Sidi-Ifni was a nice place to chill out. I liked here a lot. People were not trying to rip me off, and fish was tasty. If there was a cheap hotel with Internet connection, this town was perfect.
In the morning, I thanked to the hotel guy and left this town. He was a really nice person.

Sidi-Ifniにはゆったりとした時間が流れていて、すごく好きな町だった。ボラれる事は無いし、魚は美味いし、これでネットが繋がる安宿があれば最高な場所だったでしょう。親切で世話焼きな宿のおっちゃんにお別れをして出発。


From now, I start to cross Sahara Desert. I had crossed many deserts in the world such as in china, central Asia and Iran, but Sahara is the biggest. The distance I need to cross will be approximately 2000km to south. This huge desert stretches till Egypt to east. What a huge desert Sahara is.
これからサハラ縦断の日々が始まる。これまでも中国、中央アジア、イランと砂漠をいくつも越えて来たが、サハラ砂漠は最大。この先セネガルまでは岩と砂の世界をひた走る事になる。距離にして2000km超。この砂漠は東にはエジプトまで続いているのだから途方もない大きさだ。

より大きな地図で Cycling West Africa 1 を表示
As you look at this map, the area of Sahara colored all dry. I am now in about north west end of Sahara desert. It's not very fun to cross a desert, so why I will. It's because crossing desert itches my adventure sprit like Tibet and Pamir high lands.

地図で見るとこの辺りから乾いた大地が延々と続いているのが分かる。砂漠を走るのなんて面白いものでは無い。でもサハラ縦断はチベット高原やパミール高原に並んで走ってみたかった場所の一つ。それだけ男の冒険心を誘うものがある。


After I left Sidi-Ifni, kept cycling till hit to the main highway.
出発してからアンチアトラスの切れ端を国道に向けてひた走る。


56km from town, Reached to Guelmim. This town looked as a town created by putting a lot of boxes on chess board. It must be a small oasis village before. From this point, the distance between towns will become more than 100km long.
Ini-Ifniから56km、ゲルミンに到着。荒野の中に箱が沢山並べてあるような町。元は小さなオアシスの村だったんだろう。この町を境に町と町の距離が100kmを越え始める。




Guelmim had a livestocks market, and there was even camels. Camels I've seen in Asia were two top, but here African camels have one top.
町外れに家畜市場があって、ラクダが沢山いた。やっぱりアフリカのラクダはコブが1つしかない。中国西部にいたラクダ達はコブが2つだった。


Trucks carrying a lot of hays.
大量の干し草を積んだトラック。


For tonight, I planed to camp at the cafe 50km from Guelmim if the information i had researched was correct.
事前に調べでゲルミンから50km先にカフェがあるらしく、今日はそこで野宿する予定だった。



As I kept cycling in desert, there was couple of cafes in middle of nowhere. Those were where i wanted. The mountain wizard looking a old man was at the one of cafes. I asked for camping. He pointed to a corner of the cafe and expressed for sleeping. Seemed he let me sleep inside.
ひたすら荒野を走り続けると、情報通りカフェが2件荒野の中にポツンとあった。中に入ると仙人のような爺さんが切り盛りしていた。さっそく野宿させてくれと聞くと、指でカフェの一角を指して、ここで寝て行きなされという仕草。でもちゃっかり20DHねって。




He asked me 20DH. I thought it was free but was even okay for that. I slept inside of cafe this night. However, I regretted that I decided sleeping inside. This cafe was 24h open, and it was for resting place for long haul truckers. People came in and out till morning. I couldn't sleep much. Having good sleep and a lot of food are very important for long distance cycling. If one of them is not enough, it makes a problem for the next day.
I should have chosen camping really.
まぁいいやと思い今夜はこのカフェの中で1泊させてもらう事にした。が、ここトラック野郎達の仮眠カフェだったらしく、夜中遅くまで人が入って来ては出て行く。おかげで朝方まで全然寝れなくて、次の日はすごい寝不足。長距離自転車旅に欠かせない事は良く食べて寝る事。どちらかが欠けると翌日にかなりひびく。テントにしとけば良かったとかなり後悔させられた。