Michael Palin: Sahara

Having traveled around the world and from pole to pole, with treks through Hemingway country and across the Himalayas, Monty Python alum Michael Palin once again dons his fanny pack, this time for a journey through the Sahara desert in 99 days, covering 10,000 miles and 10 countries, including Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Niger. As usual, the joy of traveling with Palin lies in his winning combination of genuine enthusiasm, unflagging curiosity, and wonderful wit (in the first of the four episodes, Palin plays a game with the locals involving camel droppings and when one man touches one of his pieces, he's quick to protest: “don't move my shit”). Highlights include a touching visit to the Smara refugee camp for displaced Saharawis in Algeria, Palin's experience with eating camel stew, a first-class (sort of) ride on an ire ore train, the literally-middle-of-the-desert Dakar Rally race, visiting with the Dogon people in 132-degree Fahrenheit heat, stopping at the site in Tunisia where Monty Python's Life of Brian was shot, and watching the courtship rituals of the nomadic Wodaabe people (in which the men apply face paint and make goo-goo eyes—considered seductive—to attract potential mates). Throughout, Palin shares tidbits about local cultures, while also occasionally stepping back to take in the big (waterless) picture (“I can understand why so many religions were born in the desert—the outside is so hostile, you have to look inside”). Another fine entry in the impressive Palin travel library (which includes Michael Palin: Himalaya [VL-9/05], Full Circle with Michael Palin [VL-5/98], and Pole to Pole [VL-4/93]), DVD extras on this double-disc set include a “video diary,” deleted scenes, and a post-trip interview with Palin. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)