The Lake District.

After a faltering start we finally hit the sand at about 10.00 am heading southeast across a flat wilderness of nothing much at all to the northern edge of Waw en Kebir, an oasis of interest to the Geos, who intend to bore a hole in it to confirm the desert really is made up of sand. We actually camped at the edge of a vast wadi, some 20 kms. across. Low hills from an eroded lake bed of 450,000 years ago offered good protection from the southerly wind which was reasonably warm and a stark contrast to the previous two years when it has been just sub zero. The good thing about travelling with such knowledgeable chaps is that they are always keen to explain just what you are looking at and why it’s there. They are studying what was Lake Mega Fazzan. Yes. This 120,000 square km. area of desert has been a lake five times over 450,000 years. The high bits are in fact lake bed sediments that have refused to be eroded away by the desert’s winds. Microscopic fossilised shells confirm that it was fresh water, not saline. Flint hand tools confirm mankind had a rich and lengthy stay here, both millions and tens of thousands of years ago. From a nomadic ‘cave’ man, to upright man, much like you and I, but without a mobile phone. The sheep bought it on night four!