The Sahara, Part 1

Ted. Judy and I investigated various ways of exploring the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert and finally settled on a private tour. It was pricey but there were many advantages. When our friend Linda decided to join us, the economics became more favorable.

So, at 8:30 on a Thursday morning, Abdoul, our faithful guide and driver rang the buzzer at our riad (hotel) in Marrakech and our adventure began.

Judy, Abdoul & Linda

The three of us had contracted with a company called Desert Majesty for a four day, three night tour. They provided a driver, a very comfortable Toyota 4-wheel drive vehicle and all food and accommodations along the journey. The cost was about $450/person, excluding drinks and tips. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions that we have made in quite a while.

On our first day, we wandered through and over the Atlas mountains, exploring villages and kasbahs and marveling at the scenery.

Kasbah has various definitions but I equate it to a castle. For over a thousand years, there has been a trade route from Marrakech to Timbuktu, which is south of the Sahara in Mali. Caravans carried salt (once worth more than gold) to the south and gold and ivory to the north. The kasbahs we were visiting were built to protect the caravans. To me, this is analogous to the castles along the Rhine River but with camels instead of boats. 

Telouet Kasbah

Salt deposits

We spent our first night in a very nice riad in Ouarzazate. This town has several film studios and scenes from most desert movies you can name were probably filmed in this area. It is also the main launching point for desert excursions.

One thing we enjoyed at this particular riad was the availability of wine. A liquor license in Morocco costs over $100,000 so it is rare to find an affordable restaurant or hotel serving alcohol. Naturally, we jumped at the chance to check out the local wine and it is excellent!

So, the next morning, we headed east again, driving down the Dra’a valley during the harvest of their famous crop – dates. Oh my goodness, freshly picked dates are so moist and sweet, I don’t know if I can ever enjoy them at home again.

Dra'a Valley with date groves

Fresh dates ($2/box)

 After several hours, more villages and more kasbahs, we finally arrived in the tiny village of Mhamid. The road actually ended here as we were only about 15 miles from the closed border with Algeria. There are bad guys over there and the Moroccan army watches the border very carefully. The economy of Morocco is dependent on the safety of tourists so they don’t need any idiots coming over to cause trouble.

Included in our tour was a camel ride out to our desert camp. Abdoul turned us over to Hassim who led us on the hour and a half stroll across the dunes to our camp. Riding a camel is not a lot different from a horse. I would describe it as having a bigger “roll” and the saddle isn’t as comfy. It wasn’t bad but you do use muscles in different ways and most folks are a bit sore afterwards. By the way, our camels were very gentle.

I think I’ll close here and describe our experience at the camp in a second post.

Quote du jour

 “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

- Maya Angelou

Windows on the World

Ted. I have noticed something here in Morocco that we have seen all around the world. Young people in every country we visit seem to spend an inordinate amount of time staring at electronic devices. I have been surprised to see that kids who may live with their entire family in a one room house still find a way to get access to a smartphone and wifi.

A young Moroccan woman that we met said she believes that parents in Morocco face the same Internet issues as parents in other countries such as violence and sites that make a game of suicide.

I can’t help but wonder if there is another downside in developing countries. In theory, surfing the Internet gives the young people lots of useful information that their parents could never access. However, they can also watch videos of a world they may never see. So what must they think as they watch a French film or the latest episode of an American TV show or a crazy YouTube channel. 

Most people that I see in developing countries seem very happy. They don’t have the material goods that so many crave elsewhere but they do have rich and full lives centered on their faith, family, friends and work. This is more like the US of my youth, before stress, violence and drug use (both illegal and psychotherapeutic) became the norm. 

Are the young people of Morocco and similar places developing new ideas of what happiness is supposed to look like? As always, responsibility for educating the children of the world falls largely on the parents. This task cannot be getting any easier.

From the Adriatic to the Atlantic

Ted. Judy got a brief taste of Morocco during our day trip to Tangier in February. She left wanting to see more so here we are for a two week stint. I spent six weeks in Morocco back in 1974 but had left without seeing two places; the majestic Atlas Mountains and the old imperial city of Fes (or Fez if you wish). Judy wanted to see the stars in the Sahara. So, we have flown to Marrakech (sometimes spelled as Marrakesh), which will be our base. We have planned two side trips. First, we’ll take a 4-day private tour across the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara.  After returning to Marrakech to rest, we’ll take a 3-day trip by train to Fes.

Situated in the far northwest corner of Africa, the Kingdom of Morocco has an interesting history. Along with Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauretania, it is part of the Maghreb, which is Arabic for “The West.“ Home to a people called the Berbers, the region was also known in Europe as “the Barbary Coast.” The French and Spanish have made a mark here and many people speak four or five languages. We hope to learn a lot.

Koutoubia Minaret in Marrakech