Zinder was a good rest stop after the difficulties of crossing Lake Chad. It wasn’t exactly the most scenic of places, nor did it have the grandeur of a former Sahara trading town (that most guides advertise), but it was good enough for our weary bodies. It wasn’t exactly easy to find cheap (and reasonable) accommodation, but we finally managed to score a decent room at the French-Nigerien Cultural Centre.

From Zinder a good asphalt road leads all the way to Agadez. A resurgence in Touareg rebel activity means that the last 200km should be completed under military escort. We enquired about this at Aderbissinat, but were told by the military commander that the road is OK and we are free to continue on our own. He then added with a big smile on his face “I am not taking responsibility for your security”. Great! That gave us a lot of confidence.

To say that we were a bit ‘on edge’ for the remainder of the trip to Agadez would be an understatement. It didn’t help that we got a puncture about 40km’s out. It was the quickest tube change of the trip so far…

Agadez was to be a highlight of our visit to Niger. Unfortunately it failed to inspire The main streets were typical of any African town, full of tyre repair shops, mobile phone providers and cheap eateries. There was some cool architecture in the old quarter, but nothing extraordinary and nothing to equal the likes of Yemen. One thing worth checking out though was the mud mosque from the 15th century…

We also wanted to check out the Air Mountains, north of Agadez. They’re famous for their dunes and black rock formations rising out of the Saharan sands. Unfortunately they are currently off limits to motorised vehicles as they would be a prime target for Touareg rebels. Camel tours are a lot safer apparently (coz you blend in with the locals), but there’s no guarantee that you’ll come back. We decided to leave the Air Mountains for another day…

It was a smooth 1,000km ride from Agadez to Niamey (the first 150km requiring another military escort). On the way we passed the 70,000km mark, while our friend Marcus notched up his first 12 months on the road. We celebrated with a quick swig of warm whiskey (yummmm) and motored on.

In Niamey (capital of Niger) we have managed to score a good deal on a room with air-con. We’ve forgotten what it feels like to sleep without sweating In addition we spoiled ourselves at a couple good restaurants serving pizza, hamburgers and Chinese. But, this can’t continue forever and Mali awaits. With visas in hand, we set off tomorrow for the border of our 40th country!