12 January - Apparently, it's Friday... Really??

OUR TRANSPORT

Well...

...and this came as somewhat of a surprise...

it's Friday today. Which means 2 things... first, I am 2 days late starting my next week of malaria tablets... and, second... I don't know what the second thing is.

Woke up this morning after a good night's sleep, feeling great and wondered as I crawled out of my tent and wondered why I was the only one awake... Trudged over to our plane. still no-one. Dropped my bags and wandereed back in the dark to the catering plane, which has the movemenmt schedules on it... ah - departure an hour later today...

So, I helped with lots of loading, being alert, awake and cheerful. Had 2 coffees even before the flight and landed in Atar (oh boy, what a place) in a great mood. even the wind and dust couldn't damped my enthusiasm.

Then the day slowly hit the skids, the porogramme running away downhill just faster than I could chase it...

IN THE DINNER QUEUE

Anyway, Atar is even more fly-blown then yesterday (wherever in the hell THAT was, I forget now!) and full of armed people keeping us off everywhere, while allowing locals in to sell us cheap cigarettes, change money and who knows what else...

As the wind dropped, the dust just settled evenly and consistently on everything and the flies arrived. Super!

It's only about a mile past the bivouac to the toilet and shower cubicles, so everything has to be planned well in advance. But a Portuguese journalist said the water (in the showers - I hope... didn't think to ask) was so hot he burned his hand! It's in huge bladders on the ground, so the sun is obviously heating it well. Not that I'd know, as I have sat in my tent (big blue work-tent, not little red sleep-tent) all day, only moving to go into the hercules to be told that nothing's ready. They were still editing yesterday's footage at 5pm tonight for out 6.15 broadcast. Why???

"Because they can" seems to be the only answer I can come up with...

What else... well, it was extremely dusty in the bivouac last night, so I did indeed have some dinner with my dust. Tonight make last night look like the clearest night you ever saw, so it'll be double helpings of fesh fesh and some food under it. All the rece and service trucks are sure stirring it up. And now the wind's almost dropped.

I will come home white. Today it was mostly cloudy again. Maybe it will be sunny somewhere! Everyone relates how much it rained here two years ago. And we're here until we move again, on Sunday morning, so there's still a chance.

BIKERS CRASHED OUT AMID THE DINERS IN THE BIVOUAC

Tomorrow is the Rest Day, when the riders, especially, just die and try to recharge their batteries, as well as fix up the kit, so it might survive the next 7 days rush towards Dakar. We're half way through, as far as numbers of stages goes, but little over one-third of the distance has passed... A long way to go still.

Spent a few surreal minutes standing in the open air, calling home on a payphone. Not good news, as the doctors say that Leah is still not allowed to drive, though she is allowed to fly... so if a whispered deal to do the Bobsleigh World Championship in St Moritz comes off, we'll be off for a few days getting cold in the mountains...

Morgan and Sam are at great ages to have a few days skiing, even though I have never tried and Leah currently couldn't but even if we just get up and go in the cable cars to the pistes and loaf about, it'll be a real change. I couldn't believe it the first time I went and I bet they'd be blown away.

Morgan has spent several weekends recently riding friends' ponies and fell in love with one but this weekend Sam has 2 parties (oh, the social life of the under-5s) so they'll likely be at home and not on the road this time.

Well, now almost 11pm, very dark and dusty, so it's time to go and eat, they hit the hay. Or rock-strewn gravel, as it is...

Pictures won't post for some reason, so I'm giving up and I'll do them tomorrow.

I know you'll all be just thrilled...

ME - BEING AWAKE BUT NOT LOOKING IT

Hmm, so it did post yesterday, although it told me it didn't... ah well, that'll teach me to trust technology... here are the pics anyhow...

Hi to you all, especially Leah, Oscar, Morgan and Sam...