The beautiful, treacherous Sahara

Desert vibes, the Sahara sand is so vast and the area it covers is ever expanding. There are some projects in the Sahel region of African to slow down or even halt the advance of the great Sahara south towards the tropical part. If the desert wins, and the sand ends up covering the fertile, arable, land, we’ll all be in trouble. If the desert ever reaches the Congo, then it’s pretty much over for human life on this planet.

All of the islands off the coasts of North and West Africa are sanded by the Sahara. Many of the beaches in Southern Europe, especially on the Mediterranean coast, are sanded by the great Sahara. It’s so dry and hot but can also get very cold at night in certain parts. Wind storms are absolutely brutal and have to be experienced to truly understand why. Most people only think about the wind and visibility issues but don’t consider that there are billions of sand crystals flying at speeds of 100 mph and more. This is why the desert dwellers treat sandstorms with the respect it deserves and find any kind of shelter they can.

There are lifeforms that have learnt to survive in this place. As expected they’re all very efficient at storing water. Camels are able to store water in their bodies so they can go long periods of time without drinking. There are plants that have also learnt to store water. Succulents like Cactus and Aloe are good examples but there are thousands of these little plants. Some may even be mistaken for small leaves but are really small bulbs of liquid that look like berries. It’s quite fascinating.

The desert is beautiful though, especially the dunes. Where the desert meets the sea is also almost always out-worldly looking.

Peace & Love,

Adé

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