The Desert

This evening we returned from several days and nights in the desert. We all had a wonderful time and really felt at ease, though each for their own reason. Maya loved watching the camels and playing in the dunes, I really enjoyed knowing that she could play without much supervision and at very little risk...good for her and me...and Haim is just a desert boy at heart, and feels very at ease in the environs.

We left Zagora, on our first morning of the adventure, heading for a piste that would take us through the mountainous early desert and towards the dunes of Erg Chebi near Merzouga. We knew that it would be a long day of driving, and in the desolate area our car would be the best sleeping option available if we failed to reach our destination, so we set out early (for us...9am).

Driving through, we were more than surprised by how populated the area really was. There was not much in the way of settlements, but whenever we stopped the car for a beak, children would come running from the mountains or flat pains...clearly, there were well disguised nomadic families in the area. About hours into the morning we car across a well marked Berber tent, advertising tea, which we happily stopped for, more for the novelty than the thirst...but it was a nice break, and a good reassurance of the correct direction given the unmarked piste we were driving. Several hours later, we had most certainly lost our way (though luckily we didn't know it, so we were blissfully traveling along and enjoying the scenery) when we stopped to photograph a camel herd and its young herder. As we were ready to depart another SUV drove up behind us; we delayed our departure in order to confirm our direction....and learned that we were only several kilometers from the Algerian border....a "closed" border and a problem if crossed. The Moroccan driver, guide to 2 vacationing German families, offered us to follow them for a lunch stop and then on to an evening stop...in the correct direction....where we could choose to spend the night, or press on towards our destination. We happily accepted the offer after a delicious lunch and several exciting hours of driving we pulled into a wonderful desert auberge at dusk. That night we enjoyed the best mattresses and pillows of our entire stay in Morocco!

Needless to say it was an auspicious beginning to several wonderful days spent with these 2 families. One of the pleasures of travel is the people whom you meet along the way, and that certainly holds true in this situation. Maya was as taken with the children as we were with the adults and all passed the time very enjoyably. We spent the first night with them in the Kasbah Ouzina, and then continued on for another 2 days and nights of adventures together.

Our second morning was spent visiting some musicians performing music typical of the region, and then after a short drive, we reached Erg Chebi. Arriving at Auberge du Sud we were immediately settled in to a table on the sand and welcomed by one of the ever present hosts with a pot of tea. This auberge has the art of hosting down to a science. Never pushy or intrusive, there is always someone there to make you comfortable, offer some company or an observation, and make sure that you are enjoying your stay (particularly if you are an unaccompanied female....all of the hosts are VERY good looking)...Everyone around constantly doted over Maya, offered her visits to camels, and tried to ply her favor with candies. She had a particularly wonderful time!

After a relaxing afternoon at the auberge, and a sunset hike with Haim, Maya, and Leon (one of our German travel buddies) we had a delicious dinner by a roaring fire and had an early night, though the other guests enjoyed drums and music. The next morning Haim and I ventured to town for gas and some other supplies, before heading back for a sunset camel ride into the dunes, where we spent the night in tents (though quite civilized with a shared hot water shower and flush toilet). The ride started off quite exciting, with several panic attacks and subsequent dismounts, and then finally a camel bucking! Gurt, however, bravely remounted and as dusk descended over the dunes we enjoyed a quiet ride into the camp.

This morning was quiet early for us, an exited Maya awakening at 7am to ask if the camels were still sleeping...we took her for a camel visit, had a quick breakfast, and rode (with Maya nursing on camel back)to the auberge where we said our goodbyes to the Germans, enjoyed a shower, reorganized the car, and enjoyed some final tea, hospitality, and recommendations from the staff, which brings us to tonight, comfortably settled in our hotel on the edge of the Tinghir palmary near Todra Gorge. After an early evening and a delicious dinner prepared be the hotel, we are looking forward to a bit of exploring tomorrow before making our way back into the Atlas.