when business usually peaks and when the sahara really comes to life. geneseo a small wedge shaped slice in the north of perhaps the most famous desert on earth this small country is known as the sahara games. for fifty years the annual desert festival has taken place here it's an event that draws people from all surrounding countries. these people's lives a deeply intertwined with the death that. for many preparations for the festival began six months ago they've gone deep into the desert every day on an exhaustive training shuttle the main event is camel racing any prize in

a sprint race is a great honor but winning a forty two kilometer marathon is considered especially prestigious the young boys in the small town of doulas dream of such a victory seemingly endless sand dunes begin just beyond the town's borders. like every other man in the region image hopes to win two years ago he and his camel came first in a sprint for us. i'm confident about this part of the race because my camel is quite familiar with the area but i do have some doubts about the long distance marathon i haven't entered it before with this camel. because the festival only takes place once a year imet needs to make a living for himself and his camel so he dons make up and colorful national costume to pose as an exotic sultan for tourists which is particularly popular with some women travelling on the bench. as camel though is less than impressed these

a particular race are only interested in entering competitions he frequently and loudly expresses his disapproval. omas life is centered on his camels in the desert. i love the earth this in my life this isn't my. in the in my heart no. no my time in this not working interest no this is my friend is there anything for me in life because this government love me for one time this government like me. a man has always shared a special relationship with his camels there was a time when he trained these beautiful creatures to appear in a hollywood movie that was filmed in the sahara. and then.

i am more with. this idea that there are in the government and the pacing that i want to add in last year's marathon omar came first but no one can tell how the race will end this winter. many people are surprised to learn that it rains in the so hard the stereotypical image of the desert is one of endless sand but there's more to the desert than that . an untrained eye could easily miss what's hiding in the rocks. like. these people's ancestors seeking shelter from enemies began to live in caves.

there's no one to hide from now but cave dwelling still widely used their warm in winter and cool in summer and if you need more space you can always hollow out another room. the big advantage though is that dwellings like this search. this family used to have only one cave but a few years ago they occupied another. they have gas and electricity modern furniture and bathrooms. the water supply there can only be used for domestic purposes they get their drinking water the same way their ancestors did when it rains water collects in special recipe. and in winter that's quite a lot of rain. but a summer is better for us than winter because in the winter it's hard looking after the enema lse it is to sleep or e. the next cave

is for animals to live in zenith was in charge of the whole house hold. she looks after her elderly mother in law and the daughter in law is not well. the desert live is more difficult for women but the man don't have it easy either we all have to do their very cultural jobs and it's really hard. was that it was. seen as elder daughter helps with everything they've been. through. people the native to north africa. have witnessed the rise and fall of several civilizations and still manage to preserve their language and traditions perhaps because the places they've always inhabited were hard to reach. the modern road to these caves was only built fifteen

years ago now tourists come regularly and are always welcome. after. all days. because their problems and. we have to work all the time. xena has never visited the festival she has no time for celebrations although it's not much more than a hundred kilometers along a good road from here. i will not go into the desert but the sahara may well be coming to xena the mighty desert is constantly expanding along the southern border as it's growing at almost fifty kilometers per year xena's husband is among those who are trying to contain the advancing sand to hold back the junes at least a little he builds fences from palm leaves despite these efforts the desert is slowly but surely gaining ground.

every winter. a unique desert camp and without good reason. it's open from october until march in the very heart of the sun. and the height of summer the region is scorching with temperatures reaching fifty degrees celsius and staggering eighty degrees. everything in this camp took a lot of it. is easy out here. existing here is very tough. water is brought from twenty three kilometers away tents set up so that the europeans will be comfortable but the know how is borrowed from bedouins the nomads of the desert.

there are a berber carpet in every tent that be better bare feet we put them there in case a scope or some insect tries to get inside. the rugs tend to stop them because they don't like crawling over the rough surface of the carpet. generators or electricity in the camp the light comes exclusively from candles the sun moon and stars in every tents there's a toilet that uses wood shavings instead of water. to make them wider. that will enable us to get through. if we didn't do that we wouldn't be able to. for many reality used to take part in rallies but then the desert took from him the most precious part of his

life his ten year old son. the boy always went with him on extreme races but in what would be his last control of the car. the vehicle rolled upside down killing the young passenger. hasn't entered a single race since he found a place in the desert where the sand is a glorious pink sunsets and sunrises are exceptional and that's where he created this unique camp in memory of his child. this group of austrian adventurers has been struggling to get out of a sand trap. and stuck fast in the sand close to riyadh's camp. after successfully bringing the tourists across the whole of eastern europe they thought it would be a good idea to take it to the sahara too. but the desert isn't known for its

forgiving nature. only the bedouins are able to navigate this constantly changing landscape for generations they've grown up learning the many secrets of survival most of passed from generation to generation but others can only be learned by trial and error. of course there's no mobile connection in the desert for hundreds of kilometers but after climbing this mountain and rounding this rock travelers find an unusual kind of telephone booth where they can call home perhaps for the latest news about the festival. omas house is full of guests from algeria and about friends and rivals. this is a friend for money and there's them. this is life. and

this is what has been wonderful and you know and this is coming is number one for next year for him really who are some of them who can. we've lived in the desert since childhood in the village of. the most of the people there are great camels. has been working with him since he was a child and for who you know you could say bedouin life in the desert in camels i mean his blood. this is the only form of this number one for people of friends. and this is in the one. this is the new government and. this is the last year and gone for this yes this is a new and this is a good thing as a new government and this isn't the one where government is number one for phone.

this is true it is very out of that is i don't know who is good and then the one on one with the. the festival begins tomorrow it will be spring tracing on the first day and then the day of the marathon the major competition that everyone wants to win. looked right on the street. first street. and i think that you're. on a reporter's twitter. instrument. to be in the.

silence talk. a little writes. a. little. paint for the young girls cam all for the future honner. between two and three hundred million guns united states so you can act like they're not here and keep kids away from them. the causes that is the law or you know i mean this teaches them a lot of rough sponsibility and simply come to play it through the eyes of children if we can do it for our children love for our future my pedals.

a morning mugs through the streets of do is open to festival. poses for tourists to take photographs.

didn't go to the square you might think that he's on concerned about all the festival excitement his day begins as it always does with morning coffee instead of newspapers or t.v. news always at the same time and in the same café. it's a man's traditional ritual they'll discuss the future horses and camels today though brings a new topic for conversation the eagerly anticipated sprint races take place off the line. the desert takes many forms often in close proximity to each other this one is among the. forgiving. a.

living creature. easily mistaken for reality. was practically raised. since childhood forty yes. tree to find a phone signal is perfectly normal to. how much life revolves around these palm trees them to pick the fruit juice. a rare event as it's quite literally the last thing a palm tree will ever give after it stops bearing fruit all fluid still in the tree is extracted before the trunk is cut down. to sweet and a little east into a unique and refreshing spot. it's

a delicacy that is almost impossible to buy in shops because it can't be kept for long very quickly. there are two seasons every year when my how much workload becomes even more than usual like a bee in fact. of the many palm trees in the. mail muhammad and his colleagues must climb to the top of every single. females with a special. crop of tasty dates be assured respect for the date. generation to generation. my father always said palm trees were everything. dates of the region's most valuable and lucrative exports but that's not the only reason this so important no other agriculture would be possible without the. if not

for the shade provided by the tall trees other projects like oranges lemons tomatoes and lettuce would never be able to survive under the scorching sun. they. started to change in the ninety's. used to be better more beautiful and there was more water i mean that there's much less water here now compared to earlier times. this complex irrigation system uses millions of liters of water every day fifteen different wells supply water plants connecting them is a challenge but his ancestors came up with a solution the thirteenth century. has been a continuing battle for many hundreds of years. it's been estimated that there are more than one hundred varieties of date internews here alone many believe that these fruits of the palm contain everything you need for life and people could survive for some time on nothing but dates. the perfect food for an american

lifestyle that lights nutritious and can withstand the harsh desert sun. can do is people have lunch at noon after prayers today they'll have only a quick snack there's no time to waste because the festival is about to begin. camels are fed a special diet including wild millet grass and even olive oil on the morning before the race the camels will be treated to a little water an apple and an orange orange is a thought to be particularly good for camels although strangely the animals don't seem to like them. it's no easy task to stop a camel spacing out on wanted fruit. despite

being an important day the desert has yet another challenge in store by lunchtime a strong western wind up here. can be extremely powerful sometimes reaching speeds of one hundred kilometers per hour a sandstorm can appear from nowhere in a matter of minutes strong enough to knock you over the wind blows sand into your lungs and it's almost impossible to see anything at all. many years of experience has produced nothing more suited to desert life than a turban. national costume is still respected in this area where people may settle their camel invention deep into the desert for several days with nothing more than a tent water. perhaps their. called by their ancestors or it's the lure of the desert and. maybe

it's just a passion for the. life. just like centuries ago a shelter from the wind behind their camels and just like their ancestors treat these graceful animals with respect. despite being known as camel day horses and dogs also play a part but camels will always be the main attraction. for almost fifty years there are visitors and participants from far and wide algeria libya oman saudi arabia the winner of the forty two kilometer marathon will receive a cash prize but money is not the real motive here winning races especially the marathon is a matter of honor and prestige was last year's winner. and therefore i don't know why i got rid. of my

heart. i don't know. everyone's ready for festivities to begin but there's a delay the country's president is expected at the festival is travelling from the capital to be original hometown. at last the head of state arrives at the festival can get underway. with. the. hunting contest and camel fight. just some of the

spectacles to be found at this festival. ah. fighting is only possible in winter during the summer mating season male camels become particularly aggressive they'll fight for the females and without human intervention to pull them apart it might not end until one of the bees to skip the race. it was today's main event his one thousand eight hundred metre sprint is. the right has urged the camels to gallop as fast as they can if you want. it was an excellent speed these animals is forty five kilometers per hour. the first camel crosses the finish line in a few minutes the second and then the third is not among the witness something's gone wrong. way out on

a. number. of them because they have been austin's most has gone and there aren't that afford to within their government and get my comment of the. most kemel also seems a little upset. i don't know how many of you know. what you can do everything. tomorrow sees the festival highlight the desert marathon the race in which was last year's winner.

that is going to. read them. in the wall. marathon day nothing else is happening at the festival everyone is focused on this key race. there were forty six runs last year now there are twenty eight but competition will still be intense many of the right as a former champions who know the taste of victory. image has never won the marathon but his camel is ready for action. are examined by events the marathon is a serious test of both the camel stamina and its ability to deliver a finals. week.

it's not uncommon for a camel to be so tired by the end of the long distance race that the rider has to dismount and lead the beast of burden by hand. eat when tired these noble ships of the desert will often disobey their riders. when the race begins they conserve energy they still have three hours of death ahead of them. didn't win this year but in the sahara people acquire a philosophical approach to life civic treason defeats. when the festival ends omar will take his camel into the desert for several days. deep in the safari the modern world seems less significant and the problems of the city futile. life takes on have. very different meaning for those who live in the desert.

i am. i marinate joining me. for teams that impartial and financial reporting commentary in from news and much much. only on bombast and. i think that in all of these areas where you have the right supporters call the new

right there were shadows faction with left wing keep. my my friend. to be aware of how widespread is this huge i mean he is. having spent the last forty years and in an academic lunatic asylum i assure you that. in many many quarters of american life. i was in academia for a while i pointed to the nice real john king as well and times so i'm going to jump in london yeah i mean i think spending time in the lunatic asylums is kind of the fact of his you know i thinking a little bit the point is that the u.k. he. values have changed cultural values have changed need to become much more tolerant much more open much more liberal and space even in the united states. wealthy british style it's time to write.

for the. markets why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy in these kinds of reports on our. language as well but i will only react us. i have read the reports for. the pollution you know i will leave them to the state department to comment on your latter point of the month to say. mr kerry is on the job he knows. they do no more work. when you question the prepared for a change when you when you should be ready for a. pretty upscale age little down to freedom to.

bear sheds a tear of farewell as the curtain falls on such a twenty fourteen winter games that will go down in history for its remarkable and record breaking performances. in ukraine's interim president kickstarts a campaign for the top job while hundreds underway for the country's ousted leader and members of his former ruling party. it's outrageous you need a bulldozer to push the consultants from the u.s. and. western politicians step up their a pilgrimage to crane with the e.u. offering a financial lifeline to win over the new leadership. the. number of obama's.