddenly, I see Ahmad running with his dagger towards one of the Libyan crew members, who also has a knife in his hand. They start fighting like crazy and the two crews try their best to hold them back. The situation several times calms down, just to start again soon after. We are told by Sven to sit in the cars. The whole situation comes with a lot of shouting and discussions between the crews. We are more than glad when we are finally all back in the cars and move on, just to find ourselves confronted with a breakdown still in sight of the trucks. When I see the trucks moving, I'm already afraid that the situation will escalate again, when they luckily pass by. Fortunately, they choose to pass us in a distance. Only later I hear the full story: one of the Libyans was not so happy when Ines took pictures of him. He obviously was also drunk and aggressively grabbed her arm, wanting to see the pictures. When Ines pushed him away, he went to the truck taking out a knife. That's when Ahmad, who witnessed the situation, intervened with his dagger and the situation between the two escalated. Fortunately, the other crew members reacted cool enough to avoid fatal consequences. Honestly, I was a bit shocked to see a rather usual and relaxed situation escalating within seconds. It was the only time on the whole trip we were concerned about our personal and the crew's safety.

Desert camping

Day 16-19 - Long way back to N'Djamena

After breakfast, a whole desert-driving day is waiting for us.

Definitely not a place to get stranded. But the occasional problems with the cars are solved quickly, as usual.

In the middle of nowhere, we pass a battlefield with several tanks from the Chad - Libyan border war. The war lasted from 1978 to 1987, when Muammar al-Gadafi several times attacked Chad, trying to take advantage of the civil war, allying with one or more of the rebel groups. At the end, the French army intervened three times to support the government in Chad. The war only ended in 1987, when all groups in Chad fought together against the Libyan army, which lost a huge part of its infantry.

We learn that Ahmad fought in the military here during his time, but he is not very talkative about it, so we stop asking.

There must have been a sand storm, as there is still plenty of sand in the air, creating a strange atmosphere which could be straight out of an end-time movie. Later in the afternoon, we witness the birth of a baby camel and its clumsy attempts to stand up. Especially the female part of our group is completely bound to the scene, so it takes a while until we proceed.

In the morning, we are back in Fata and - drawn by a magical power - we go straight to the store with the freezer which we discovered during our first visit. Sheesh, and we are not disappointed!

Our goal for today is to get as close as possible to Abeche, one of the bigger cities in Chad. We encounter more and more traffic and also small villages on the way. We are back in the Sahel zone.

Campsite for tonight.

After a short drive, we reach Abeche in the morning and spend an hour walking around before we proceed.

From now on, it's all tarmac until N'Djamena, and we make fast progress.

It's already dark when we reach our campsite. Driving during the night is no fun, as we share the road with people, animals, cars and motorcycles often without lights. It requires lots of concentration from our drivers - and that after a long day of driving. Our campsite for tonight is very unique, which we are able to see only in the morning. The mountainous scenery around us looks completely different to what we have seen before, best seen from the drone perspective. It's our last camp, and although I got used to it very fast and really enjoyed it, the outlook to a soft bed, air-con and shower is very tempting.

It's just covering kilometres now, and I don't even take pictures. In the late afternoon, we finally arrive at N'Djamena and go straight for a souvenir village. I'm not much into buying and more interested into the countless flying foxes that have made the trees in the parking lot to their home.

Finally, we are back at the Radisson, where samples for the required Covid-19 PCR test are taken. I decide better not to think about what happened when one of them would be positive. Tonight, we go for our last dinner into a Lebanese restaurant, which is really good.

Departure Day and Drone Disaster

Some of the group visit a close-by pottery village in the morning, but I decide to relax instead, sleep late and enjoying an extensive breakfast. Around noon, we officially bid farewell to the drivers and Sven before we go the airport.

Everything works well until the final security check. I'm asked to take out the batteries of my camera - and then they see the drone in the bag. To cut a long story short, after two hours of countless discussions, phone calls with the local agency who tries to support, nerving waiting until the security supervisor arrives when the boarding is already in progress, it becomes clear to me that I will have to fly without my drone. They finally keep it, insisting that I would have needed an approval letter from the ministry. I've checked beforehand in the internet but couldn't find any official information, only few comments from other travellers who obviously hadn't had problem. During the trip, also Hassan told me about other travellers with drones in the past. Maybe they are more strict now, with the transitional military council that took over in April 2021. I don't care, I'm seething with rage but have to accept my fate at the end. If I had put the drone in the checked-in baggage, probably nothing would have happened, but I just didn't expect to face any problems, honestly. Fortunately, I had downloaded the pictures, unfortunately not the movies, they are now gone with the SD card in the drone. The agency promises to take care of the drone using their contacts and they sound confident to get it back. But after several trials with the airport officials during the next days, they give up when a kind of intelligence agency got involved, as they now fear to run themselves into trouble. Well, at that moment, my hope was anyway gone and I had come to terms with the situation. C’est la vie!!!

Final Verdict

Wow, what a trip! Definitely not a country for "Africa-beginners" or comfort seekers! But for everyone who is up for a real adventure, long drives through epic landscapes, exploring fascinated sights and events in the middle of nowhere, Chat should be high on the bucket list. It will definitely not be my last desert trip in Africa.

Special thanks to our drivers Hassane, Ahmad, Adi and Ali, who safely brought us even through the most challenging off-road conditions, endured long, long driving days and somehow always managed to kept the cars running. Thanks and high five to our cook Florant, who managed with very limited supply possibilities to keep us full and satisfied, and of course special thanks to Sven, our guide, who kept us well informed in an entertaining way with his extensive knowledge about the region. I will miss his daily bedtime travel stories from Chad.

Also thanks to my fellow travellers for plenty of new travel ideas listening to their extensive experience. With some of them I'm still in contact, keeping ourselves informed about the upcoming plans and -who knows - we might see each other again on a future adventure trip through Africa.

Finally, thanks to the Diamir team in Germany and Eyte in Chad, who offers this stunning trip possibilities in such remote regions, knowing that the involved work to organise, plan and promote this trips is only used by a very limited number of people today.

All you guys managed and helped to make it a memorable adventure trip. THANKS!!!

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