05-Feb-2008 -- We are members of a 5-car group involved in a self styled adventure we call "The Saharan Expedition 2007-2008". We are travelling from Cameroon to Morocco over a 3-month period and all hail from South Africa, or thereabouts.

My friend (Matthew Taylor) and I were travelling at the rear of the convey approaching one of the many ferries needed to cross sections of Mali's partially flooded Delta region to the South of Timbuktu. We were informed that the ferry was delayed and we had some time to explore. 16N 4W had looked attainable for some time and appeared to be 3.6 km from the main track we were travelling on. We decided to put the extra time to good use and see if the point was on dry land and reachable.

Much of this area experiences partial flooding. The terrain is soft sand and sparse bush, which made travelling easy. We were able to reach the point to within 60 m by car. You will notice that a crop has been meticulously planted on the banks of the pan, which we were careful not to destroy. Each plant is placed individually and perfectly spaced from the next. A camel also appears in one shot, just to add a little more Saharan ambiance.