In Lesson 12, titled “Hitch-Hiking Across the Sahara” by G.F. Lamb, the author recounts the daring adventure of Robert Christopher, a young American who decided to hitchhike across the vast Sahara Desert in 1956. The Sahara, a colossal expanse spanning North Africa, is described as a challenging environment with scorching heat, barren sand, and scarce resources.
Despite the harsh conditions, Christopher, fueled by a childhood fascination with Timbuktu, set out to travel from Algiers to Timbuktu, crossing the Sahara. The journey commenced in Boussaada, known as the “Port of the Sahara,” where Christopher secured a lift in a desert truck heading south. The travel conditions were grueling, with three men cramped in the front seat of the truck, moving at a slow pace of 32 kilometers per hour. The temperature soared, causing even cold water to turn hot enough for tea within two hours.
The narrative captures the challenges of crossing the Sahara, emphasizing the extreme heat and the vast, unforgiving landscape. Despite the difficulties, Christopher’s adventurous spirit and determination drive him forward in this unique and daring hitchhiking expedition across one of the world’s most formidable deserts.