Morocco Part 2 - The Desert

We continue our Moroccan journey driving east into the mountains, crossing over the highest peak in Morocco where we hear there is often snow and skiing (!) in winter.  Today the weather is simply beautiful, clear skies that stretch west all the way to the ocean and east into the desert.  It’s a long day of driving – 10 hours on the road – but broken up nicely by the obligatory stop at a rug shop and more and more tea.  We’re starting to move east into the desert though now, and the tea begins to change along with the climate.  Instead of the fresh mint tea of Marrakech the Berbers of eastern Morocco prefer a stronger, bitter brew, although still heavily sweetened with pounds of sugar.  Not quite as enticing, which by this point is definitely a good thing, considering that our “tea teeth” have already begun to ache and we’re still only halfway into the vacation.  As for the rug shop, we try to play the game for a bit, but in the end decide we just aren’t really that into Moroccan rugs, much to the consternation of our once very nice rug shop owner.  What we do find along the way, however, is some beautiful handmade pottery, including one large dish made specifically to hold couscous.  When we finally arrive in m’Hamid, where the road literally ends and the desert begins, the sun has just gone down, which means it’s time for another wonderful meal followed by live drumming.  At the small hotel it’s just us, a Brit, and a bunch of young Moroccans looking to escape Casablanca for a few days.  We’re all outdoors on a large rug when the Berber drummer first starts.  The young Moroccans, like young people everywhere, pretend to be way too cool for the drumming (this is a tourist thing after all) until they start to recognize a few tunes from their youth.  Heads start reluctantly bobbing, a little humming, and next thing you know it they’re teaching everyone the tunes that they so cherish.  Two hours later, after dancing crazily around the rug and howling out into the desert, it’s time to happily retire and prepare for tomorrow – the beginning of a four day trek into the depths of the desert.

The next day begins early and we soon meet our tour guides for the trek: Sloppy and Winchester.  We also have two Berber tour guides but it’s our camels that really make the first impression.  Winchester is a dignified fellow, although a bit uptight and reserved in that British way.  Sloppy – let’s just say that Sloppy doesn’t discriminate when it comes to finding a bathroom, nor does she ever brush her teeth.  As for our human guides, one is a bit aloof and business like, although he speaks a decent amount of French.




Our second guide speaks only a few words in French but has a constant smile stretched across his face and endears himself to us with his funnily

phrased reminders to take pictures (foto appareil!) and look at the sunset (couche du soleil!).   So camels…not comfortable.  But we’re on a camel trek and decide to make the most of this opportunity to ride camels and spend two hours the first day between the humps.  By the second day we’ve decided that really just one hour a day on the camel is definitely enough to get the full experience and gives our backsides a well needed opportunity to “recover.” 

Trekking in the desert is actually a pretty restful activity and gives us a much needed opportunity to breath in fresh air and relax.  The day’s
schedule is as follows; wake up with the sunrise and a nice breakfast of bread, fruit, and tea.  Hike until about noon on a surface that closely resembles the moon’s and then find a shady tree to wait out the hottest part of the day.  As we spread out under the shade tree and read “Hunger Games” to each other, our human guides are busy at work preparing a gourmet Moroccan meal.  Seriously, even in the desert, you eat good here.  Lunch starts with the obligatory Moroccan salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, followed by a lentils dish and then heavily spiced meat.  We’re a two day hike from a 10 hour drive to civilization and we’re still eating fancy…amazing!  Around 3 pm we set back out on foot and hike until just before nightfall.  Under an incredibly bright moon we set up the tent and settle in for another amazing meal as our camel guides relax and Sloppy’s gas finally starts to abate.  She’s lovely. 

One incredible highlight: Desert Bread.  I know you won’t believe me but this is how it works.  Foto appareil guide has secretly mixed water, flour, and yeast together and let the dough rise as we walked (not on his back, that’s a different story).  He starts a raging fire, digs out a shallow hole in the sand, flattens the dough, and places the dough in the hole.  Cover it with sand, throw the coals on top, and wait 10 minutes.  Remove the coals, uncover the dough, flip it, recover with sand, and replace the coals on top.  10 minutes and uncover the dough.  At this point you have sandy bread.  Hold the bread up and pound it with your hand to remove the sand.  This actually works, and what you are left with is an incredibly delicious bread (not sandy) cooked in the ground.  When you think about it, it’s actually just like the original BBQ – get a hog, dig a hole, bury the hog and cover it up, put the coals on top, and wait – but absolutely amazing that this works and does not leave you with a sandy taste in your mouth.  Next time you’re at the Jersey shore give it a try. 

 As with most things, the journey is as memorable as the destination.  After three days and 50 km, we finally arrive at the Erg-Chigagga dunes.  They’re beautiful – really ski mountains of sand – that you can climb up and roll down for hours.  We spend a beautiful sunset just resting on the top of the dunes, gazing out in to the endless desert and appreciating the enormity of it all.  Looking back though, it is the trek – the hours spent walking or riding – and the time under our shade trees that really stands out.  The perfect way to relax, recuperate, and rejuvenate the soul.