Dakar bivouac: sand torture

No one imagined what would happen. When you arrive at Bishaafter celebrating the new year on the bus to the first bivouac, everything was going well. Our usual concerns on the first day of bivouac are: satellite of dakarthe only place with internet desertsupported my work system of writing and sending news. and then get the card SIM. Unexpectedly, we passed the test immediately. Desirable start. We relaxed and smiled. The worst must have happened.

As soon as I found it Jackie Ickx on his 80th birthday. It was a long story under the sun. The motorsport legends spoke tirelessly about racing and showed endless kindness. It stopped in just a moment. In the middle of the interview, he took down his glasses and looked at the sky. “Eh! Something is coming…”he said, looking at the horizon. I didn’t give it much importance. The sun was shining brightly, but in the afternoon everything changed. A huge sandstorm turned the bivouac into a torture. Walking along Chuo-dori Street with a headwind and sandy beach was very pleasant. ‘the walking dead’, It was full of walkers roaming around, fighting the forces of nature and covering their eyes as best they could. But the worst part was the sleep.

Security guards did not allow us to spread our bags on the floor of the press room. We had to go to our tent, but at the last minute the tent had fallen over in the wind and was filled with sand. At 1 a.m. he returned to her. I cleaned it in the middle of the night Before going to bed even though the wind is strong. Blow out onto suitcases, jackets, clothes, and towels. Everything is soaked with sand. Next, I took a look inside the store. light of flashlight In front you could see all the floating dust in the air trying to breathe inside it. There was no ventilation. If you leave it open, sand will keep getting in.

I rested as much as I could, listening to the constant sound of the wind hitting the tent. And when you wake up, you’ll have a new surprise. My cell phone and suitcase were covered in sand. And my skin. When I woke up in the morning, my hair and face were stiff. brown. At least it seemed like the worst was over. The sun shone and he smiled again. But soon after, the organization issued a warning: storm It will get even stronger at night, and your tent may be blown away.

I didn’t have a hammer so I looked for a rock to hammer the tent into the ground. Then, at night, the wind hit the bivouac again. I had to repeat this process and keep emptying the bottle of hydroalcoholic gel after each movement to keep my hands free of sand and dust.

My physical strength begins to drain. And the Dakar hasn’t even started yet.