Yallah!: The Sahara Journal

by Paul Schiernecker

Yallah, with variants Yalla and Yala, is a common Arabic expression meaning “hurry up”. It comes from and is an abbreviation of the traditional Arabic words “Ya Allah” literally meaning “O God”. The phrase is also very common in Hebrew as a form of slang. In his first adventure into travel writing Schiernecker explores the Sahara desert as his thinly-veiled character Martin Salinger, packing not just the blister plasters and sun cream required but also his own neuroses. Funny, insightful and charming, Yallah! The Sahara Journal is a book that sets out to show that not all those who wander are lost but it's always handy to have a destination.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2014

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun travel book - I quite liked the sense of humor the narrator uses to comment on what he encounters and his fellow travelers.