Travels with Palin S06E04 · Sahara: Dire Straights

Overview

This episode starts with Palin crossing the border from Niger to Algeria, a desolate border with nothing but sand. A bit north of here are the Hoggar Mountains. At Assekrem he gets up early to view the sunrise from 9000' (3000 m). Next he boards an Algerian passenger plane and flies north to Hassi-Messaoud, an oil extraction and refining town; a man-made luxury oasis in the middle of the desert. From here the trip jumps to Libya, normally closed to western TV crews. To gain entry Michael Palin and his team have joined up with a British veteran's tour, and he mingles with the 80-year-old former "Desert Rats" who reminisce about the Battle of Tobruk. He also visits Benghazi and the ruins of Apollonia, once a Greek port, and the ruins of Leptis Magna, once a Roman city. Leaving Libya, Palin arrives in Tunisia.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Sahara: Line in the Sand2002-10-13 · 37mThe programme starts in Gibraltar, shown to be a bit of Britain only a few miles from Africa. In Tangier, Morocco, Palin rides a camel on the beach, and then plays football with so
2. 2 2. Sahara: Destination Timbuktu2002-10-20 · 37mThe episode starts with Palin crossing the Sénégal River, leaving Mauritania and entering the town of Saint-Louis in Senegal. He has left Arab Africa and entered Black Africa, and
3. 3 3. Sahara: Absolute Desert2002-10-27 · 37mMichael Palin did make it to the mysterious Timbuktu, and this episode opens with views of the famous mosque built of mud. Palin talks to the imam, who shows Palin documents indica
4. 4 4. Sahara: Dire Straights2002-11-03 · 37mThis episode starts with Palin crossing the border from Niger to Algeria, a desolate border with nothing but sand. A bit north of here are the Hoggar Mountains. At Assekrem he gets