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 are deeply intertwined with the desert. the 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 the forty two kilometer marathon is considered especially prestigious the 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 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 image 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 travelers. as camel though is less than impressed he is a pedigree racer and only interested in entering competitions he frequently and loudly express. his disapproval. of obama's life is centered on his

camels in the desert. i love the earth this in my life this is in my. in the in my heart no doubt. know my time in this not working interest no this is for i say is my friend is everything 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 but then i think the government is basing 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 that 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 the summer is better for us than winter because in the winter it's hard looking after the end of it is to sleep or e. the next cave is for animals to live in z. and i was in charge of the whole house hold. the roof she looks after her elderly

mother in law and the daughter in law is not well. the desert life is more difficult for women but a 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 the xenos elder daughter helps with everything they've been. through. people are native to north africa. 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. 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 but as it is slowly but surely gaining ground. every winter opens

a unique desert camp and without good reason. it's. in the very heart of the sun. and the height of summer the region is scorching with temperatures reaching fifty degrees celsius and the sand a staggering eighty degrees. everything in this camp took a lot of if it. is easy out here. existing here is very tough the. water is brought from twenty three kilometers away tents set up so that the europeans will be comfortable but the know how it's borrowed from bedouins the nomads of the desert. there are a berber carpet in every tent 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 some moon and stars in every ten 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 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. sun rises or example 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. 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 sahara survival most are 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 up as friends and rivals. this is a friend for money and then. this is the wife. and this is the husband the mother and you know and this is coming is number one for

next year for him really who are some of them who can. before we've lived in the desert since childhood in the village of. the most of the people they had great camels. has been working with them since he was a child and for who you know you could say bedouin life in the desert in camels i mean his blood. and. this is the only form of this number one for people of friends. and this isn't one. this is then you come in this year and this is the last yes and gun for this he says this isn't you and this is whom you have been given your comment and i mean this isn't the one my comment is number one for phone. this is true on video out of that is i don't know who is and then the one on of the.

the festival begins tomorrow it will be spring tracing the first day and then the day of the marathon the major competition that everyone wants to win.

speak old language. programs and documentaries in arabic it's all here on. reporting from the world's hot spots the v.o.i.p. interviews intriguing stories for you to. see in trying. to find out more visit our big. secret laboratory was able to build

a new most sophisticated robot which fortunately doesn't give a darn about anything tim's mission to teach creation why it should care about humans in the world this is why you should care only dot com. a morning mug through the streets of delusion opens the festival. poses for tourists to take photographs.

or. didn't go to the square you might think that he's on concerned about all the festival excitement is 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 cafe. it's a man's traditional ritual they'll discuss the future horses and camels today though brings a new topic for conversation the. races take place. many forms often in close proximity to each other this one is among the most desolate and unforgiving. a.

living creature. easily mistaken for reality. it was practically raised. since childhood a full forty years. tree to find a phone signal is perfectly normal to. how much life revolves around these palm trees. to pick the fruit collect palm 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 yeast 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 it very quickly turns out. 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 where everything. dates to 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 produce 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 well supplied water plants connecting them is a challenge but his ancestors came up with a solution the thirteenth century survival 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 emetic

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. racing camels are fed a special diet including wild millet grass and even all of 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. a camel speaking 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 no magic life. just like centuries ago a shelter from the wind behind their camels and just like their ancestors treats 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's 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 he's traveling from the capital to be here and is original hometown. at last the head of state arrives at the festival can get underway. this. week for. 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 the maximum speed of 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. what i. like about them because they haven't always things always has gone and there are a bit of thought there would be and did come in 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. go. down on. 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 ride 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. and he looking elite 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 desert 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 sahara the modern world seems less significant and the problems of the city futile. life takes on

a. very different meaning for those who live in the desert. i am. the agenda here is clear banks don't want the competition they don't want the coin to succeed the central banks that deal in feet of money don't want a competitor and they don't want to cryptocurrency they are going to report the news in a way that reflects their interests unfortunately there is no sure objective news source anymore except aside from the shock. pulls salo some. legal rights.

to the. pain of the young girls cammo for the future hunger. between two and three hundred million guns the united states so you can act like they're not here and keep kids away from them. deposits that is the law or you know i mean this teaches them a lot of rote spoke ability and simply come to pay through the eyes of children if we can't do it for our children move for our future what is the country before. they all told me my language as well but i will only react to situations i have read the reports so i'm likely to push the know i will leave them to the state

department to comment on your latter point of the month to say to mr kerry you have a car is all your dog. knows on. the radio no more weasel words. when you made a direct question be prepared for a change when you throw a punch be ready for a. pretty speech and a little down to freedom to question. the.

transit route to vnukovo report you'll best way to the hearts of most. good. crowds a rally in the ukrainian city else about to fall and a shadow of defiance against the self declared government in kiev and to voice support for the new mayor chosen by popular will. the real path into the e.u. it's not going to be the german path it'll be the greek path. experts warned that financial aid from brussels and the international monetary fund may prove a slippery slope for ukraine. washington mulls over whether to leave three thousand troops in afghanistan beyond two thousand and fourteen as a bilateral security agreement with kabul hangs in the balance. and british muslims cry foul over the air government's campaign against radicalism and say they're being turn.