I played Through the Desert today at lunch with my Corillian gaming buddies.  This was my third or fourth play of the game and I like it more each time I play it.  I'm somewhat of a fan of Wallace's La Strada (most others have bashed it) because I think it has a decent enjoyment factor yet playes very quickly, usually 30-45 minutes.  Having just finished a game of Through the Desert (TtD) in about 40 minutes, I'd be hard pressed to want to play La Strada over TtD.  The games are similar in many ways (hexes, trying to make connections, blocking strategies) but TtD has so much more depth and ways to win.