Biskra, with a population of around 350 000 is on the northern edge of the Sahara and is the centre of the Ziban group of oases, set between the Aurès and Tell Atlas Mountains. The town was established on the fortified Roman site of Viscera. Scattered amongst the thousands of date palms are the many red brick, three storey houses. The ground floor often entails a shop of some form with the upper floors accommodating the family groups.
The Wadi Biskra Dam provides water for the irrigation of date palms, fruits and the fields of wheat and barley. The prized and highly sought after Deglet Nur date is grown in this Biskra oasis region. Figs, pomegranates and apricots are also grown in the oases where a plentiful water supply is available.
In 1969 the town of Biskra was subjected to disastrous flooding which we found hard to envisage as the region surrounding Biskra is so dry and arid.
Before leaving Biskra, we visited the ‘London Garden’. This well maintained public park area claims to have over a million trees, palms and plants in an area of little more than one hectare. The garden has several paths meandering in amongst the shady cover provided by the many palms and the large ficus and eucalypt trees. There is an attractive pond in the centre of the garden and small brown frogs were plentiful around the water’s edge.
London Gardens, Biskra
London Gardens, Biskra
There was some very old farm machinery next to the garden’s car park.
Old machinery, London Gardens, Biskra
Our 200 km drive from Biskra to El Oued was mostly through a flat, semi-desert landscape although we passed two large, dry salt lakes called Melrhir and Merouane which lie almost entirely below sea level.
Further south, the previously brown gravelly land transitioned to typical Saharan sands with rolling dunes often encroaching on the road’s edge and herds of camels seen close by.
Camel on roadside, en route to El Oued
Camels on roadside, en route to El Oued
French road engineers had to devise a means of determining the best pathway across the desert to avoid the ever moving dunes. They used small pyramid structures mounted on dune tops to establish the rate of sand movement.
Pyramid structures mounted on dune tops
Algeria has a vast natural gas supply and produces most of its electricity from gas fired steam generators. We passed one of these very large power stations and the network of power lines supported on high pylon towers was extensive with seemingly electrical energy being sent in all directions.
Gas fired power station en route to El Oued
We stopped for drinks and collected some ‘take-away’ lunch and then, with the continuing police escort we drove non-stop to El Oued.
It was Friday prayer day and it was spooky to see the effect the 12:40 ‘call to prayer’ had on the Muslim population. The towns we passed through became utterly deserted; practically no people or cars moving and all shop fronts were locked down and business put on hold.
Muslims going to prayer in otherwise deserted streets, El Oued
‘City of 1001 domes’ (reflectors to keep houses cool), El Oued
We arrived at our Hotel El Oued at 13:30 and despite the all around ‘ghost-town’ scenario, there were very friendly management staff to assist and check us in.
View from our room (no one in sight), El Oued
This early finish to the day’s activity is very different from previous days and it enables us to relax, catch up on things and most importantly it gives us more time to help Diana celebrate her birthday.
At 19:30 we were joined by both Ridwane and our driver Adlene for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. On completion of the meal, Ridwane had us accompany him to another room across from the front foyer.
Chris, Diana, our guide Ridwane, our driver Adlene and Jak, dinner at Hotel El Oued
To our surprise, and especially Diana’s, the hotel staff had set up a birthday party table with flowers, balloons, chocolates (from Ridwane’s daughter) and a birthday cake. The cake was a multilayered sponge cake iced in pink with ‘Happy Birthday Diana’ written on it together with Roman candles. We had a most enjoyable and thoroughly unexpected celebration of Diana’s special day. Alas however, no G&Ts or bubbles are to found anywhere in this part of Algeria!
Diana and Chris with birthday cake, Hotel El Oued
Diana with her birthday cake, Hotel El Oued
Tomorrow will be a long driving day as we head for Ghardaia a distance of about 500 km away!