Trucking through Sahara Photo

Photographer’s Note

In December 1981 I crossed the Sahara on top of a truck bound for Nigeria with a load of Algerian dates. The journey from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria to Agadez in northern Niger took about three days. Arriving in Agadez I was dirtier than ever before, covered in red dust.
This is from somewhere in the very south of Algeria, approaching the Nigerien border. The truck had a crew of four men, two of them temporarily enjoying the view from the top.
Scanned from a Kodachrome slide.

saxo042, mafegan has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pawelx (473) 2008-01-07 1:06

Great photo and, even more, the story that goes with it. Niger and Agadez in particular have long been on my must-see list.

saxo042 (16348) 2008-01-07 1:10

Hej Gert,
I believe this is going to be a very thrilling journey. The photo is great but it leaves us with a lot of questions. How many passengers were actually on the truck? Did you eat nothing but dates? Where did you sleep? And so on...
Hälsningar
Gunnar

molla (6921) 2008-01-08 1:23

hej Gert,
A man standing up on a vehicle always gives me association of a war situation, a cowboy an army leader. great impact any how.
//Anders Mohlin

mafegan (4541) 2008-09-27 16:55

Hello Gert
I can relate to your story. We travelled through Niger in the back of an empty semi-trailer truck - empty except for a vehicle and the locals who climbed aboard throughout the night and used my head and shoulders as stepping stones. I will never forget the corrugated road and certainly there was no sleeping.
Regarding this photo - the scan is very sharp and the colours haven't faded. The composition is excellent with the cargo in the foreground, the silhouetted men and then the vast landscape of rocks and sand beyond.
Well done, Marlene