Good day for all steemians !
Once the hundred kilometers of road going due south swallowed, one arrives at the village of Ksar Ghilane.
Behind the village, hidden by a few mounds of pebbles, is the sought-after oasis. It is located at the border between the Reg (rocky desert) and the Erg (sandy desert). Suffice to say that sand and dunes are suddenly ubiquitous.
In this regard, the sand is very special: it is very fine, and above all, ocher in color. I'm not telling you the colors at sunset ...
In normal times, it is therefore impossible to enter the oasis by tourist vehicle, so the entrance is obstructed by the sand. Only the big 4X4 pass.
During my visit in March, we were able to return to Punto ... It must be said that it had rained the day before, and that the sand was therefore packed.
You can see it on Google Earth, the oasis is rectangular, well organized. We obviously find these straight lines once inside.
The interior of the oasis is partially cultivated. Some plots, irrigated, have magnificent date palms, fruit trees, and vegetables on the ground. Other plots are occupied by tourist camps, and various souvenir stalls. Finally, some plots are left in abundance, maybe for lack of manpower?
Anyway, in the middle of the oasis, you can observe dunes:
On the edge of an oasis, the panorama is exceptional!
There are some trees, mainly tamarisks, in the middle of the dunes. In the background, the dunes as far as the eye can see.
I let you admire!
Obviously, the oasis is fed by a source. Finally, a drilling rather!
In fact, in 1953, oil drilling was undertaken on the site. And instead of finding oil, the drillers pierced a captive water table, 700 m deep.
Since then, water has flowed to the surface, being artesian. She is at around 32 °, and very suffering.
A pool has been set up, with a few shops, allowing tourists to relax after several hours of 4X4.
Unfortunately, too many tour operators come there. So there are often people in the basin. But as they are only a stopover at Ksar Ghilane (30 minutes with watch in hand), we can still enjoy the calm, especially in the late afternoon:
3 Bourcats forgetting morning frosts ...
The basin bordering the source. The water is over 30 °, it's the absolute foot!
Myself, taking a nap, just at the level of the 'source'.
We notice the boiling of the water.
On the other hand, I do not recommend staying there for hours ... I was indeed sick the following 2 days ... (Inhalation of suffering gas no doubt)
In short, you will understand, Ksar Ghilane is magnificent.
On the other hand, it is much better to go there on your own, just to make the most of the tranquility of the place.
The ideal is to spend a night there, either in one of the camps, or even in the hollow of the nearby dunes.
