Day 16 Medracen, Timgad, Tazoult

Started off with the visit to the Constantin museum that we couldn't do yesterday (arbitrary closure). A wealth of material, well laid out. The floor mosaics are stunning.
Headed south towards Batna but first made a detour to see the mausoleum at Medracen.


Lots of unknowns - like why did it collapse (bad renno job?), why the most recent renovation just abandon the site and disappear?


No matter an impressive structure.
Then on to Timgad but before the ruins lunch at a local families house. Delicious Algerian dishes we hadn't seen before.


Our host is a retired guide who taught Said the ropes 20 odd years ago and was deactivated today for us.
The thing that is different about Timgad is the state of preservation and it's sheer size


- Djemila still has it beat in the location/situation department. There's something magic about seeing the deep ruts in the Decumanus Maximus made by the chariot wheels.


The theatre is stunningly complete, courtesy of the French.


Also one of only two known public roman libraries is here


along with fourteen (14) separate bathing complexes. The market has fabulous carvings over the 16 stalls and the public multiple-seat toilets look like a great place for a debate. Trajans arch is magnificent


and the "capitol" with it's two (of four) extremely tall columns reconstructed. This temple was a three-way venue with 3 sides of a square dedicated to Jupiter(4 columns), Juno (3 columns) and Minerva (3 columns).


The associated museum which houses the fabulous mosaics lifted from the floors has been closed for 10 years. No one knows why. There still mosaics in place on the floor of the Grand South Baths. The steps to the forum are where the famous motto: Venare, lavari, ludere, ridere, occ est vivere. (hunt, bathe, play laugh, that is life) can be found carved. Still working..


Washing machine


Next we zinged the short distance to the museum at Tazoult where we did see mosaics from houses in that garrison town. Formerly the home of the third legion (Legion III Augustus). Took a stroll to the huge (reconstructed surely) praetorium, a four side arch.


Then the fun was over and time to start the 5 hour drive back to Algers and the return flight. But dinner - Said and Faysal were all over our suggestion to return to Setif and eat the fabulous street food of two nights ago. Topped off with some pastries that involved transversing a crazy ad hoc street market where I saw an amazing knock off of an iPhone4. Chinese I was told - but aren't the real ones Chinese?
Dropped Said at home then Faysal dropped us at the airport. We insistedhe takeoff home and sleep. Now it's 2am and we are at the gate waiting for the 3:25am to Francfort.

- from my iPad

Location:Algers airport

Day 15 Djemila and Constantin

Excellent choices at petit dejeuner this morning here at Hotel Setif


Walked to local museum. Best yet. Stunning roman floor mosaics and generally well presented information.

Loaded up at 10am and headed NW for 1hour drive to Djemila. Totally stunning site. Never seen anything like this as we drive in.


First a visit to the museum where an extraordinarily passionate local escorted us around the museum, just 100m from the site, and using a pointer and a scale model of the site, oriented us. Great preparation for the actual visit.
Did a majorvstroll around in a state of awe. Here are just a few pics to try and catch the scene.












Great sewer system.











Lunch at local hostelry of soup and couscous. Very good


Back in the car for the drive to Constantin, city of bridges, where we are staying at out last hotel, hotel Cirta. A fast walk, Said moves, and we are at the top of "Le rocher" for a visit to the palace of the bey. Sort of interesting


Quick stop for some baklava


and flirtation of the assistants


Then the bridges across the gorge


More walking


A few pastis at the hotel, dinner and crash.


- from my iPad

Location:Constantin, Hotel Cirta

Said's take on the desert photos

Said took a look at our "tuaregs" courtesy of the iPad. He had some interesting observations.
Towa is not Tuarog but in fact a Shambi, Bedouin tribesmen who don't enjoy a reputation for honesty and integrity.
M'hamid is probably Malian, certainly not Tuarog.
Abdullah is classic Tuarog.
The way turbans (cheche) are tied is significant. Abdullah exposes a small amount of hair to indicate he is single.

Dinner last night was Shorba (soup) followed by bourek, Turkish originally but this with Algerian touch. Derricious.

Majeb was the name of the street food.

- from my iPad

Location:Road to Djemila

Day 14 addendum

Forgot to mention that Said's resume includes hosting Michael Palin during his Sahara TV/book journey. Also claims to have convinced the boss (Palin's wife) that it was safe in Algeria.

Said is a "fixer" - extraordinarily so. Who else claims to fixed Colin Powell's toilet and been rewarded with a state department paid visit to the US.

(Said == Sayeed)

- from my iPad

Location:Setif

Day 14 Algiers and Setif

Gruesome night courtesy of Air Algieria. Of course we were late and flew to Algiers via Djanet putting us on the ground at 6am-ish. Interesting to see plane fill up with backpacker/trekkers in Djanet - where did they come from? Our bags off the plane very last but there in the arrivals lobby was Faysal ready to whisk us to Hotel Safir.


Very grand I must say. Howard is with us but this will be the dividing of our ways. Inspirational guy - his passport has at least one set of extra pages.
Faysal preps us for departure at 11:30am. We are driving to Constantine (not flying) and with a new guide, Said.
Rest rather than sleep and then F&S are 1 hour late and the hotel can't retrieve the wifi password - go figure.
Head out to Setif this afternoon. The 3 hour drive took 4. I suspect it always takes 4. Put it down to Algerian optimism.
Said's english is spectacular. He is the total package. Guide, sometime journalist, raconteur and self-confessed womanizer. The guy is a riot and we are absorbed by his stories, his politics and hyperbole - not to forget the continual stream of relevant guide-worthy information. Great stuff. James has cheered up considerably.

Faysal is having a good time too - keep the driver happy, keep the driver happy, Algerian mantra. Unimpressive lunch in Boira.

Short debate and we decide up-scale dinner plans in order that we get wine with dinner at place in the 'burbs of Setif that Said knows - of course.

first a city walk. Really good vibe in this totally non tourist town. Historic as point if start of revolution.


Unbelievably good street food


- decided to do street food for lunch tomorrow.

13c mosque


And this crazy fountain in the main street of old town where single girls come to drink the water as it's good luck in finding a man.


Not a problem in Algeria, they are everywhere surely.
F&S getting into the swing of having cooperative tourists


Interesting architecture


Lisboa restaurant. Simple and excellent local cuisine.


Two bottles of Syrah.
wifi is acting up and needs reboot.


- from my iPad

Location:Setif

Day 13 Tamanrasset and depart for Algiers

Very comfortable night in the Assakrem dorm.


Usual breakfast routine and rolling, retracing the ridiculously rough piste back to Tamanrasett. Try as we could we could not get Hassan to divulge any details for the hours before the plane leaves (sched 1;10am). Infuriating. Picked Cherry up at the 6km marker.
Rumbled on down past our campsite of two nights ago and into town. Our destination is Camping D'assine.


Excellent! rooms to change and shower with hot water. Did some laundry while Abdullah prepared the final lunch. Sardines AGAIN...


Relaxing afternoon in the rooms and then we declared a need for a plan.
Abdullah took off to see his family so we said goodbye and started handing out the tip packets.
Coffee and pastries; wifi; African market; dinner; airport.
Coffee worked


Wifi was closed of course, Friday being a religious holiday.
African market - like Djanet but 100x


Then a taxi ride across town to an Abdullah recommended venue for dinner


and back to the hotel where we hang until it's time to leave for airport some 11km out of town. Tamanrasset doesn't have much to recommend it. Absolutely zero tourists or facilities. Lots of staring, not necessarily unfriendly.

Hassan really has to go to guide school.

Finally headed to the airport at 11pm with Akmed at the wheel and Hassan playing guide. I really thought the vehicle might not make it the 11km as there was a huge increase in burning oil smell tonight. Our crew sure seemed like country boys in the big city. Before we went into town this afternoon they all put on best clean clothes and Akmed in particular was wearing his cheche very "up" - buffon style. Akmed has difficulty finding his way around town and the GPS indicates he took a very circuitous route back to the hotel after dinner.

All tip packets delivered and farewells exchanged.

Looking back there is no doubt about it Abdullah is what makes this trip work.


- from my iPad

Location:Tamanrasset

Day 12 journey up to Assakrem

Very very windy but this isn't a sandy area. Cherry is up late


Abdullah has to surround himself and the two burner stove with mattresses to keep out the wind


Locals are extremely deferential towards this guy who wad making a home in the 'new' land cruiser.




Only 60km to Assakrem, how hard could that be? Hard! Eventually stop for lunch in this mainly lunar landscape but we actually find running water although this becomes a study in algae.





After lunch we soon get far ahead of the '82 and hold up some 400m short of the Assakrem dormitories - like I said, lunar.


Keeping in mind that two (2) guide books rate this as the number 1 tourist experience in Algeria are waiting to be awed.
Meanwhile it turns out we have a dorm tonight.


At 4:30pm we start the hike up to the hermitage and prepare to watch the sunset. Nice but we probably aren't doing the hike again for sunrise. The view down to the dorms.


At the summit



Inside the hermitage





And the view


- from my iPad

Location:Assakrem