In this post, I am sharing with you Class 8 Chapter 8 Across the Sahara on a Bicycle || Summary, Analysis, and All exercises and answers

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Summary Across the Sahara on a Bicycle

This chapter is about Anindya, who was motivated to bike across Africa by the account of H. W. Tilman. He decided to cycle the Morocco-Western Sahara-Mauritania route because it was feasible and only required him to carry a little amount of water. Anindya used his money, friends, and crowd-funding to pay for his trip. He had to shorten his days of riding due to visa issues, but he was still able to have a warm shower and a comfortable room in Tarfaya.

Between Mauritania and Morocco, a perilous 4-km-long desert swath known as “No-Land” Man’s does not belong to either nation. On the drive to Nouakchott, the air was blowing and sand was flying everywhere. Ibrahim, a Mali native, was someone Anindya met in the tiny village of Tiguent. Together, they ate a delicious supper and danced to Malian music. The author claims that motion can vaporise unpleasant memories. The trek changed the writer’s life since it taught him to accept love and hatred in stride and made him feel small in comparison to the Sahara Desert’s grandeur.

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COMPREHENSION

A. Mark the sentences as true (T) or false (F).

1. The bicycle trip to Sahara was the writer’s first trip to Africa.

2. Anindya started his ride from the city of Guelmim.

3. Anindya skipped the desert section completely.

4. Laayoune is a big city located by the Red Sea.

5. The longest distance travelled in a day by the writer was 190 km.

6. The SNIM train is the shortest train in the world.

7. When the writer reached the Mauritania border post, he was swarmed by money changers and SIM card sellers.

8. Mauritania was not a friendly place, as the writer faced hostile and racist behaviour.

Answers:

1. F

2. T

3. F

4. F

5. T

6. F

7. T

8. T

B. Answer the questions briefly. (Across the Sahara on a Bicycle)

1. What inspired Anindya to cycle through Africa?

Answers: The story of one of his Himalayan Heroes, H W Tilman, who had cycled from Kampala to Cameroon, inspired Anindya to cycle through Africa.

2. Why was the Morocco-Western Sahara-Mauritania route the best?

Answers: The Morocco-Western Sahara- Mauritania route was the best because:

it was possible to cycle this distance without carrying any camping gear, as one could travel from one settlement to the next in a day.

Anindya only had to carry 4 to 5 liters of water during the ride each day.

3. How did Anindya fund his trip?

Answers: Anindya took help from his friends, gathered funds through crowd-funding, and used his savings to fund the trip.

4. Why did Anindya have to cut short his riding days?

Answers: Visa complications forced Anindya to cut short his riding days.

5. What happened at Tarfaya?

Answers: At Tarfaya, Anindya could get a warm shower and a cosy hotel bed.

6. What is No-Man’s Land?

Answers: No-Man’s Land was roughly a 4 km stretch of desert between Morocco and Mauritania. It didn’t belong to either country and was notorious for its landmines.

7. How was the weather on the road to Nouakchott?

Answers: The weather was windy through the day and large amounts of sand was flying on the road to Nouakchott.

8. Who did the writer meet in the small village of Tiguent? What did the writer do there?

Answers: In the village of Tiguent, the writer met Ibrahim who was from Mali. In Tiguent, he almost stepped on a Sahara scorpion. The writer enjoyed a fabulous meal cooked by Ibrahim. In the evening, Ibrahim played Malian music on his mobile, and he and the writer danced and laughed together.

C. Think and answer the questions. (Across the Sahara on a Bicycle)

1. Such is the blessing of movement. Before you know it, all the bad memories are blown away into oblivion. What do you understand by this statement? Support your answer with an example from your own life if you have had a similar experience.

Answers: We don’t have such kind of experience

2. Why do you think it was a life-changing journey for the writer?

Answers: It was a life-changing journey for the writer, as he learnt a lot during the trip as a human being who had pitied himself against the vastness of the Sahara Desert. During the trip, he faced many hardships and even racial discrimination. He learned to accept love and hatred in his stride.

Summary of Across the Sahara on a Bicycle

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Across the Sahara on a Bicycle