Sunday Day
I love particularly the sun set here. The western sky ornaments itself with exuberant and pensive shades of colours. I have never seen such shades of so many colours. Days are running very fast. It reminds me about the events of life that are so contradictory. When I first arrived here, I used to count even the hours to pass by, now when I stare at the back, it seems that I have lived more than 7 months in this place. Now it appears to be just another day. This I feel very strongly when I turn the pages of photo album and find that 14 UNMOs have already left this team site before me.
Monday Day
There are certain places I love to patrol because of the landscape. The landscape varies from place to place with unique views. Now a days the temperature is too high; today it was 63 deg cel. We could barely go out of the sleepers (accommodation). The temperature was accompanied by the sand storm. The sand is piling up around the sleepers. Inside my room I can only hear the continuous roaring sound of wind. The wind speed recorded today was 14 m/s. The sandstorm started just after I came back from patrolling. 3 new UNMOs joined the team site today. While coming they asked me how long had I been here. I told them and all of them frowned a little.
Tuesday Day
Today we went to Bentili fort (this is comparatively shorter duration patrolling). Used by the French foreign legionnaires, the fort was permanently destroyed during a brief battle by Polisarios and Mauritanian forced in 1978/79. Not very far there is a village named after the fort is abandoned now. Though there is a well nearby still containing water to support the camels as well as humans. One of the houses is used to store UXOs (unexploded ordnance). There are also a grave of a Mauritanian Captain who fought and died in the battle and a quiet remembrance of French fighters through a white cement pole erected at a distance. Through the ages the wind of Sahara would blow over the fallen soldiers' grave, who sacrificed their lives at such a distance. You would hear the sigh of the wind blowing gently.
Thursday Day
If you travel towards the north eastern border (towards Algeria) you would see a vast open piece of landscape bordered by small barren hillocks. Whenever I travel through this place, it always generates a feeling inside me as if I am travelling on the surface of a great lake. May be once upon a time it was really a lake and we find fossils over this land now. While falling back from WP-91 (WP stands for way point which is a designated point; blue tires, rocks with white paint) we usually stop here and consume our packed lunch. We come across many vehicle carrying civilians to the refugee camps of Tindouf. Today while coming from WP-64 I found stagnant water; very unusual and surprising event. The Liaison Officer informed us that it was raining last night. Wonderful. First rain in the desert.
Friday Day
The attraction of the month; visiting Bir Mogrein, a small outpost of Mauritania. It takes about 6.5 hours to drive and usually we stay overnight in teamsite Meheries or Tiffarity while falling back. Once you enter the town you would have a sensation that you have suddenly landed in the set of a cow-boy film. Right then a group of cow boys would appear from no where and would surround you in the midst of dust. The scene of this town is magnificent. Before entering the township your would find immense heaps of rocks piled here and there. The skin of these rocks are withered away so much by the wind that now it reflects the sunlight. The people around seems to be struggling with poverty, the children are malnourished. We were welcome by a Captain from the military outpost. Our operational responsibility was to check the airstrip. While going there I found an astonishing sign posting; "Tourism and Camping site reserved". Great place to do tourism.
Saturday Day
Today is our maintenance day. Normally the day starts slowly. The deputy team site commander distributes the tasks and usually it covers the routine maintenance of compound and vehicles. The cleaning jobs normally finishes by noon and after the daily briefing you won't find any UNMO outside the sleepers. All of them either takes a nap or read books. Absolute a ghosts place. The days are going like a blink of an eye. Someone was asking me how many days I stayed here, I counted and said 7 months and 14 days. I am reassigned to Forces Headquarters and I would be leaving on 31st August. I would leave this place soon. Should I sigh with grief or a long breath of relief? I am not sure. A mix feeling. The scent of Sahara will keep reminding me that I have not wasted my time around here. The memories are precious and buried deep inside my soul.
Diary Images
Beautiful Sunset
Sunset View
Sahara Landscape
Desert Landscape
Sahara Views
Diary Excerpts