In 1993, an adventurous electrician named Emile Larae found himself in a tricky situation in the vast Sahara Desert. The Sahara is the largest desert on Earth, stretching over 3.6 million square miles, which is more than 31 times the size of Arizona! Emile was on a solo road trip through the Moroccan part of the Sahara, in an area called Tafilalet. This region was known for its dangers, including a fragile ceasefire between the Moroccan government and local fighters.
The Sahara’s environment is harsh, with almost no rain or plants, scorching temperatures, and endless flat stone plains. Occasionally, you’d see sand dunes or salty depressions, with distant mountains as the only landmarks. Emile, who his friends called “the doctor of African mechanics,” was driving his Citroën 2CV, a small city car, to explore the beautiful Moroccan scenery.
Everything was going smoothly until he reached the village of Tamanrasset. There, the Moroccan army stopped him for safety reasons and told him to turn back. Not wanting to end his adventure, Emile decided to take a dirt track around the village. Unfortunately, the rough path was too much for his little car, and he hit a big rock, damaging the front and breaking the axle.
Stranded in the middle of nowhere, Emile had only ten days’ worth of food and water. Walking back to the village seemed impossible, so he came up with a brilliant idea: use his mechanical skills to turn his broken car into a motorcycle. For the next 12 days and 11 nights, he worked tirelessly, facing sandstorms and dust devils. When he was too tired or hot, he rested inside the shell of his car.
Just as his supplies were running out, with only half a liter of water left, Emile finished his makeshift motorcycle. It had suspension and an ignition system. He made the handlebars from the car’s jack tube and covered them with tape for grip. The frame was built from the car’s chassis, and the seat was made from the front bumper, padded with insulation foam for comfort.
Amazingly, the motorcycle worked well enough to get him back to civilization. However, when he returned, the local police stopped him and fined him because his vehicle didn’t match the original car’s paperwork, even though he had kept the number plate.
Emile eventually went back to France, where he continued his passion for transforming Citroën 2CVs into unique creations, like turning one into a boat. Twenty-six years later, he still has his beloved Citroën motorcycle, which is still in working order.
If Emile could build a motorcycle to escape the desert, you can create something amazing too, like a website with Wix. Wix is a website builder that gives you complete creative freedom. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can create a professional site with over 500 templates. Wix makes sure your site looks great on mobile devices and offers solutions for e-commerce, music, hotels, events, restaurants, and more. Start building your own website by visiting wix.com/go/simplehistory.
Imagine you’re in Emile’s shoes, stranded in the desert. Use your creativity to design a vehicle that could help you escape. Draw your design on paper, labeling the parts and explaining how each would help you survive the harsh desert conditions. Share your design with the class and discuss the different ideas.
Using materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and other recyclables, create a small model of Emile’s makeshift motorcycle. Work in groups to brainstorm and construct your model, focusing on how you can use limited resources effectively. Present your model to the class and explain your building process.
Conduct research on the Sahara Desert to learn more about its climate, geography, and challenges. Create a short presentation or poster that highlights interesting facts and survival tips for someone traveling through the desert. Share your findings with the class to enhance everyone’s understanding of this vast environment.
Write a short story from the perspective of Emile or create your own character who finds themselves in a similar situation. Describe the challenges they face and how they use their skills and creativity to overcome them. Share your story with a partner or the class, focusing on the emotions and decisions involved in such an adventure.
Learn about the basics of mechanical engineering by exploring simple machines and how they work. Use online resources or library books to understand concepts like levers, pulleys, and gears. Create a simple machine using household items and demonstrate how it works to the class, explaining its relevance to Emile’s story.
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In 1993, Emile Larae, an electrician, found himself in a challenging situation in the Sahara Desert. The Sahara is the largest desert in the world, covering over 3.6 million square miles—over 31 times the size of Arizona. The story begins when Emile was driving alone through the Moroccan part of the Sahara, specifically an area called Tafilalet, which was known for its dangers, including a tentative ceasefire between the Moroccan government and local guerrillas.
The harsh environment featured virtually no rain or vegetation, with extremely high temperatures and a seemingly endless landscape of flat stone plains, occasional sand dunes, and saline depressions. The only reference points were distant mountains. Emile, nicknamed “the doctor of African mechanics” by his friends, was on a road trip in his Citroën 2CV to explore the Moroccan scenery.
His journey had been uneventful until he reached the village of Tamanrasset, where he was stopped by the Moroccan army for security reasons and instructed to turn back. Not wanting to end his adventure, Emile decided to take a dirt track that bypassed the village. Unfortunately, the rough terrain was too much for his underpowered city car, and he hit a large rock, damaging the front of the car and breaking its axle.
Stranded in the middle of nowhere with little chance of rescue, Emile had ten days’ worth of food and water. He considered walking back to the village but then came up with a creative solution: he could use his mechanical skills and the tools from his car to build a makeshift motorcycle. For the next 12 days and 11 nights, he endured sandstorms and dust devils while working on his project. When exhaustion or heat became overwhelming, he took shelter in the shell of his car.
Just as his food was running low and with only half a liter of water left, he completed his two-wheeled motorcycle, which included suspension and an ignition system. The handlebars were made from the car’s jack tube, covered in tape for grip, while the frame was constructed from the car’s chassis. The bike’s saddle was fashioned from the front bumper and covered in insulation foam for comfort.
Amazingly, the makeshift motorcycle worked well enough to get him back to civilization. However, upon his return, he was stopped and fined by local police because his vehicle didn’t match the original car’s documentation, despite having fixed the number plate.
Emile eventually returned to France, continuing his passion for improvised mechanical conversions of Citroën 2CVs, including turning one into a boat hull. Twenty-six years later, he still has his beloved Citroën motorcycle, which remains in full working order.
If Emile could build a bike to get back to civilization, you can create a great website with Wix, the website builder that offers complete creative freedom. Go to wix.com/go/simplehistory to create a professional site, regardless of your skill level. Wix has over 500 templates and makes your site responsive for mobile devices, with solutions for e-commerce, music, hotels, events, restaurants, and more. Build your own website and support our channel by visiting wix.com/go/simplehistory or clicking the link in the description below.
Electrician – A person who installs and repairs electrical systems and equipment. – The electrician fixed the broken lights in the school gymnasium.
Desert – A large, dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. – The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, covering much of North Africa.
Motorcycle – A two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. – Engineers designed a new motorcycle that is more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Environment – The natural world, including the land, air, water, plants, and animals. – Protecting the environment is important to ensure clean air and water for future generations.
Journey – The act of traveling from one place to another. – The students went on a journey to the science museum to learn about renewable energy.
Mechanics – The branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects and the forces that affect them. – In class, we learned about the mechanics of how bridges are designed to withstand heavy loads.
Supplies – Materials or equipment needed for a particular purpose. – The engineer checked the supplies before starting the construction project to ensure everything was ready.
Village – A small community or group of houses in a rural area. – The village used solar panels to generate electricity for their homes and community center.
Creativity – The ability to use imagination to create new ideas or things. – Engineers use creativity to design innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Landscape – The visible features of an area of land, including its physical elements like mountains, hills, and rivers. – The landscape of the region was transformed by the construction of a new dam that provided water to nearby towns.
