The day started at an early 8am as we needed to get going to beat the heat, which was forecasted at a scorching 104 F.
Our first activity was a bit of 4-wheeling in the rock desert or “Reg” in Berber, which makes up the counterpart to the Erg Chebbi dunes. We also visited a naturally formed lake that fills each winter with rain water, and is where flamingos can be found. Unfortunately we didn’t see any that day, but it was still cool to see the lie emerge like a mirage brought to life!
The desert was breezy, to say the least.
Well… looks like Grant’s fallen in the well… again
Sand, sun, and dunes for kilometers.
We also visited a few abandons homes in the desert as it allowed us to see the traditional clay-and-straw building techniques.
Then we stopped for tea with a family still living the traditional nomadic lifestyle. We hung out in their tent, learned the difference between grey and black donkeys (grey are good for traveling long distances while the black are stronger and harder working and so are generally used more for farm work), and saw how their traditional cooking set up.
Then we were off to a small village where the descendants of Moroccan slaves had set up their community. Slavery has been long outlawed in Morocco, but there communities persist because the locals want to preserve their distinct heritage. A part of this is Gnaoua music, which we got to experience first hand.
By this point it was starting to get really hot, so we were taken to a nearby hotel for lunch as it had a pool. We thought we were just doing a good swing-thru, but we ended up staying for a few hours as Said insisted that pool side was nicer than waiting out the heat back at the hotel. However, we’d not planned for such a long stay and so hadn’t brought any swimming gear with us. Eventually the heat became too much, and we ended up jumping in with all our clothes, then basking in the sun to dry.
As the sun set, it was time for the highlight of our day – a sunset camel ride into the desert. We were paired up with two girls from Brazil, hopped on our camels, and we were off on a 1.5 hour trip across the dunes. A few key things we learned:
- Camel saddles are way more comfortable in Jordan or Irsael. In Morocco, they are basically a thin blanket.
- There’s no comfortable way to ride a camel for as long as 1.5 hours. There is a reason our guides walked the whole way
- Going uphill is infinitely more comfortable than going downhill on a camel
In spite of the discomfort, the scenery was beautiful, and the camels themselves were a neat experience, just not one we were anxious to repeat.
Dinner in the desert was a simple but tasty affair: rice with salsa and chicken and egg tagine, served under the stars. After dinner, our hosts grabbed us, some drums, and headed to the top of the nearest sand dune. There, we star-gazed while being serenaded by traditional Berber singing and drumming. According to one of the guys there, all Berber kids can drum as there’s not a lot else to do in the desert. They also tried to teach us all how to drum, but we weren’t very good, a point that amused the locals to no end.
Then it was off to bed as we had an early appointment with the sunrise!
-J & G