Camels in the Desert

Last weekend I went to Merzouga with my friend Andy and his two sweet sisters visiting from the states. We arrived during a sandstorm... it was so bad that Andy's friend Houssane (driving us) could hardly see ten feet in front of him! I was shocked we actually found the hotel.

Originally we hoped to sleep in tents, but as it was so windy... that was out. The hotel rooms were fabulous... four queen beds for three girls with beautiful canopies and glowing fossil lamps, huge bathrooms, and best of all, Air Conditioning! Considering it is now in the 90's and 100's in my site, sleeping has become somewhat of an obstacle. I slept like a baby.

We had a party in the evening, under the stars, and laughed and danced to the beat of Berber drums. In the morning we rose at 4:30 and walked out into the dunes. I have never seen the real Saharan Desert before... it was strange. You drive through miles and miles of pebbled, rocky flat ground, and all of a sudden dunes rise 300 feet in the air, wave after wave. Standing atop one, looking down, it looked like a massive cake liberally spread with caramel-frosting. And they never end, as far as the eye can see.







We mounted camels and a guide led us out into the desert a ways. We stopped and clambered up a high dune and sat there watching the sun mount behind waves of sand. A light, cool breeze kissed our cheeks. It was a little cloudy and the sun glowed pale like a low moon.



















By 6AM the sun cast shadows on the far peaks, so we rose and hopped down the dunes like bunny rabbits, mounted our camels and trodded off back to the hotel before we could feel the sun's heat... and back to bed :)


We also visited my friend's artisans, watched them make carpets and embroidery, and of course... were donned with Berber head scarves.

I was surprised to find these women paid a much lower price for their wool than the women in Agdz.

This woman was baking bread the traditional Moroccan way...a stone/clay hovel. They light palm branches for fuel.

It was the most lovely of weekends! I sincerely recommend traveling to the Sahara Desert for a bit if you ever get the chance.