Our convoy of several 4WD vehicles, set off into the desert to see the salt caravans. Since the Middle Ages, camel caravans have traveled through the Sahara to Taudenni, 500 miles north of Timbuktu. Salt has been in high demand in West Africa since the 12th century. Each salt block weighs about 66 lbs., and the camel carries 4 salt blocks for an approximate total of 264 lbs. It takes nearly two weeks through the sand dunes, led by an experienced guide. The caravans only move from sunset through the early morning, walking about 50 km. every day.

The Taudenni salt mine was cut out of an ancient seabed and hundreds of men work the mines as indentured slaves.

salt caravan
A local chief sent one of his people with our “4WD caravan” as a guide. “Ex-Marine” and I were fortunate enough to be sitting in the vehicle with the head guide, and were able to watch the most amazing bit of navigating I’ve ever seen – through complete nothingness out there…sand…scrubby bushes…and more sand. This man, would move his hand to the right and the driver would go right…then he’d gesture “go straight”…the driver would go straight. All taking place without any word exchanged between the driver and guide. We never saw a landmark, but this man knew every sand dune, location of wells and tribe that lived in the region. It was incredible how he was able to read the desert and determine exactly where we were at all times.

We’d stop during the heat of the day, Roberto would find some sort of shelter (nomads let us use this camp one day) and we’d try to doze, or read until the temperature dropped below 120 degrees which was never before sunset. … View image…

Goats wandered in and out, walking around and over our bodies….

One night’s camp was among these beautiful sand dunes, View image and during the night, I kept hearing strange sounds that got louder as the night went on. When dawn came, Roberto told us to climb to the top of the sand dunes and have a look. There were hundreds and hundreds of camels and goats gathering at three different wells to be watered. If I remember correctly, an arm of the United Nations had built these wells.

wells and camels among the dunes
The most unbelievable sight…the grunts, groans, jostling for position to drink, baby camels, a set of twin babies, View image the nomads hauling up buckets of water for their particular camels. Every camel has a different hoof print and that’s how the nomads track and tell their camels apart from the others.

Our days were filled something unimaginable and new to marvel at. And there were times that I felt we were smack-dab in the center of a National Geographic Special!