No one could have imagined what would happen. When we arrived at Bishaafter celebrating the new year on the bus to the first bivouac, everything went well. The usual concern on our first day at the bivouac was to ensure that the satellite of Dakarthe only one with internet on desertsupported my work system for writing and sending news. And the next, get a card sim. We passed the test quickly, unexpectedly. The desired beginning. We smiled lightly. The worst has happened.
After a while I found it Jacky Ickx on the day of his 80th birthday. Long talk during the day. The motorsports legend enjoyed talking about racing, non-stop, showing endless kindness. It just stopped in an instant. In the middle of the interview, he lowered his glasses and looked at the sky. “Ugh! Someone’s coming…”he said as he looked at the horizon. I didn’t give it much importance. The sun was shining brightly, but in the afternoon everything changed. A huge sandstorm turned the bivouac into torture. Walking along the central street, with a headwind accompanied by sand, it seemed ‘The Walking Dead’, full of walkers defying the forces of nature and walking from one side to the other, covering their eyes as best they could. But the worst is the sleep.
The security employees did not let us lay the bag on the floor of the press room. We had to go to the tent, which was soon blown away by the wind, filling it with sand. At 1 o’clock in the morning he returned to her. I cleaned it in the dead of night before going to sleep despite the strong wind. Punches and blows on suitcases, jackets, clothes and towels. Everything is impregnated with sand. I looked inside the store. The light of flashlight exposed to the air all the suspended dust that breathes in it. I can’t ventilate it. If I leave it open, more and more sand gets in.
I rested as much as I could in the constant breeze that hit the tent. And when you wake up, a new surprise. The mobile phone and suitcase were covered in sand. And my skin. I woke up with stiff hair and face brown. At least the worst seems to be over. The sun has risen and he is smiling again. But soon, the organization warned that a typhoon It gets stronger at night and can blow away tents.
I didn’t have a hammer, so I looked for a rock to nail the tent to the ground blow by blow. And at night, the wind hit the bivouac again. You need to repeat the process and continue to empty the bottle of hydroalcoholic gel after each movement to clean your hands of sand and dust.
The body begins to tire. And the Dakar hasn’t even started yet.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
