1 00:00:03,967 --> 00:00:06,037 That's the start of the journey. 2 00:00:06,207 --> 00:00:08,198 The Sahara journey day two, 3 00:00:08,367 --> 00:00:12,201 the first thing we have to do is leave Europe behind. 4 00:00:12,367 --> 00:00:15,757 That is the last of Europe, the rock of Gibraltar, 5 00:00:15,927 --> 00:00:17,918 Spain beyond it. 6 00:00:18,087 --> 00:00:20,681 We're on the Straits of Gibraltar, 7 00:00:20,847 --> 00:00:22,997 between Europe and Africa. 8 00:00:23,167 --> 00:00:27,479 It's only a few more miles to the African coast, 9 00:00:27,647 --> 00:00:31,879 and it's just an amazing location, 10 00:00:32,047 --> 00:00:35,084 one of the great focal points of world history 11 00:00:35,247 --> 00:00:38,637 between this rock and the rock on the other side 12 00:00:38,807 --> 00:00:41,480 which we'll try and get a picture of later. 13 00:00:41,647 --> 00:00:46,277 For the Romans and the Greeks, this was the end of the world, 14 00:00:46,447 --> 00:00:48,438 the end of the known world. 15 00:00:48,607 --> 00:00:52,236 Beyond that, it was terra incognita, and for me, too. 16 00:00:52,407 --> 00:00:55,638 Where I'm going to, places like Mauritania, Mali, 17 00:00:55,807 --> 00:00:59,516 they're just names - I know nothing about them at all. 18 00:00:59,687 --> 00:01:03,157 So for me, it's a journey into terra incognita as well. 19 00:01:03,327 --> 00:01:06,444 There we are, there goes Gibraltar, the rock, 20 00:01:06,607 --> 00:01:10,998 the last of Britain only 200 miles from the Sahara Desert! 21 00:01:11,167 --> 00:01:14,318 Farewell. See you when I see you! 22 00:01:19,447 --> 00:01:22,962 (ROARING WIND) And that, if you can hear me, 23 00:01:23,127 --> 00:01:25,766 is where we're going. That's Africa! 24 00:01:25,927 --> 00:01:28,316 That's the other side of the Straits. 25 00:01:28,487 --> 00:01:31,285 Morocco and beyond the Atlas mountains, 26 00:01:31,447 --> 00:01:33,802 Sahara, sand, sea, fun! 27 00:01:33,967 --> 00:01:37,755 Well, sand, anyway! That's it. That's Africa, 28 00:01:37,927 --> 00:01:40,725 right across the Straits from Gibraltar. 29 00:01:40,887 --> 00:01:43,959 The two rocks, known as the Pillars of Hercules, 30 00:01:44,127 --> 00:01:47,039 and the end of the known world 2,000 years ago. 31 00:01:47,207 --> 00:01:50,040 So a real feeling of adventure at this point! 32 00:01:50,207 --> 00:01:52,198 And wind and noise! 33 00:01:58,367 --> 00:02:00,881 The noises you can hear in the background 34 00:02:01,047 --> 00:02:04,039 are the everyday life of the family of Bachir 35 00:02:04,207 --> 00:02:07,961 who are looking after us here in the Polisario refugee camp 36 00:02:08,127 --> 00:02:10,277 in south-western Algeria, 37 00:02:10,447 --> 00:02:13,245 on the western edge of the Sahara Desert. 38 00:02:13,407 --> 00:02:17,400 Around this camp, which has only been built in the last 25 years, 39 00:02:17,567 --> 00:02:19,762 is just desert. (CHILDREN GIGGLE) 40 00:02:19,927 --> 00:02:23,602 And we're not staying at some hotel. There aren't hotels. 41 00:02:23,767 --> 00:02:27,396 Bachir has allowed us to come and stay in his own house, 42 00:02:27,567 --> 00:02:29,558 and welcomed us to the house. 43 00:02:29,727 --> 00:02:32,924 There's Siddi, most of the boys are called Siddi. 44 00:02:33,087 --> 00:02:37,205 That's Siddi two. Siddi one's somewhere, and there's Salma. 45 00:02:37,367 --> 00:02:40,439 Come along, Hadi! Say hello! 46 00:02:41,967 --> 00:02:44,197 There we are. 47 00:02:44,367 --> 00:02:46,358 Say hello. Hello, world! 48 00:02:46,527 --> 00:02:48,040 Hello. 49 00:02:48,207 --> 00:02:50,198 This is Hadi. 50 00:02:50,367 --> 00:02:52,358 (SPEAKS SPANISH) 51 00:02:52,527 --> 00:02:55,758 They speak Spanish here as well as Arabic, 52 00:02:55,927 --> 00:03:00,125 and so you're... dieciocho. 53 00:03:00,287 --> 00:03:01,925 Dieciocho. 54 00:03:02,087 --> 00:03:05,318 Which for all you Spanish speakers out there is 18. 55 00:03:05,487 --> 00:03:07,478 Isn't it extraordinary? 56 00:03:07,647 --> 00:03:10,878 There are seven of us travelling with all our bags. 57 00:03:11,047 --> 00:03:14,596 If we turned up at someone's house for two or three days, 58 00:03:14,767 --> 00:03:16,758 a house as small as this... 59 00:03:16,927 --> 00:03:20,317 This is the courtyard. There's a very small kitchen, 60 00:03:20,487 --> 00:03:24,082 and one small lavatory which is just a hole in the ground, 61 00:03:24,247 --> 00:03:28,035 and it's a squat toilet so you just squat over it. 62 00:03:28,207 --> 00:03:32,758 Washing comes from water which is brought from 25 miles away. 63 00:03:32,927 --> 00:03:37,318 It ends up here in these big sort of drums, 64 00:03:37,487 --> 00:03:41,036 and we pour water in there and wash our hands from there. 65 00:03:41,207 --> 00:03:43,198 That's the water they live on. 66 00:03:43,367 --> 00:03:45,835 It's a very, very different world. 67 00:03:46,007 --> 00:03:49,079 It's Arabic so there's no drinking, no alcohol. 68 00:03:49,247 --> 00:03:51,556 None of us have had alcohol for a bit. 69 00:03:51,727 --> 00:03:53,718 And when you eat... 70 00:03:53,887 --> 00:03:56,879 It's a kind of nomadic world here. 71 00:03:57,047 --> 00:04:00,676 People only carry around things they can take with them. 72 00:04:00,847 --> 00:04:02,838 This is still the way it is. 73 00:04:03,007 --> 00:04:05,396 They have a tent, carpets, cushions, 74 00:04:05,567 --> 00:04:07,558 you don't have heavy tableware, 75 00:04:07,727 --> 00:04:11,197 you don't have anything that you can't carry with you. 76 00:04:11,367 --> 00:04:15,042 So when you eat, you sit cross-legged and... 77 00:04:15,207 --> 00:04:18,836 ...and you sort of lie rather languidly 78 00:04:19,007 --> 00:04:21,237 at the table in there. 79 00:04:21,407 --> 00:04:24,001 And people just naturally lie down here. 80 00:04:24,167 --> 00:04:26,158 It's a different way of life, 81 00:04:26,327 --> 00:04:30,036 and life begins really when the light comes up. 82 00:04:30,207 --> 00:04:33,961 There is some light here. There's a solar panel 83 00:04:34,127 --> 00:04:36,516 which brings in electricity 84 00:04:36,687 --> 00:04:38,757 or rather creates electricity. 85 00:04:38,927 --> 00:04:40,918 It charges that battery, 86 00:04:41,087 --> 00:04:44,557 and there is no electricity brought into this camp 87 00:04:44,727 --> 00:04:47,480 which is called Smara and contains 40,000 people. 88 00:04:47,647 --> 00:04:49,638 It's all solar heated, 89 00:04:49,807 --> 00:04:51,798 so everything's quite dim. 90 00:04:51,967 --> 00:04:53,958 Everyone's very jolly. 91 00:04:54,127 --> 00:04:57,199 They're all amazingly friendly and welcoming. 92 00:04:57,367 --> 00:04:59,597 They probably should be at school! 93 00:04:59,767 --> 00:05:03,476 The buildings are made of what you see around you, 94 00:05:03,647 --> 00:05:06,684 basically sand - sand and clay. Sand and water. 95 00:05:08,447 --> 00:05:12,281 They make building bricks and they put a rendering on. 96 00:05:12,447 --> 00:05:16,759 This presumably survives because it doesn't rain here very often. 97 00:05:16,927 --> 00:05:19,839 It hasn't rained here for two and a half years. 98 00:05:20,007 --> 00:05:23,477 This is our home for a while, and you're very, very kind! 99 00:05:23,647 --> 00:05:25,638 Oh, thank you! 100 00:05:25,807 --> 00:05:27,798 You made this. 101 00:05:27,967 --> 00:05:29,958 This is a... There we go. 102 00:05:30,127 --> 00:05:33,437 Look at that! Thank you. 103 00:05:33,607 --> 00:05:35,598 There - it means we're friends. 104 00:05:35,767 --> 00:05:40,204 I'll probably have to pay about 3,000 pesetas! 105 00:05:40,367 --> 00:05:43,120 That's lovely. Thank you. Muchas gracias. 106 00:05:43,287 --> 00:05:45,278 - De nada. - Muchas gracias. 107 00:05:46,447 --> 00:05:50,326 Me llamo Michael y buenas noches! 108 00:05:55,967 --> 00:05:58,561 Here is the solar panel. 109 00:05:58,727 --> 00:06:01,958 The source of all the light and energy at night. 110 00:06:02,127 --> 00:06:05,961 Here is the battery which is being charged. 111 00:06:07,967 --> 00:06:09,958 When they cook, 112 00:06:10,127 --> 00:06:12,118 the cooking is in here. 113 00:06:12,287 --> 00:06:14,278 This is the kitchen. 114 00:06:15,967 --> 00:06:17,958 (CHILDREN CHATTER) 115 00:06:18,127 --> 00:06:21,358 We'll fight our way through. This is the kitchen. 116 00:06:21,527 --> 00:06:24,360 Can you see in here, there's a? 117 00:06:28,647 --> 00:06:30,638 There's Salma. 118 00:06:31,967 --> 00:06:35,403 How are you doing? Salma say hello to the camera. 119 00:06:35,567 --> 00:06:37,558 There we are. Hold on. 120 00:06:37,727 --> 00:06:39,399 Hola! Hola! 121 00:06:40,967 --> 00:06:42,958 No, no! 122 00:06:43,127 --> 00:06:45,118 There's Mrs Krikita. 123 00:06:47,367 --> 00:06:49,358 (CHILD) Hola. (PALIN) Hola. 124 00:06:49,527 --> 00:06:52,678 - Krikita? Kri-kita? - Kri-kiba. 125 00:06:52,847 --> 00:06:56,044 Kri-kiba, you see? We're learning! 126 00:06:56,207 --> 00:06:59,802 Mrs Kri-kiba. She does all the cooking 127 00:06:59,967 --> 00:07:02,037 out of this one little room here. 128 00:07:02,207 --> 00:07:04,198 There's a stove down there. 129 00:07:04,367 --> 00:07:06,801 Oh, she doesn't want us to see that. 130 00:07:06,967 --> 00:07:08,958 (BOY) Siddi. 131 00:07:09,127 --> 00:07:11,118 (PALIN) Siddi uno. 132 00:07:11,967 --> 00:07:13,958 What's this, Bachir? 133 00:07:14,127 --> 00:07:16,118 (BACHIR) This is brazier. 134 00:07:16,287 --> 00:07:18,517 (PALIN) That's charcoal brazier. 135 00:07:18,687 --> 00:07:21,645 (BACHIR) Charcoal from acacia wood. 136 00:07:21,807 --> 00:07:24,879 Acacias are about the only trees that grow here. 137 00:07:25,047 --> 00:07:27,038 Yes, this is the only tree 138 00:07:27,207 --> 00:07:29,641 which grows in this part of the desert. 139 00:07:29,807 --> 00:07:32,196 That's charcoal from acacia wood, 140 00:07:32,367 --> 00:07:34,358 and this is Calor gas? 141 00:07:34,527 --> 00:07:39,078 (BACHIR) Yes, but in general, for preparing food, 142 00:07:39,247 --> 00:07:44,958 we prefer to use the brazier of acacia rather than the gas. 143 00:07:45,127 --> 00:07:48,278 Because it has a pleasant smell and cooks better? 144 00:07:48,447 --> 00:07:52,201 Yes, and the fire is softer. The heat is softer than the gas. 145 00:07:52,367 --> 00:07:55,359 It's softer. That's interesting, yeah. 146 00:07:55,527 --> 00:07:57,995 So, as you have said yesterday, no? 147 00:07:58,167 --> 00:08:02,957 For a good tea, we need unsalty water and charcoal. 148 00:08:03,127 --> 00:08:05,118 That's easier said than done 149 00:08:05,287 --> 00:08:09,121 because unsalty water comes from about 50 kilometres away. 150 00:08:09,287 --> 00:08:12,677 And the best acacia wood, so tea is so important here. 151 00:08:12,847 --> 00:08:16,078 Thank you. There's Siddi going off there. 152 00:08:16,247 --> 00:08:18,238 Now, into the tent. 153 00:08:26,167 --> 00:08:28,158 Take my shoes off. 154 00:08:28,327 --> 00:08:31,160 We take our shoes off when we go into the tent. 155 00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:36,958 And, er... 156 00:08:39,527 --> 00:08:42,280 (BACHIR) You can sit wherever you like. 157 00:08:42,447 --> 00:08:45,439 I'm going to show you this is where we would eat. 158 00:08:45,607 --> 00:08:47,598 You sit like that. 159 00:08:47,767 --> 00:08:50,804 Cross-legged and you'd have bowls like that. 160 00:08:50,967 --> 00:08:54,596 And when you've had enough, you have a little lie down. 161 00:08:56,567 --> 00:08:59,559 That's how we want to relax. Like that, yeah. 162 00:08:59,727 --> 00:09:01,718 That's the way you relax, is it? 163 00:09:01,887 --> 00:09:05,277 I was saying, it's probably to do with being nomads - 164 00:09:05,447 --> 00:09:08,439 having to take things you can carry with you, 165 00:09:08,607 --> 00:09:11,075 so you don't have great heavy chairs. 166 00:09:11,247 --> 00:09:15,559 (BACHIR) Just very light things. (PALIN) Lovely! That's the life! 167 00:09:15,727 --> 00:09:17,206 That's the life! 168 00:09:17,367 --> 00:09:19,722 It's not all as easy as this! 169 00:09:19,887 --> 00:09:22,685 And they're not all as friendly as Bachir! 170 00:09:22,847 --> 00:09:26,681 (BACHIR) Thank you! - Good hospitality! 171 00:09:26,847 --> 00:09:30,442 It's just unbelievable because here we are in this tent, 172 00:09:30,607 --> 00:09:32,518 surrounded by friends, 173 00:09:32,687 --> 00:09:35,247 and outside, miles and miles of desert 174 00:09:35,407 --> 00:09:37,602 about as far as the eye can see. 175 00:09:37,767 --> 00:09:39,405 Anyway... 176 00:09:39,567 --> 00:09:41,558 ...that's it. 177 00:09:50,447 --> 00:09:52,438 Tea is about to be made. 178 00:09:52,607 --> 00:09:54,802 They're very hospitable here. 179 00:09:54,967 --> 00:09:58,562 And we all sleep, not together, but in these two rooms... 180 00:09:59,767 --> 00:10:01,644 ...rather comfortably. 181 00:10:03,167 --> 00:10:08,195 And I feel much better after a really awful day yesterday 182 00:10:08,367 --> 00:10:10,358 when something hit my system, 183 00:10:10,527 --> 00:10:12,916 some nasty, violent, evil thing 184 00:10:13,087 --> 00:10:15,078 went through my system. 185 00:10:15,247 --> 00:10:17,238 It made me feel very ill. 186 00:10:17,407 --> 00:10:21,400 Coming out of both ends, I was, so I feel much better tonight. 187 00:10:21,567 --> 00:10:23,558 I'm quite looking forward 188 00:10:23,727 --> 00:10:26,719 to crossing the border tomorrow to Mauritania 189 00:10:26,887 --> 00:10:30,118 and finding a hotel that has hot water in the rooms, 190 00:10:30,287 --> 00:10:33,199 and somewhere to get a shave and just clean up, 191 00:10:33,367 --> 00:10:35,358 and sort out the gear 192 00:10:35,527 --> 00:10:38,599 which has been covered in sand five days in a row. 193 00:10:38,767 --> 00:10:41,679 Otherwise, moral is high, isn't it? 194 00:10:41,847 --> 00:10:43,838 (NO ONE RESPONDS) 195 00:10:44,007 --> 00:10:45,998 Isn't it? Oui! 196 00:10:46,167 --> 00:10:50,763 Shoukran! OK... Goodnight! 197 00:10:52,967 --> 00:10:56,960 If you're not careful, I'll show you the toilet facilities! 198 00:11:03,007 --> 00:11:04,998 Well, you asked for it. 199 00:11:05,167 --> 00:11:08,955 I threatened I'd show you the toilet facilities here. 200 00:11:10,647 --> 00:11:12,717 It's called Mejeg or Mejik. 201 00:11:12,887 --> 00:11:16,926 It's a very southern part of Western Sahara. 202 00:11:17,087 --> 00:11:20,762 A tiny little desert town. There's not much here at all. 203 00:11:20,927 --> 00:11:23,202 This is the grand de luxe bathroom. 204 00:11:23,367 --> 00:11:25,358 This is really quite clean. 205 00:11:25,527 --> 00:11:28,678 Get a bucket of water and just flush it down there. 206 00:11:28,847 --> 00:11:32,760 And around here, we'll find the washroom. 207 00:11:32,927 --> 00:11:36,920 It's just as well this isn't smell-a-vision, actually! 208 00:11:39,767 --> 00:11:42,964 A little bit of bath water in there... 209 00:11:44,527 --> 00:11:46,518 which I think is a bit... 210 00:11:46,687 --> 00:11:50,282 I'm not sure whether it's bath water or washing up water, 211 00:11:50,447 --> 00:11:52,438 but it's slightly warm. 212 00:11:53,967 --> 00:11:56,640 I hope I don't have to see these facilities 213 00:11:56,807 --> 00:12:00,277 as often as I did last night in the other army barracks. 214 00:12:00,447 --> 00:12:02,438 I had to rush out in the night, 215 00:12:02,607 --> 00:12:05,280 the wind blowing, toilet paper flapping. 216 00:12:05,447 --> 00:12:07,836 This is what happens when you travel. 217 00:12:08,007 --> 00:12:10,601 You eat one wrong mouthful of camel stew, 218 00:12:10,767 --> 00:12:12,997 or a fork that hasn't been cleaned, 219 00:12:13,167 --> 00:12:15,965 and then for 24 hours, your system's hell. 220 00:12:16,127 --> 00:12:18,004 But as I say, I'm fine today, 221 00:12:18,167 --> 00:12:20,158 and I'm drinking the tea - 222 00:12:20,327 --> 00:12:23,842 this is very special tea that the Saharawis, 223 00:12:24,007 --> 00:12:26,521 the people who live in Western Sahara - 224 00:12:26,687 --> 00:12:29,838 they've now been exiled to one side of the border - 225 00:12:30,007 --> 00:12:33,682 but they make this lovely tea and have been very good to us. 226 00:12:33,847 --> 00:12:37,635 So a drink to the Western Sahara people, the Saharawis! 227 00:12:39,767 --> 00:12:41,439 Ace! 228 00:12:47,887 --> 00:12:52,324 I'd just like to say a few words about Michael, 229 00:12:52,487 --> 00:12:54,478 because he's too modest to say 230 00:12:54,647 --> 00:12:58,959 that he's been extremely ill on this leg of the journey. 231 00:12:59,127 --> 00:13:01,960 For one whole day, he was vomiting 232 00:13:02,127 --> 00:13:05,039 one, two, three, four times. 233 00:13:05,207 --> 00:13:07,198 He got weaker and weaker, 234 00:13:07,367 --> 00:13:10,165 and by the end he could hardly stand up. 235 00:13:10,327 --> 00:13:12,887 There are very few hospitals around, 236 00:13:13,047 --> 00:13:16,039 but at the mention of the word "hospital", 237 00:13:16,207 --> 00:13:18,437 he would have nothing to do with it, 238 00:13:18,607 --> 00:13:20,996 so we think he's been a very brave boy. 239 00:13:21,167 --> 00:13:23,158 He's been a real trouper, 240 00:13:23,327 --> 00:13:26,399 and he'll probably hate me for telling the world 241 00:13:26,567 --> 00:13:29,240 how ill he's been and how he's coped with it 242 00:13:29,407 --> 00:13:31,841 in very wild and inhospitable places. 243 00:13:32,007 --> 00:13:35,443 I can't speak too highly of... What shall we call it? 244 00:13:35,607 --> 00:13:38,519 The professionalism - the do or die bulldog spirit! 245 00:13:44,607 --> 00:13:46,598 (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) 246 00:13:52,447 --> 00:13:55,837 (MAN) Does Michael want to keep any of his small bags? 247 00:13:56,007 --> 00:13:57,804 No, I think everything's out here. 248 00:13:58,607 --> 00:14:06,605 (INDISTINCT CONVERSATION) 249 00:14:55,447 --> 00:14:59,076 It's the sort of travelling light that we do (!) 250 00:14:59,247 --> 00:15:02,717 We need all these. Believe it or not, we need all these. 251 00:15:02,887 --> 00:15:05,685 I personally need my stock of 42 socks, 252 00:15:05,847 --> 00:15:08,122 16 linen suits, 253 00:15:08,287 --> 00:15:10,278 dinner jacket and... 254 00:15:10,447 --> 00:15:12,438 ...medals. 255 00:15:12,607 --> 00:15:14,598 But this is... 256 00:15:15,767 --> 00:15:17,758 ...really the end of a section 257 00:15:17,927 --> 00:15:21,602 which has taken us across our first real stretch of desert 258 00:15:21,767 --> 00:15:24,759 from Morocco down here to... 259 00:15:26,527 --> 00:15:28,882 ...central southern Mauritania. 260 00:15:29,047 --> 00:15:32,323 Behind me the fort from the French Foreign Legion! 261 00:15:32,487 --> 00:15:35,240 It really was a French Foreign Legion fort. 262 00:15:35,407 --> 00:15:37,716 You see this extraordinary... 263 00:15:37,887 --> 00:15:39,445 ...wall decoration. 264 00:15:39,607 --> 00:15:42,838 It looks as though people have served tennis balls 265 00:15:43,007 --> 00:15:45,521 very fast and repeatedly into the walls. 266 00:15:53,767 --> 00:15:55,246 OK... 267 00:15:55,407 --> 00:15:56,886 (MAN) Are you ready? 268 00:15:57,047 --> 00:16:00,278 Trouble strikes in Bandiagara in Mali, 269 00:16:00,447 --> 00:16:02,642 50 miles south-east of... 270 00:16:03,767 --> 00:16:06,235 ...Mopti on our way to Dogon country. 271 00:16:06,407 --> 00:16:09,558 It's a kind of bumpy, bouncy road, 272 00:16:09,727 --> 00:16:11,797 a couple of springs have broken, 273 00:16:11,967 --> 00:16:14,720 so the repair is being done. 274 00:16:14,887 --> 00:16:16,878 They've just gone into town 275 00:16:17,047 --> 00:16:20,198 and got a bit of rubber to strengthen the springs, 276 00:16:20,367 --> 00:16:22,756 so what do we do? We get food! 277 00:16:22,927 --> 00:16:26,636 Ah, my mango has arrived! Thank you. This is our director. 278 00:16:27,927 --> 00:16:29,918 What's the way to do it? 279 00:16:30,087 --> 00:16:33,204 Sorry, mango calls. Mr Meakin, the camera man. 280 00:16:33,367 --> 00:16:35,164 Don't take it away again. 281 00:16:35,327 --> 00:16:37,318 No, go on. 282 00:16:37,487 --> 00:16:39,478 All the crew must eat 283 00:16:39,647 --> 00:16:41,842 in quieter moments like this. 284 00:16:42,007 --> 00:16:43,998 There they all are. 285 00:16:45,567 --> 00:16:47,558 A mango moment. 286 00:16:52,447 --> 00:16:54,756 Mangoes and bananas... 287 00:16:54,927 --> 00:16:57,122 ...taste different in Africa. 288 00:17:00,967 --> 00:17:03,959 It was worth a detour just for the mangoes. 289 00:17:04,127 --> 00:17:07,199 It's worth breaking down every now and then. 290 00:17:07,367 --> 00:17:10,120 - Where did you get these? - At a police stop. 291 00:17:10,287 --> 00:17:12,926 We had to stop on the way to Bandiagara. 292 00:17:13,087 --> 00:17:17,080 There were red and white striped cans right across the road. 293 00:17:17,247 --> 00:17:19,886 - We had to pay some tax. - Mmm. Poll tax. 294 00:17:20,047 --> 00:17:22,845 It seemed to be a bit of a contentious issue. 295 00:17:23,007 --> 00:17:27,159 - Well, it's... - Who levies the tax? 296 00:17:27,327 --> 00:17:29,602 It's the local bandits, basically. 297 00:17:29,767 --> 00:17:32,406 They just say, "This bit of road is ours, 298 00:17:32,567 --> 00:17:36,560 "and you have to pay to cross it." It's like a motorway toll. 299 00:17:36,727 --> 00:17:41,039 They had no actual uniform or badge of authority. 300 00:17:41,207 --> 00:17:43,641 Meanwhile, while you're doing that, 301 00:17:43,807 --> 00:17:47,083 someone creeps up the side and sells you mangoes! 302 00:17:47,247 --> 00:17:50,045 They sell you everything all the time here. 303 00:17:50,207 --> 00:17:53,005 That was the wife of the man taking the fine. 304 00:17:53,167 --> 00:17:55,158 I'm being pampered! 305 00:17:55,327 --> 00:17:57,318 So what's the problem? 306 00:17:57,487 --> 00:17:59,876 How does this affect our progress? 307 00:18:00,047 --> 00:18:02,686 Well, we've lost half a day probably, 308 00:18:02,847 --> 00:18:06,965 but we'll just sit here and eat mangoes until they've fixed it. 309 00:18:07,127 --> 00:18:10,676 It's not the first time that we've had vehicle trouble. 310 00:18:10,847 --> 00:18:12,997 - It is a problem. - It is a problem, 311 00:18:13,167 --> 00:18:14,486 but it's kind of par for the course. 312 00:18:19,767 --> 00:18:21,758 (MAN) OK. 313 00:18:21,927 --> 00:18:24,236 Um, it's... 314 00:18:25,407 --> 00:18:28,683 ...the beginning of the second week of March now 315 00:18:28,847 --> 00:18:31,077 here in Mali, the centre of Africa, 316 00:18:31,247 --> 00:18:33,636 and it's beginning to get very hot. 317 00:18:33,807 --> 00:18:37,925 You notice it. It's ten to nine now but the sun's beating down, 318 00:18:38,087 --> 00:18:42,399 and everybody who knows anything tries to find the shade. 319 00:18:42,567 --> 00:18:46,958 You find whatever you can which is the shade of this big tree. 320 00:18:47,127 --> 00:18:50,597 They're setting up their stalls now. 321 00:18:52,807 --> 00:18:56,880 There's never a shortage of a salesman in Africa. 322 00:18:57,047 --> 00:18:59,356 I suppose that's what they live off - 323 00:18:59,527 --> 00:19:03,122 these things they've made and the tourists that come by. 324 00:19:03,287 --> 00:19:05,278 I'd say there aren't that many. 325 00:19:05,447 --> 00:19:08,678 So today is going to be a day on the river, I hope. 326 00:19:10,127 --> 00:19:12,641 I see these people setting up the stall, 327 00:19:12,807 --> 00:19:15,002 I think I'll set up my own stall. 328 00:19:15,167 --> 00:19:18,364 People often ask what I carry in this bag of mine. 329 00:19:18,527 --> 00:19:21,837 It is quite important because everything is vital. 330 00:19:22,007 --> 00:19:24,521 Firstly, the major thing being water. 331 00:19:25,687 --> 00:19:27,678 Water... 332 00:19:29,087 --> 00:19:31,078 ...absolutely vital. 333 00:19:31,247 --> 00:19:35,035 You're supposed to drink about six to eight litres a day, 334 00:19:35,207 --> 00:19:36,720 and we probably do. 335 00:19:36,887 --> 00:19:39,447 It draws the moisture out of you here, 336 00:19:39,607 --> 00:19:41,404 and every hour, half hour, 337 00:19:41,567 --> 00:19:45,162 you have to reinvigorate your system by having a slug. 338 00:19:45,327 --> 00:19:47,795 So, there's the water down there. 339 00:19:47,967 --> 00:19:49,958 I'll make my own little stall. 340 00:19:50,127 --> 00:19:52,118 Notebook. There we are. 341 00:19:53,847 --> 00:19:58,079 Aldwych notebook. Wonderful. All weather. Hand-stitched seam. 342 00:19:58,247 --> 00:20:02,035 The only notebook that really survives a journey like this 343 00:20:02,207 --> 00:20:04,198 where it gets a lot of use. 344 00:20:04,367 --> 00:20:06,358 I keep notes of the day. 345 00:20:06,527 --> 00:20:10,440 And when we're bouncing along in a vehicle, and I can't write, 346 00:20:10,607 --> 00:20:13,041 I use this little tape recorder. 347 00:20:13,207 --> 00:20:17,166 "Hello, on the banks of the Bani River in Mopti, 348 00:20:17,327 --> 00:20:19,045 "day 436." 349 00:20:19,207 --> 00:20:21,482 (TAPE REWINDS) 350 00:20:21,647 --> 00:20:25,117 (TAPE) Hello, on the banks of the Bani River in Mopti, 351 00:20:25,287 --> 00:20:27,084 day 436. 352 00:20:27,247 --> 00:20:29,238 Oh, it works. Il marche! 353 00:20:29,407 --> 00:20:31,398 So there's that 354 00:20:31,567 --> 00:20:33,558 which I'll put down there, 355 00:20:33,727 --> 00:20:37,606 the notebook... there... 356 00:20:37,767 --> 00:20:39,758 What else? 357 00:20:41,127 --> 00:20:43,118 Glasses. 358 00:20:43,287 --> 00:20:46,040 I suppose my reading eyesight started to go 359 00:20:46,207 --> 00:20:49,119 just after I'd done Round the World in 80 Days, 360 00:20:49,287 --> 00:20:52,120 so now I do need these to read the small print, 361 00:20:52,287 --> 00:20:54,960 but because the sun is so bright in Africa, 362 00:20:55,127 --> 00:20:58,278 I need them far less than I do in murky London town. 363 00:20:58,447 --> 00:21:02,645 And then a pair of shades for when it gets very dark... 364 00:21:03,807 --> 00:21:06,321 ...or I want to look exceedingly cool. 365 00:21:08,647 --> 00:21:10,638 So that's the cool look. 366 00:21:10,807 --> 00:21:14,277 There's a couple of those. All absolutely necessary. 367 00:21:14,447 --> 00:21:17,120 Now, what's in the side pockets? 368 00:21:22,407 --> 00:21:24,398 Sun lotion, sun very strong. 369 00:21:24,567 --> 00:21:27,240 Probably up to 45 degrees this afternoon. 370 00:21:27,407 --> 00:21:31,559 A little thermometer which will tell me what the temperature is. 371 00:21:31,727 --> 00:21:33,718 Sweet, isn't it, really? 372 00:21:34,887 --> 00:21:36,878 It was the only one I could find. 373 00:21:39,727 --> 00:21:41,718 It's now... 374 00:21:41,887 --> 00:21:45,675 In the shade, it's about 32 in the shade at half-past eight. 375 00:21:46,447 --> 00:21:48,438 Mozzy repellant... 376 00:21:48,607 --> 00:21:50,598 ...to squirt around me. 377 00:21:50,767 --> 00:21:54,442 It's very essential for the riverside here, 378 00:21:54,607 --> 00:21:56,677 although... 379 00:21:56,847 --> 00:21:58,917 ...this part of Africa is too dry 380 00:21:59,087 --> 00:22:01,476 for the really nasty mosquitoes. 381 00:22:01,647 --> 00:22:04,719 You have to go further south, the jungle area. 382 00:22:04,887 --> 00:22:07,276 So that was the "medicament" section. 383 00:22:07,447 --> 00:22:10,245 And here, tissues - nose for the blowing of, 384 00:22:10,407 --> 00:22:12,841 scraping sand out of your ears, 385 00:22:13,007 --> 00:22:17,046 cleaning your hands after you've eaten. 386 00:22:19,967 --> 00:22:23,004 Hairbrush for a quick bit of vanity. 387 00:22:23,167 --> 00:22:25,965 That is actually the entire make-up effort 388 00:22:26,127 --> 00:22:27,606 on this production - 389 00:22:27,767 --> 00:22:29,758 just get the hairbrush! 390 00:22:29,927 --> 00:22:32,566 And, er... Those are rather useful. 391 00:22:32,727 --> 00:22:34,718 Little... 392 00:22:35,767 --> 00:22:37,758 ...toothpick. 393 00:22:37,927 --> 00:22:39,918 Very, very necessary, 394 00:22:40,087 --> 00:22:43,841 because people have been eating sheep the last few days, 395 00:22:44,007 --> 00:22:47,761 and before that, in the Western Sahara, I was eating camel. 396 00:22:47,927 --> 00:22:52,045 This gets rid of those bits of sheep and camel that lurk. 397 00:22:52,207 --> 00:22:54,198 So, nearly finished now. 398 00:22:54,367 --> 00:22:57,643 There's a sort of antiseptic swab 399 00:22:57,807 --> 00:23:00,799 if you get cut anywhere, which I often do. 400 00:23:02,567 --> 00:23:05,127 And that's about it, I think. 401 00:23:05,287 --> 00:23:08,324 There's probably something for the throat. 402 00:23:08,487 --> 00:23:11,524 Just throat sweets - it gets very sandy here. 403 00:23:12,767 --> 00:23:14,439 So that's what I carry in the bag. 404 00:23:19,687 --> 00:23:22,121 Well, we're not working at the moment, 405 00:23:22,287 --> 00:23:25,484 because of the extreme heat, isn't that right? 406 00:23:25,647 --> 00:23:27,638 You'd normally whip us, 407 00:23:27,807 --> 00:23:29,957 flog us out there into the desert. 408 00:23:30,127 --> 00:23:33,756 The temperature is now 129 Fahrenheit. 409 00:23:33,927 --> 00:23:35,918 Yeah, that's in the shade, 410 00:23:36,087 --> 00:23:39,557 so it's probably going to be 135, 140 in the sun. 411 00:23:39,727 --> 00:23:42,560 Can you do a conversion to centigrade for us? 412 00:23:42,727 --> 00:23:44,718 OK, for those who are metric, 413 00:23:44,887 --> 00:23:46,878 we're gonna go metric. 414 00:23:47,047 --> 00:23:49,607 We're metric, aren't we, in Britain? 415 00:23:49,767 --> 00:23:51,280 There is metric. 416 00:23:51,447 --> 00:23:54,883 Centigrade's coming up. It's working on it. 417 00:23:55,047 --> 00:23:58,278 It's flashing a lot, but nothing's happening yet. 418 00:23:58,447 --> 00:24:02,042 - Talk amongst yourselves. - It's about as hot as it gets. 419 00:24:02,207 --> 00:24:04,198 53 centigrade, 420 00:24:04,367 --> 00:24:07,359 and behind me is a hot lunch being prepared! 421 00:24:07,527 --> 00:24:10,599 We like a hot lunch in the heat! 422 00:24:10,767 --> 00:24:15,204 The main trick that I've learnt is to keep the water in the sun, 423 00:24:15,367 --> 00:24:18,996 and then you put a tea bag in it. It's a very cunning idea. 424 00:24:19,167 --> 00:24:23,001 We don't waste our time. This is a patent tea-making method, 425 00:24:23,167 --> 00:24:26,557 discovered when we were going in one of the vehicles. 426 00:24:26,727 --> 00:24:28,877 The water starts vaguely frozen, 427 00:24:29,047 --> 00:24:30,526 and just gets hotter. 428 00:24:30,687 --> 00:24:32,484 We had this brilliant idea 429 00:24:32,647 --> 00:24:35,320 of putting some peppermint tea bags in it, 430 00:24:35,487 --> 00:24:37,478 putting it on the dashboard, 431 00:24:37,647 --> 00:24:40,605 and it was a boiling hot cup of tea by the end! 432 00:24:40,767 --> 00:24:44,157 So what becomes a negative, you turn into a positive, 433 00:24:44,327 --> 00:24:47,399 which is really the nature of filming, isn't it? 434 00:24:47,567 --> 00:24:50,798 Yeah. I think we've got to work this out between us.