Amongst the blue men of the Sahara

It had been a long and gruelling week. I was crossing a desolate part of the Sahara Desert in Mali, West Africa, by camel.

I was there for a photo shoot of the Tuareg people.
For 2,000 years the Tuaregs have operated the trans-Saharan caravan routes.

They live a nomadic life, mostly in temporary yurts, which are built from whatever debris they manage to scrounge in the wasteland.

The Tuaregs are known as the “blue men of the Sahara'', not only because they favour blue robes but also because their indigo turbans are dyed with the ink from sea urchins.

Colours from the sea

The prolonged use of these turbans eventually leads to the colour permeating the skin, giving it a permanent blue tint, hence the name.

The Tuaregs look dramatic against the backdrop of the desert, more so when perched 10 feet high, atop a camel.

Most of them would make a good poster for old Africa. Anyone would think they would be among the last people to be affected by modern technology.

We were about a hundred miles north of Timbuktu and had not seen a road or car for the past six days.

I spent the week sleeping on sand, wrapped in my own robes, having gone totally native.

Desert comfort

While it had been a satisfying trip — I had clicked all the photos I needed — it had also been physically demanding.
It was late afternoon on our final day.

My camel was giving me a hard time and I was muttering to myself how much I missed my wife and wished I could talk to her.

My Tuareg guide asked what her number was and I gave it to him, chuckling and knowing he was kidding with me.

A second later, he produced a satellite phone from beneath his robes, placed it to his ear and handed it to me.
“It's your wife,'' he said.

Go there . . . Bamako . . . From the UAE

From Dubai
Bamako is the capital of Mali.
Ethiopian Airlines flies three days a week via Addis Ababa. Fare from Dh6,115

Kenya Airways flies three days a week via Nairobi.
Fare from Dh5,045

— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata.
Ph: 04 4380454