Скачать или смотреть First Day Cycling in ALGERIA 🫣 One BIG Cultural Mistake

Day 85. 74km (87813kms 8yrs)

During a day off the bike Miriam and Ameen toured my around showing me the best sights, ensuring I ate all the best things. I undid (I hope) my cultural error in declining the gift of shoes, and Miriam seemed pleased when I belatedly accepted them. It feels incredibly one sided; in the west we are accustomed to being more transactional in our kindnesses, I think.

And so I was on my way in Algeria! I fully expected to pick up a police escort pretty rapidly but throughout the day I passed half a dozen checkpoints without once being delayed.

In the town of Boutlelis eating one of the many food parcels I’d been sent off with, a small girl of 3 or 4 threw herself into my lap with a hug. I looked around alarmed, but saw only a kindly older man smiling my way. I had a little chat in basic Arabic with this little girl and her sister until their mum arrived.

I was taking the main road towards Tlemcen - the only direct road. A dual carriageway, it had no shoulder but there was so little traffic vehicles had plenty of room to move fully around me, and they mostly gave me plenty of space. I passed a couple of bikes coming the opposite way on the same side as me.

It was an easy ride, flat and overcast, the road surface for the most part very good, so I arrived at the auberge in Ain Temouchent around 15:30. It was too early so I was sent away with instructions to return at 5pm. At a cafe around the corner I ordered a 10c coffee but my payment was refused on departure.

At 5pm I checked into a basic room for about $3. The shower was just a hose, and there was a few mozzies, but you can’t complain for that price! I received a knock on the door reminiscent of similar stays in tunisia when the traffic police would demand to know where I was headed next. But this time it was the manager offering to move me to a ‘nicer’ guest house. There was no need, I was already unpacked.

I went out to buy a hot meal, returnjng with a chicken schwarma and yet more gifts in the form of bottled drinks. Algeria is off to a tremendous start; I sincerely hope they’ll extend my visa in Tlemcen as I want to spend far longer in the country than my current 15 day visa allows. Inshallah.

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