Morocco Desert Tour - Beds #12-14

Desert Tour

From the moment you get off the plane you feel the Moroccan vibe. Chris and Carolyn picked us up and we were off on our Moroccan adventure. They scooped up these weary travelers and whisked them off to their Casablanca apartment for a late supper of lasagne and garlic bread. So good! 

Eating Paska bread in C & C's fab apartment!

After a good night's sleep we spent the day with Carolyn who was kind enough to take a day off to spend with us. We went shopping for supplies for our desert trip and then visited their school. In and around Casablanca our western eyes picked up on so many things that would be commonplace for locals, such as entire families on scooters or donkeys pulling carts alongside all the cars.

It was great to see George Washington Academy which is where Chris and Carolyn work. Outdoor hallways, guards for the campus and posters advertising the prom were some things we noticed. We visited Carolyn's office and Chris's classroom as well. Then it was time to head to the train station as we needed to get to Marrakech for our desert tour the next day. 

Taking a physics lesson from Chris

The train ride was pretty posh in first class, and it was interesting to see the landscape change as we went along. Groups of sheep and goats are everywhere, all tended by a shepherd which could be anyone from a child to an older person, male or female. You would learn patience doing that job. We thought that it was no wonder that David became an expert on the harp with all that time on his hands. Rick also had a great conversation with 2 gentlemen about the education system in morocco. The Moroccan man knew only French and Arabic, but the other knew French and English so he translated. Fascinating to hear their perspectives.

Train ride to Marrakech

Once in Marrakech we settled into our hotel and went to bed early to rest up for an early start to the desert. We were treated to freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh pastries on a rooftop patio before heading out on out trek. Our guide met us out front and we were off.

Rooftop breakfast in Marrakech

 The desert is a mountain range away, so it took 2 days to get there, winding our way through the rugged landscape. It was a constantly changing view out he window as the vegetation slowly disappeared and the standard of living seemed to diminish as well. It started to be hard to imagine how any life could be possible, but it was amazing to see that there were still villages and animals where it seemed that life could not possibly be supported. How they found food and water amid rocks and sand we weren't sure.

A Berber village camouflaged in the hillside

We stopped for the night in Zagora in a rustic but comfortable hotel. The walls were essentially straw and mud. Wild! Supper and breakfast were included which felt like we were at an all inclusive resort. 

The walls and ceiling in our hotel in Zagora, halfway to the desert

Catching some wifi at the hotel

Then we were off again. The paved road turned into a gravel road which slowly became a track through the sand. Driving through the sand is not much different from deep snow. The driver had to turn off the air conditioning for full power to the wheels. It took a lot of skill to navigate the dunes and the soft sand, but this was clearly not his first rodeo so we could just relax and enjoy the ride. It's so amazing how much life can exist even at this point in the desert. Camels are roaming around freely, grazing on scrubby little plants and trees. They belong to the nomadic people, but are often allowed to wander. We stopped at an oasis where some nomads were letting their goats have a drink. It's just wild to think that people can live out there. We were so hot and it was still spring for them. In July it can reach well over 50C!

An oasis

Aria going a little nuts with the long drive, Connie talking with Ismael our guide

Once we reached our camp, we were refreshed with hot mint tea, a Moroccan specialty, before heading off on a camel ride. This boy just emerges from the dunes with four camels in tow. Where he came from we don't know, but he led us through the terrain for an hour and a half, which was thrilling, but truthfully, long enough as you get rather sore with their lumbering gait. When they stand up on their front legs it feels like you'll be catapulted off the saddle, until they stand up on their hind legs and even themselves out. These beasts are just amazing. Their large round feet are perfect for not sinking too deep into the soft sand, and in cool weather they can go 2 months without drinking.

Camel ride in the Sahara

They really keep you hopping on this tour because no sooner were we off the camels then it was time to hop onto sand boards, which is a snow board with straps for your feet. It was a hoot to slide down the dunes, so very hot to climb back up. The camp dog liked to chase us down the hill and we all felt a pang of missing Juno. He loves to chase us down the toboggan hill. We climbed a high dune to watch the sunset and then were treated to a supper of soup, tagine, and fruit for dessert. We were the only tourists at the camp that night which was both special and a bit strange.

Sandboarding!

Exhausted from climbing a dune, and our new doggy friend

Having fun in the dunes

Two young boys run the camp, and they were joined by the driver and our guide. They don't eat or sleep in our camp, but nearby In their mud hut. The boys prepare the food, make the beds, and after supper, they even entertained us with drumming and singing. They sang their hearts out for us and it was great to get a flavour of their music. Their style of singing includes many different sounds and some "warbling" or little trills in minor keys. I need more synonyms for awesome!!!

The 2 boys that run the camp joined by our guide on the right

Dinner for 4 in the desert

The stars were also incredible in the desert, so we sat on a dune and gazed upward for a long while and all agreed that we would not soon forget that moment. The desert is strangely quiet at night. It's like being in a closet or like having ear plugs in. You can hear something but it's the sound of your body I think, or of your blood flowing. It's pretty wild, and would actually make me a little crazy if exposed to it for too long. We all collapsed into bed (which were full on beds, off the ground with actual mattresses, more than we needed or expected in the desert we thought) and slept like rocks.

Inside the tent

Our tent village

Climbing out of the tent in the morning sun

We wanted to catch the sunrise, so bright and early we were climbing the dunes looking for a good vantage point. What you notice in the morning are all the tracks in the sand. LOTS of tracks in the sand, which is when you furrow your brows and wonder where all the creatures came from, what they eat, and where they are now. You're also glad you didn't know about the tracks before you went to bed! How the desert can support life blows your mind. Truly amazing.

Tracks on the dunes in the morning

The camp boys set out a nice breakfast for us, including freshly squeezed orange juice. Wow! Apparently they live out in the desert for 5 months at a time so that they can send money home. They couldn't have been more than 20. It broke my heart a little. We talked about how these boys don't get to choose what career they want, or which university they will attend. There is no money for travel, or dental care, or anything beyond basic needs. All along the road to the desert is the evidence that morocco is a developing nation. Life looks hard, for man and beast alike. I wanted to be able to ask the people if they were happy and whether they had enough. Their living conditions might look hard to my western eyes, but do they pine for more, or are they content?

Freshly squeezed orange juice in the desert! Ridiculously amazing!

Back to the desert: The minute the sun is up, the air starts to heat up, but the girls couldn't resist a bit more sandboarding, so they boarded right until it was time to leave, and our short visit to the Sahara was over. They take a bit of a shorter route home so that you can get back to Marrakech in one day and it was a LONG day in the vehicle with a driver that was a little stingy with the air conditioning, but so worth it. Now we watched the landscape slowly become green again and you breathe a sigh of relief to be back in the land of green and growth. 3 days to the edge of the earth and back: unforgettable!

The desert tour crew, our driver and guide on the right