Salt Caravan

mali-sahara-touareg-salt-caravan copy

Mali:  Sahara Desert south of Taodenni 2003

A young Touareg man leads a string of salt laden camels across the sands of the Sahara Desert. He has one companion who is at the front of the caravan. He is barefoot. He carries no canteen. Water is stored in a goat’s skin strapped to one of the camels. His sustenance will be green tea served on the run. Most likely he will be the one to make the tea on a small charcoal brazier while the camels plod patiently forward. He will run to catch up once the tea has brewed and he will hand the glassful to his companion.

The only stop the caravans makes is late at night. And then the camels must be unloaded and fed before the men sip one more glass of tea. On a good day they will eat some millet porridge before finally bedding down.

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