erwench

Just returned from Morocco and had a wonderful time!! My husband and I found Morocco to be quite an interesting destination. This trip is definately an assault on the senses. From warm and spicy cinnamon tea in Jemma El Fna square to lying on the cool soft orange sand of the Sahara gazing at the black star studded sky, I found my visit to Morocco was like stepping back to ancient times. Marrakech was fascinating and the desert and country-side were spectacular.

We decided to spend two nights in the desert-after much debate- and were happy with our decision.

We were to travel from Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi area of the Sahara with a private guide Ali Oussou who I found recommendations for on the internet. I had emailed Ali quite a bit before leaving the US and felt very comfortable with my itinerary and choice in guide. Unfortunately, Ali was not able to guide us to the desert due to an illness in the family and instead sent a substitute guide- his friend Brahim. And although Brahim was adequate he did not seem to have Ali's passion for Morocco. To be quite frank he just seemed a bit flat.

The journey to the desert from Marrakech is long. Navigating the High Atlas mountains takes many hours on winding roads. I actually felt a little car sick but the scenery was incredible and varied along the way and the stops at the usual tourist sites (gorges and kasbahs) broke up the trip and gave my stomach a rest.

On the second day we arrived at the Sahara for our camel trek into the desert. My husband and I were handed over to our camel guide Muhammad who we came to absolutely love. Late in the afternoon we mounted our camels for the 2 hour ride to our tent site.

Some camel riding pointers:
When the camel stands from his seated position be sure to hold on tight as you will be suddenly lurched forward and back as the camel unfolds his long legs.

The comfort of the camel seems to be directly related to the width of the animal. My camel named Jimmy Hendrix was a young thin camel while my husbands camel Sherif was a little older and a bit thicker beast. Sherif also was carrying our supplies which added more bulk and discomfort for my DH.

Going down hill can be treaturous- just hold on tight. Our camels both skidded down hills on different occassions. A little scary for us but not unusual for the camel.

Muhammad walked the camels thru the dunes leading them on the safest path. When the terrain was too steep for the animals we were asked to get off the camels and walk. Climbing the dunes is hard work! The terrain is steep and the sand can be soft underfoot which at times makes the hike a very difficult one.

The trip to our campsite went quickly. The landscape and dunes were spectacular!! In the afternoon sun the sand took on an orange hue that was exagerrated by the brillant blue sky background. Absolutely surreal!

Our campsite was very isolated and private. There were just three large tents at this site and we had the camp to ourselves. We were surrounded by huge dune sweeping sand walls on all sides with our camp at the bottom of the bowl. We were encouraged to climb to the rim of the bowl to watch the sunset while Muhammod made us dinner. This was easier said than done. The wind began to increase whipping sand over the edge of the rim of the dune stinging any exposed sking. The climb was steep and it was impossible to find firm footing.

erwench

When we returned to the camp Muhammod had set mattresses outside the tent so we could lie down and gaze at the stars. He shared his knowledge of astronomy by pointing out the familiar constellations in the night sky then left us alone while he finished preparing dinner. It was so peaceful lying on the sand watching the night sky. No noise, no lights... truly relaxing. I could help thinking, were we really here...lying in the cool soft sand of the Sahara desert with our camels resting right behind our very own berber tent? What a great experience.

Dinner was lovely. A tasty chicken tangine and a crusty bread in the light of a single lantern just seemed to be perfect. Muhammod entertained us with silly jokes that he truly enjoyed sharing. His laughter was infectious, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. A simple orange sliced into round discs sprinkled with cinnamon finished our meal.

When it was time for bed, Muhammod placed two cots side-by-side and lined them with mattresses and mulitple layers of blankets making a double bed for my husband and I. He left us and went off to bed in one of the other tents. The night air was now quite cool so my husband and I climbed into our bed and snuggled under the heavy pile of blankets left for us.

Our plan for the next morning was trekking two more hours on the camels deep into the Sahara were we would sleep in the "black desert" with a bedouin family.

BELLE0516

Thanks for reporting back and sharing with us! Dh and I are going in May.

I have a friend who just returned from Marrakesh and hated it. So I was very dissapointed to hear she didn't enjoy it, I'm beginning to doubt our trip there.... We will be doing a desert trek. Reading trip reports like this make me feel happy and assured that we picked the right destination. Thanks again!

WTnow

YES,thank you sooooo much erwench. I can't wait to hear more,now I want to know about the black desert and Berber family.

I am REALLY nervous about going to Morocco and the desert. I am not sure why. I don't really want to take a camel ride..so I suppose that is one reason,plus taking a kid into this wild country. A mom has many things to worry about there.

I worry about the camel ride because I am quite overweight and I wonder if this is going to make it easier for me to fall off. Normal sized people do not have as much to hold up if one starts falling.

I must say your lurching and slipping comments did not do much to ease my worry.

But it does sound like you enjoyed yourself and I am all ears!!

Alexpo

My Husband and I are planing a Trip to Morocco next May . We are looking for a relaible Tour Guide that will help us to explore the Country and see as much as we can ... We are interesting in the Culture , meeting local people and the Desert Trip . Can you help us ? thx

erwench

Belle0516- Surprised to hear your friend didn't like Marrakesh. My husband and I loved it! The city is so different from any other we have visited. I suppose its not for everyone but the culture and city are so unique...just keep an open mind-its quite an adventure.

WTnow- Really please don't stress about the camel ride. There are metal "holds" on the front and rear of the "saddle" and as long as you have a hand on each one when your camel is rising or returning to a seated position you will be fine. The majority of the ride is easy going and you won't even need to hold on. Even when the camel slipped or lurched I never came close to falling... I just needed to grab on to the rungs that I had confidently stopped holding because I had become so comfortable.

Day 2 in the Sahara

After a chilly nights sleep we woke early in the morning only to find our camels had disappeared during the night! We could see their footprints in the dunes heading away from the camp into the endless desert. I asked Muhammad if he had forgotten to tie the animals the night before...he explained that the camels had been one-leg hobbled (strapping one leg while its in the bent position)but had walked away regardless on 3 legs!! Muhammad didn't seem concerned at all about the camels and encouraged us to climb the dunes so we could enjoy the sunrise and take pictures while he made breakfast.

Again, climbing the dunes is very hard work. I gave up my climb about half way up the huge dune but my husband continued on to the top- and with the magic of digital photography shared the view with me when he returned. Breakfast was waiting for us... bread, jam, butter, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. Muhammad asked my husband if he was able to see our camels from the top of the dune...unfortunately my DH said there was no sight of the beasts.

After breakfast, Muhammod grabbed a large bottle of water and announced he was off to find the camels! My husband and I both looked down at the large bottle of water and exchanged worried glances. Why soo much water? We hadn't seen Muhammad drink water during all of yesterday's walk...and yesterday had been quite hot...just how long did he plan to be gone? We watched as Muhammad trudge up the dune and disappeared from sight.

Now all alone in the middle of the Sahara, with nothing to do, we remembered that Muhammad had shown us a water well earlier in the morning so we decided to use the time he was gone to wash up. We had both been surprised to learn that there are wells in the desert. Muhammad had taught us that in some areas of the Sahara only a few meters under the sand there is water flowing! I guess that helps to explain the grasses and plants that dot the sand in some areas of the desert.

Muhammad returned in less than an hour with our camels following close behind!! Hurray! We wouldn't have to walk back to the hotel, we could continue our journey toward the mysterious "black desert".

laartista

Love your report. Brings back memories of a great trip. So funny your camel was named Jimmy Hendrix so was my friends. Mine was Bob marley. I think all the camels must be either Bib or Jimmy. So glad you liked Marrakech. I too loved it and Morocco as a whole. Looking forward to more of your report. Will you be posting pix?

erwench

Alexpo- Check out Blue Men group- they gave me a quote for a desert tour and seemed very professional.

Laartista- I really enjoyed your trip report! When they told me my camel's name was Jimmy Hendrix I thought of you! I'm going to try to post some photos. I'm a novice at online photo services but plan to try posting.

Off to the "black desert"

After Muhammad returned with the camels he loaded them each with a mattresses and several blankets- supplies that would be needed for our overnight stay with the Berber family. We would soon find that the extra padding would improve the comfort of the ride. We had to climb the surrounding dunes on foot because the camels would not be able to climb the steep grade with us on their backs. This morning excercise made me realize just how unfit I am!

Once we got on the camels the journey was peaceful and beautiful. We loved looking at the dunes and snapping photos. Muhammad was very patient with us both. Oh, I forgot!! We were both given nicknames by our guide right from the start of the trip. I was always referred to as Fatima and my husband was Ali Babba! So everytime we wanted to stop I'd just call out "Muhammad, Ali Babba wants to take another picture!" Muhammad was quite a character.

At one point in the journey Muhammad spotted a salamander on a nearby dune and really wanted to catch him so we could see some desert wildlife. As soon as he approached, the little guy dug into the sand and disappeared... no problem for Muhammad he just started digging in the soft sand until he triumphantly pulled it from the sand. The salamander was maybe 8 inches long and we both held this strange creature and of course took pictures. Muhammad repeated this salamander hunt one other time durning this leg of the trip.

The camels trudged on... then in the distance we could see the landscape completely change... the dunes flattened and the sand changed to black volcanic rock and hard ground... this was finally the "black desert".

erwench

This was not at all what I had been expecting. Where was the sand? Aren't deserts supposed to have sand? The land was completely flat, hard and barren except for the millions of small black volcanic rocks everywhere. There were only two homes/huts in sight- and it seemed we could see for miles. The small homes were made of mud and grass and were set approximately 150 yards apart. There was also a Berber tent set up near the house where we thought we would be spending the night.

I couldn't help thinking, why would anyone want to live in such a place, in the middle of nowhere? Muhammad explained that we were now very near the Algerian border. The people who live here were considered bedouins meaning they are nomadic arabs. The family we would be spending the night with had been living here for the last 7 years. Not so nomadic at the present time. But still, they certainly did not appear to have settled into their home. There was no furniture except two very small low to the ground tables and some mats and blankets to sleep on. The food was stored in plastic bags and kept on the floor. This family could certainly pack up and move on in a moments notice.

The family consisted of a husband and wife and there 4 children. The oldest boy Ziad was 20 years old and was out with the goats when we arrived. The next two siblings were away at school in Rassini where they spent weeks away from the home getting their education. The youngest child was a newborn baby girl who was only 5 weeks old and who was often referred to as "crazy baby" by her parents.

The family did not speak any english and only spoke a little french which made communicating almost impossible. Of course we had Muhammad to translate for us which was invaluable. My husband and I were both fascinated that anyone could live in these conditions let alone care for a newborn baby. Their lives were so simple and yet so very hard. Just as we were being introduced to our hosts a sand storm hit with fierce blowing winds taking us inside the home.

The house we stayed in was made of mud and consisted of 3 rooms. The first room appeared to be for preparing food, the next for sleeping/eating and
the third was a guest room that was attached to the house but had no door connecting it to the other rooms, just the door leading outside. Our hosts insisted that we spend the night in this guest room as a precaution against more sand storms. The blankets and matresses that Muhammad had packed on the camels were set up in the room and a small table was placed for our welcoming mint tea.

laartista

really enjoying your report. amazing how much we take for granted, evenb the simplest things. i remember thinking that driving thru morocco.

Luisah

Hi er,

I'm enjoying your report. The sand storm sounds a bit scary, lucky you were in a house.

By the way, there is one "n" in tagine, a word used for both the stew and the cone-shaped casserole in which it's cooked.

If you google "tagine" you'll find several web sites offering recipes, spices and places to buy.

I'm looking forward to reading more about your adventure.

erwench

Luisha- thanks for pointing out my "tagine" spelling mistake. I realized I've made quite a few typos after reading this report...quite irritating knowing I am unable to edit...nevertheless, I'm glad I've recorded our adventure.

Passing time in the "black desert"

Both my husband and I really enjoyed the mint tea ritual. If you haven't been to Morocco, mint tea is served at nearly every meal and also when visiting someone's home...we were even offered tea service twice while bartering in the souks of Marrakech. Muhammad encourage both of us to serve the tea at different times during our time with him. Pouring the tea into those small glasses was actually much easier than I expected. It must be the shape of the spout of the teapot that makes aiming the long stream of tea into the small glasses so easy. I was baffled as to why Muhammad would pour a glass of tea in his cup and then pour the tea back into the teapot and repeat this several time before serving tea to the group. Doing this was to simply melt the big lump of sugar that had been added to the teapot he explained patiently. I had always imagined them using a spoon to mix in the sugar. Felt a little foolish... oh, well.

During the sand storm we sat in the small guest room talking and drinking tea. Blankets had been shoved into the large openings around the door to keep sand from blowing into the room. The one small window was stuffed with a pillow but sand still found its way into the room coating the table and our clothes. After the winds died down some, Muhammad left us to take an afternoon siesta and we attempted to rest as well.

It wasn't long before my husband was up and out into the desert to explore. Despite the strong winds he really wanted to check out the area. He brought back heavy volcanic rocks in interesting shapes. He now understood the necessity of wearing a turban in the windy desert. The landscape was an endless flat plain in most directions except for the beautiful sand dunes we had come from that morning. Our two camels were just small dots way off in the distance roaming freely the sand dunes along with several other camels that were owned by different Bedouin families in the area. I hoped our camels wouldn't wander off again.

erwench

Late in the afternoon, a lunch tray with a variety of sliced vegetables and sardines was served with a crusty bread and of course, mint tea. After our meal my DH and I took a long walk to nowhere... and during our walk were able to take in the vastness of the landscape. The winds which had died down earlier once again whipped up and we hurried back to the house where the oldest son Ziad had return from tending to the goats. Muhammad told us the plan for the evening, my DH would be going with Ziad to help collect water from a distant well and bring in the herd of 55 goats that had been left on the edge of the sandy desert and I would be helping prepare the evening meal with our host Nayema.

I was a little nervous as I entered the kitchen area of the house which was nearly pitch black as all the windows had been blocked because of the wind/sand storm. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to communicate with Nayema. When my eyes adjusted, I saw Nayema squatting on the floor leaning over a bowl of vegetables that she was busy peeling. There were many flies buzzing about -landing on the vegetables -despite Nayema's attempts to wave them away. I tried to squat nearby to watch and learn. After a few minutes in the awkward position, Nayema seeing my discomfort and looking amused got up to retrieve a mat for me to sit on. Much more comfortable than squatting... I wondered why she didn't sit as well. What is the advantage to squatting?

I noticed the baby was missing from her usual spot on Nayema's back and asked (using gestures and my limited French) where the little one was... Nayema pointed to a small lump under some blankets nearby on the floor. At first I thought I misunderstood, but no... soon little squeaks and moans started to emerge from the pile of blankets. As Nayema uncovered the baby, flies began landing on her and I understood the need to completely cover the baby as she slept. The baby had been tied with strips of cloth to keep her in the fetal position during her nap. When Nayema untied the baby I realized she was not wearing a traditional diaper only a very thin piece of fabric (now wet) had been pulled between her legs as a diaper. Again, I was fascinated by Nayema's challenges as a mother of a newborn in the Sahara desert. She cleaned the baby by wiping her with another thin cloth then set the infant on a plastic mat leaving the little one's bottom uncovered while she was breast-fed. The flies buzzed around the baby as she nursed landing on her mouth and face. To burp the baby, Nayema grabbed her by the feet, dangled her upside down, and bounced her up and down in this position. I watched in amazement as Nayema dressed, wrapped, and tied the 5 week old baby with straps in a stretched out position and slung the infant onto her back tying her into place using a wide cloth sling.

Luisah

er,

I didn't notice any other typos but the "tangines" jumped out to me because I'd been looking for recipes and if other people had they wouldn't have found them if they didn't know the dish is "tagine."

I'm enjoying your report and am looking forward to more.

erwench

Luisha- after your reply I did google "tagine" and copied down a few recipes to try with the spices I bought in Jemma El Fna! I'm thinking of buying a tagine as well, thanks.

yellowfin

Erwench -- What a great trip report! Thanks for sharing. We're taking our first trip to Morocco starting next week (April 10). I have only one concern that maybe you and others can help me with. I'm absolutely phobic about snakes! Has nothing to do with whether they're poisonous or not. Am I going to be bumping into snake charmers everywhere, or are there techniques for avoiding them? Any places worse than others? Please advise. Thanks.

erwench

Yellowfin, I'm not a big fan of snakes either-- but don't worry about the snake charmers. There are only maybe 3 groups of charmers in all of Jemma El Fna Square. You can hear their music so you'll know where they are-- just make sure you steer clear. They really won't bother you as long as you aren't trying to take a picture or watching the show without paying. Interestingly, the snake charmers leave the square right before sundown. More annoying are young salesmen with wooden moving snakes that will approach you in the square and elsewhere-- a little scary the first time you are approached but knowing the snakes are just wood will put you at ease. Enjoy your trip!! Morocco is wonderful!!

erwench

Nayema and I heard the sound of goats bleating and could see the men off in the distance returning with the herd and our two camels who were now loaded down with several large plastic jugs of water. As the herd returned the lactating goats were separated from their offspring and penned for milking in the morning.

Before dinner we were offered a snack of dates and fresh goat's milk. Since there was only one cup of milk to share and I had a cold, I politely turned down the offer. My DH did not hesitate trying the milk. I could tell immediately that he didn't like it but he was polite and took a second sip. Later he would confide that it tasted like luke-warm milk and turpentine. Agghh... for the first time in my life I was actually glad I had a cold.

We shared a nice vegetable couscous tagine dinner with Muhammad that evening by candlelight. After dinner, we took a chilly walk in search of desert kangaroo mice but didn't have any spottings. Too cold for the mice--we all agreed. We did get lucky and saw a shooting star as we tried to once again identify the constellations with Muhammad. My husband and I slept well that night in our small guest room on thin mattresses with lots of blankets piled on us.

The next morning was very cold... around 40-45 degrees. I put on every shirt I had brought and prepared for a chilly ride back to town. We left after breakfast, it was cloudy and breezy and we had a 4 hour ride ahead of us. We hoped the sun would find its way from behind the clouds. Somehow the time went by quickly, maybe it was the endless beautiful dunes that stood in front of us. The sun did eventually shine and the temperature climbed to a comfortable level. We again were asked to come down off the camels and walk for a portion of the trip when the dunes were too steep. We both didn't mind the walking a bit... four hours is a long time on a camel. We were ready to stretch our legs. We stopped at the camp where we had spent the first night and two young french tourist joined us for the last two hours of our journey.

When we arrived back in town our tour guide Brahim was waiting. We were able to shower and change in the hotel were they had stored our luggage. The shower facilities were very basic but the water was warm and it felt sooo good to shampoo my hair and put on clean clothes. Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life.

I'm so glad we decided to spend the extra time in the desert. I really had no idea what awaited us as we set out. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and one that I will never forget.

Luisah

<<We shared a nice vegetable couscous tagine dinner with Muhammad that evening by candlelight.>>

Yummy. I miss those vegetables and the couscous, not to mention the dunes and the sky. I bought some couscous when I got home and used some of the spices I bought in Marrakesh, but it just doesn't taste the same, must be missing the desert ambiance.

Four hours on a camel -- you are adventurous. Where ae you off to next?

I'm glad you're posting, it isn't over yet is it?

laartista

This is a great report. Really interesting.