Kanak, Niger

In search of water

Barrenness, wide spaces, drought, heat, sand and wind - a day in the Sahel zone. A broad expanse dominates Niger on the "Journey". Before reaching the "desert" which stretches out in front of the visitor's eye, you wander through a dried-out river bed. Literally feel the experience in the stony desert with temperatures of up to 35°C (97°F). Side rooms show the day-to-day life of the Tuareg nomads: the strenuous work of grinding millet, drawing water from a well 30m deep, and a genuine Tuareg tent where visitors can witness scenes of a traditional wedding.

The path leads through a dried-out river bed to a rocky desert. The arid heat of the desert which is spreading at great speed through Northern Africa is visualised not only by means of the sand and rock installations, but also with a shimmering steel wall of heat: the temperature is 35°C, the "sun" beats down mercilessly from above.

Continue to Ikenge, Cameroon