5th December 1985 : The Crosses We Bear

Nighttime disruptions: a village cat knocked over the milk on the table outside the truck and then the sound of someone being violently sick - turned out to be Julie - broke the quiet.

Back into Agadez again, where bank staff told me there were no CFAs-so I paid back as much of my borrowed-cash debts with French francs. Back to the post office and tourist office where I bought some beautiful postcards and lots of stamps, the lady quoting the same price for cards all over the world. Hope she’s right.

Back to Mohammed’s with Vicki but nothing of interest. Jim was there buying a 21-piece set of Agadez crosses and walked away with them in a small, round decorated box. Plunged into the fabric areas again with Bob, finding one stall that wasn’t open yesterday and buying two more lengths. Saw the fabric I want on a youth in the streets: birds and orchids on a black base. 

Hot fresh bread, cold kebabs and sticky sweet buns for lunch in the hotel with the group, again besieged by hustlers trying to sell their wares. One handsome Felane man was wearing a detailed, fine woven grass and camel-leather hat that I’d have loved but he was reluctant to trade - it would also have been challenging to store safely on the truck. Bought a stranded leather cord that fits twice around my ankle and three times around my wrist for 100 CFAs. All of us well fed and lubricated with beers.

Strong wind carried dust and sand through the back of the truck as we drove out of town and continued south. I wrapped a towel around my head to protect myself.

We made a successful wood stop and then sank like a stone into soft sand when we pulled off to camp; it took a mammoth sand matting and pushing effort to free us. Moved on from there and finally camped in another bloody gale, the wind fraying my nerves.

Built a huge campfire, with Kelvin being chief pyromaniac, squandering wood we cannot carry on the truck. I had to retreat to the back stalls to escape the heat.