It was really refreshing taking the hot bath last night. My skin was still smooth.
From here, it's about 118km to Dakhla. Normally, cyclists stopped by this city for resting, but I decided not to stop here. 温泉に入れて身体はスッキリスベスベ。今日も張り切って進みましょう。西サハラでラユーンに続き大きな町ダフラまでは118km。普通ならダフラに寄るところだけれど、寄らずに先に進む事にした。 より大きな地図で Cycling West Africa 2 を表示 There were some reasons. As you look at the map, Dakhla is a town in the tip of peninsula. If I want to go there, I need to make 40km side trip. I didn't want that. Another reason was that there would be a village, where I could buy food and water on my way, so its not necessary to go to Dakhla. The last reason was for getting online. There would be a hotel with WiFi about 85km before the Mauritania border, so I would be able to check messages before crossing the border. All of things I wanted to do in Dakhla can be done on my way. 地図を見ると理由が解る。ダフラは大陸から突き出た半島の先にあって、メインの国道から40kmも逸れないといけない。 ダフラへの分岐から国道沿いに40km走った場所にも補給できる集落があるらしいし、モーリタニア国境手前85kmにはネット環境のある安宿もあるという情報。ダフラに行かなくても事済むので無駄な半島往復はやめる事にした。 Anyway, today has been started. そんなわけで走り始めた今日も景色は変わらない。 ![]() I am reaching 40,000km soon. I remembered I had wondered how far people can go by land when I was a little boy about elementary school, At that time, central Asia and Balkan countries had been on conflicts, so I had thought it's impossible for people to go through. Today, I can come to Africa all the way by land. I will skip all central part of Africa since there were still many unsafe areas. However, some cyclists have crossed all the way to South Africa by land. It is crazy and very impressive. 轍をつないでもうすぐ4万キロに達しようとしてる。昔、多分小学生くらいの頃かな、世界地図を見ながら陸路でどこまで行けるのかな~って考えた事を思い出す。その頃は中央アジアやバルカン半島が紛争地帯で絶対無理だろうなと思っていた。でも今は自転車で轍をアフリカまで繋げる時代だ。 自分はこの先アフリカ中央は安全上飛行機で飛ばすつもりだけれど、中には南アフリカまで自転車で繋ぐ人もいるのだからすごいもんだ。 Back to my plan for today. I planed to cycle 120km to a village. I hoped I could pitch my tent somewhere there. After cycling 80km, reached to the intersection with the road goes to Dakhla. I had a police check. 話が逸れてしまった。今日ダフラには行かないので、目的地は120km先にあるはずの集落。走り始めて80km、ダフラの分岐に到着。ここでポリスチェック。 ![]() There was a service station with a restaurant and a shop nearby the intersection. I was thinking of drinking coca-cola while riding. However, it was very disappointing both of them had been closed. 情報ではサービスステーションがあってレストランも併設されてある予定だったけれど、営業しているのはガソリンスタンドだけで、レストランと店は閉まっていた。 暑くてコカコーラが飲めると張り切って走って来ただけに、かなり精神的ショックが大きい。 1400km to Dakar ダカールまで1400km!! ![]() from the intersection, I cycled 40km to the my destination of the day. There were some restaurants and shops. I asked a person if I could camp here. However, since this area was inside of military territory, they didn't allow me to stay there. 分岐から40km走って夕方に予定の集落に到着。レストランが並んでいて飯が食べられる。ここのどこかでで今日は野宿する予定だったのだけれど、この集落は軍の敷地内にあるらしく、ダメだと強く止められてしまった。どうしよ。 ![]() I found a soldier speaking English after awhile so asked where I could possibly camp. He told me there would be a service station 4km from here. Seemed it was only choice I can take for that night. I went to this station and asked for camping. It was not problem. This station was small, so I first tried to find a spot behind the building. I was checking around and cleaning up a spot where I can avoid the wind. 英語が少しできる軍人さんがいて事情を話すと、4km先にガソリンスタンドがあるらしい。そこなら野宿できるみたい。という事で今日もガソリンスタンド泊。別に不満は無い。今日のガソリンスタンドは敷地が小さくて最初敷地の裏にテントを張ろうとした。風が弱い場所を探してゴミをどかしていると。 ![]() Then I saw a scorpion!! It was very nasty looking; small and black. It must be a very poisonous. I decided not to camp on this spot. I eventually pitched my tent in front of the cafe. It would be much safer. サソリーーー!! うぇ~ 気持ち悪い。小さくて黒くていかにも猛毒持ってそう。こんな場所で野宿して間違って刺されでもしたら明日の朝ミイラになっちまう。仕方ない、今日はガソリンスタンドの表で野宿。背に腹はかえられません。 |
I eventually stayed for 2 nights in the service station. There was couple of reasons. One was the wind; the south wind got even stronger next day. Second was second floor of service station where i stayed was pretty comfortable. I thanked a lot for people there letting me stay. I could maintain my bicycle and get my laundry done.
このガソリンスタンドには2泊させてもらってしまった。昨日は南風がさらに強くなっていて、あまりに出発する気が起こらなかったのと、ガソリンスタンド2階の居心地が良過ぎた。快く連泊させて頂いたガソリンスタンドのおじさん、本当に感謝感謝です。おかげで自転車のメンテや洗濯もできました。 The Next destination was also a service station at 88km from here. この日は88km先にあるガソリンスタンドを目指す。 ![]() より大きな地図で Cycling West Africa 2 を表示 Desert desert desert. Only I saw was desert. Today was a bit more hills. 出発するといつもの荒野が続く。今日は多少起伏があるかな。 ![]() There was another service station at 30km from start. Couple of soldiers found me and checked my passport. They were talking on the phone and saying something about me. I didn't care much about it. I checked for the next service station. They told me there would be the one about 60km from here. 30km地点にもガソリンスタンド。ここには軍人さんがいて、何やら電話でサイクリストがどうのこうのと話している。特に気にせず、この先にあるガソリンスタンドは本当に存在するのか再確認。やはりあるらしい。これで今日の安全な宿泊地は確認できた。 ![]() ![]() After I left here and cycled 50km, I arrived to the town named Anzaran. It was not actual town. It was only basement. The service station where I want to go is still 8km away. In this town, a guy called me when I just tried to pass through. I thought he was a police or soldier, but seemed he was not. He told me that the soldier I met at the service station in this morning called his phone and asked him to let me stay his place. ここを出て走る事 50km、Anzaranという建設中の町に着いた。今日宿泊予定のガソリンスタンドはここからさらに8km先にある。すると道路脇からおじさんに呼び止められた。最初またパスポートチェックかと思い止まって話を聞くと、何やら朝軍の人からサイクリストが来るから泊まらせてやってくれと話を受けていたらしい。 ![]() I was taken to his place by the highway. In this place, I met couple of soldiers and saw UN sign on the building. Seemed this place was used to belong to united nation. まずは入りなさいと言われてこの人がいた建物の敷地内に案内された。中には軍の車両が停車されていて軍人さんも数名いたから、このおじさんは大丈夫な事を確信。元々は国連管轄の施設だったようでUNのサインが至る所に残っていた。 ![]() I found some photos of cyclists inside of the building. He must have had cyclists like me in the past. 過去にも何人かのサイクリストが泊まっているらしく、写真が壁に貼ってあった。自分の名刺も張らせてもらう。 ![]() He suggested me to take a shower and brought me to a place where pumps were. まずはシャワーを浴びなされという話になり、連れて行かれたのは何故かポンプ室。 ![]() As he opened a bulb by a big monkey wrench, a lot of water came out from a pipe. I touched it. It was surprisingly hot. It was a hot spring!! Actually I've smelled of sulfur when I came into the pump room. おっちゃんがデカイモンキーレンチでバルブをひねると、ゴーっと言う音と共に太いパイプから水がザブザブ出て来た。さわってみるとあったかい。しかも硫黄の匂い。正しくこれ、温泉。どうりでこのポンプ室が硫黄臭かったわけだ。 ![]() The temperature was about 35℃. As it's sulfur spring, it made my skin very smooth after. Who can expect having a hot spring in sahara desert. It's hard to believe. こんなサハラ砂漠のど真ん中で誰が温泉を浴びれると思うだろうか。嘘のような本当の話。泉温は35度くらいのぬるま湯。砂塵と汗でベトベトジャリジャリな身体が一気にスベスベ。めちゃくちゃ気持ち良かった。 I saw some truck drivers stopped by and had a shower here. Seemed some local people knew it. 夕方何台かトラックが止まって、ドライバー達が温泉を浴びて行ったのを見ると、知る人ぞ知る誰でも浴びれる温泉なのかもしれない。 At this night, he cooked a Tajin. I had been helped so many people these days.... 夜はおっちゃんがタジン鍋を作ってくれた。全く近頃人に助けてもらってばかり。 ![]() His name was Ahoud. He maintained this basement town. このおっちゃん、名前はアフッド氏。この建設中の町Anzaranの管理を任されているらしい。 ![]() If any cyclists who saw this blog in the future, this town is a good stop. Dakhla, an another big town in West Sahara, is only 118km away. 今後もしこのブログを見たサイクリストで西サハラを走る人がいれば是非お立ち寄り下さい。ここからダフラまでは118kmなので丁度良いはず。 |
I felt a bit of strangeness of the wind in the morning. The north wind got died down. I was just hoping for it to get strong again in the afternoon otherwise It will be very difficult to cycle the distance to the next safe place to camp. I planed for 145km today to the next service station.
この日は風がおかしい。北風が止んでいる。まぁすぐ強くなるだろうと思いBoujdourを出発した。今日は145km先にあるガソリンスタンドまでは何も無いらしく、何とか走り切らないといけない。 より大きな地図で Cycling West Africa 2 を表示 Moroccan crape in the morning. This might be the last Moroccan crape. 朝食にクレープ。たぶんクレープはこれが最後かな ![]() ![]() ![]() After taking off and have cycled 50km, the north wind was dead and started south east wind which was a head wind. I had carried 14 litters of water and food for couple of days. My bicycle was super heavy. It was very very hard work. 出発して50km、北風が吹くどころか南東の風が吹き始めた。スピードが出ないし、出そうとするといつもの倍力がいる。今日は水を14ℓと食料を2日分積んでいるから自転車がかなり重い。 ![]() I thought i would turn back to Boujdour. However, other side of my mind told me that this head wind was like a sort of a challenge from a god. I decided to keep on going. Boujdourにいったん引き返す事も考えた。でもこれは何かしらの神様からの試練だと思い負けずに進む道を選ぶ。 I was playing badminton when I was a high school student. We had many many practices everyday. Especially, when the school was on summer Holliday, we had a very hard summer camp in Karuizawa. I was thinking of these summer camp when I was cycling. "I can do it, I can do it" 自分は高校の時、体育会系のバドミントン部で毎日辛い練習に耐えた事がある。夏休みの軽井沢合宿なんてゲロを吐くくらい辛いもんだった。それを考えればこれくらい走れると自分に言い聞かせ走り続けた。 It would be easy for 145km with strong north wind but without, it's very difficult. The average speed became 11km up to 18km/h. I was pushing hard to make it by the sun-set. 追い風が吹けば145kmなんて6時間あれば行ける距離だが、弱向かい風で時速は平均11km~18km前後。日の入りまでに着かなければというプレッシャーでやたらと疲れる。 I didn't have time to sit down and have a lunch. 昼飯もゆっくり座って食べる暇が無くて立ち食い。 ![]() After the noon, it's started raining. This is Sahara. I don't think there were any cyclists who had cycled in rain in Sahara desert. 昼を過ぎてからは雨も降り始めた。サハラ砂漠に降る雨を浴びて走ったサイクリストはなかなかいないだろう。もう踏んだり蹴ったりだ。 Kept pedaling for 9 hours and a bit, I finally arrived to the service station. When I saw the buildings on my way, it looked a shining oasis. ペダルを踏み続け走行時間9時間弱、疲労困憊で145km地点のガソリンスタンドが見えて来た。どんよりとした雲の下でキラキラ光るオアシスのように見えた。 ![]() I was like a knocked out boxer when I arrived. People welcomed me, and there were coca-cola at the restaurant!! What a nice coca cola it was!! ボコボコのボクサーのような状態でガソリンスタンドに到着すると、フレンドリーなここの兄さんが出迎えてくれた。ちゃんとレストランもあってコーラがある。あぁ~最高! ![]() Moreover, unexpectedly, they had a stock room for workers so let me sleep in comfortable room. It was like a prize from the got to the winner. さらにはここの2階に使っていない寝室がいくつかあって、そこで寝かせてもらえる事になった。神の試練を克服した物だけに与えられる至福の一時。 ![]() The room I stayed. Very clean and nice. Truck drivers and other local people stayed downstairs, so the second floor was all for my space. 使って無いから町の宿よりかよっぽど綺麗。一般客は下のフロアにある仮眠室で寝るから、2階は誰もいないし静かで最高。 At the dinner. the Chicken plate. 夜は鳥肉プレート。 ![]() Congratulation for the day. 一日本当お疲れ様でした。 |
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