A closer look
Who needs a luxury cruise when you can walk 500 miles through a sun-blasted wasteland with a hundred flatulent camels? The Azalai caravan route in Mali is one of the last true operational ancient trade routes on Earth. Miners in the brutal Taoudenni basin hack massive 60-pound slabs of rock salt from the dried lakebed, which are then strapped to camels for a grueling 14-day trek to Timbuktu. In the 14th century, this salt was so crucial for survival and food preservation that it literally equaled gold in value, funding the spectacular rise of the Mali Empire. Today, it's a punishing testament to human endurance.
