Forbidden Sands

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His account of the journey -- his relationship with his guides, the difficulties of desert travel, encounters with government officials -- is very good reading. Salt mining in this part of Africa is an important part of history and lore; salt has been carried to market by camel caravan for centuries, and it was at times so rare that it was reportedly worth its weight in gold. In 1974 Richard Trench decided to undertake a journalistic investigation of the salt mines in Taoudenni, Mali, which were thought to be the site of slave labor done by prisoners. "Forbidden Sands" also contains the fruits of his research into the historical record of the region. Trench's journey required a carefully planned overland trip on camelback. Trench lived and traveled with nomads through the Sahara to Taoudenni then on to Timbuktu. (Ibn Battuta and Rene Caillie, for example). A great book for armchair travelers or readers interested in the Eastern Sahara and Mali.