Like it says. After the Libyan incident http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...to-libya-42599
I swore not to let a guide destroy the remainder of the trip, or any part of it.

We had the visas to Algeria, easily obtained from the embassy in Stockholm. I had emailed several tour organizers, but there was only one that got back with me (essendilene) and none that seamed too eager to take care of us. It was the border to border package that all the organizers offer. The exception was Tanezrouft who actually called us and it was clear they would be our choice. But we would have to wait a number of days at the border for the guide to arrive.
So we decided to go on. We passed at Bou Chebka, lovely place and the best border crossing I have had in Africa. Took three hours and we bough the insurance and drove through lovely pine forests and wild flowers to Tebessa, a welcome contrast to the Tunisian desert.
Next day we drove to Ouargla. In Oueed the police got nervous and started following us around town, making the director at Banque de l'Algerie open the vault for us after hours so we could exchange some dollars. He praised our "courage" to drive around like we did. Courage?
The police then kindly suggested they escort us to the city limits and seemed relieved see us gone.
In Ouargla (perhaps the nicest desert town I have visited) we went to the Bureau de Securité des Etrangers and filled out the forms. They made calls down the route pour faciliter le passage.
At Hassi Belgebbour the guard wouldn't let us pass since it was after 6 p.m. The guard was delighted that we were driving without a guide. In broken English he said "give us a few more years and you can travel here as safely as anywhere in the world". We camped by the dunes and had the frite-omelette.
Next morning we went to Idriss Omar to take the short cut (???) to Illizi, but they wouldn't let us through and directed us to go over In Amenas. Fine by us.
So on day three in the aftrnoon we arrived in Illizi. Now the chief of police drove out to see us. He looked in our car. NO GUIDE?!?! I decribed our passage and asked if we could go on to Djanet. "Gentlemen", he said - "ici LE GRAND SUD!" You must have a guide.
So he found us a fine touareg guide - within ten minutes. Then he recommended the auberge as the hotel wasn't worth the money. Everything was looking good. Guide turned up at 8 the next morning. But by 9 he had disappeared??? Something was going on. The commissar from Algiers who stayed at room #5 at the auberge hinted there was a fuite (leak) - someone had notified the authorities that our guide didn't have his papers in good order. We waited for hours while the police said they would find us another guide. Appears a big arab fellow, saying he is the son of the owner of the only agence in town, offering his services. Which would, as expected, cost a princely sum and would be the whole package, not negotiable. Exacty what we was NOT looking for. "Will you go with us in the car?", I asked. "Walk with us on the plateau?". He turned around and walked away.
So we went to the cafe Aymen. Notre guide - il a disparu! I exclaimed. Soon enough a bunch of people were busy on the portables trying to find us a guide. Everybody seemed to know someone who knew a guide.
Same night we arrived at Djanet, where we hooked up with Sahara Tours and we're having a great time with the touaregs, talking long into the night about our HJ60 Landcruisers and other wonderful things.
Incidentally;
-the only thing the guide did was show us how to drive around Bordj al haouas to avoid the gendarmes.
-Anyone can drive the goudron all the way from Stockholm to Djanet in a decent 2wd!
-we haven't seen even ONE single tourist since leaving Tunisia! Not even in Djanet (save for a few Algerians from the north).
-Seems we are the first travellers etrangers to come down here without a guide since 2003? I can't believe it.
Now our guide showed up and we're going to the Tadrart. OUAHIIIA!

Draw your own conclusions.

Comments welcome.