I must say nothing reminds a man of his own mortality quite like a desolate wasteland. As a strapping young lad, I could have survived alone in this desert for years! Why on one occasion, I fought off a Bengal tiger with nought but an empty flash and my favourite pipe. With this makeshift spear, the beasts of this land would never have a prayer!
Yet in my old age, I can feel this damnable sun sapping my strength with every minute I spend under its unforgiving gaze. Each day I cover less ground than the day before.
I must find civilization soon, no matter how primitive. Without the right tools and supplies, I fear that this expedition will be incredibly short lived.