Dades to Merzouga -- To the Sahara

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The sky was overcast this morning and remained so throughout the day.  The good news was that the clouds and constant wind kept the temperature down, but with the down side of making the prospects for our planned afternoon camel trek and overnight in a Berber tent camp beneath a star-lit desert sky less than we’d been hoping for.  However, Plan B (or serendipity) offered some hope of better conditions.  We had chosen a four-day desert excursion over a three-day trip, so at lunch, Tom arranged to reschedule the camel trek and overnight in the dunes for tomorrow.  We’re spending tonight in a hotel overlooking the dunes and will explore this area during the first part of the day tomorrow, and climb on those camels late in the day.  Now, we’ll just hope that tomorrow isn’t cloudier and windier than today has been; we’ve run out of backup plans!

In several places today, we saw lush green desert oases, bursting with date palms, spread out at the foot of dry brown hillsides covered with mud and straw kasbahs and villages.  The oases are irrigated by channels that carry water delivered by an extensive system of underground canals.  Above ground, series of clay-like mounds with holes and crude wooden cranks at their summits were indicators of the presence of the canals underneath.

We toured a cooperative that turns fossils embedded in rock into beautiful polished works of art ranging from pendants and key rings to massive tables and fountains. (The reception desk at our hotel tonight is topped with such a piece, and the sink and vanity in our room are also of the same material.)

Can you see the three climbers?

Closeup of the previous

Much of the area we saw today reminded us of locations in the American southwest.  Red rocks towering over a moving river and green riparian area could have been in Colorado.  The Todra Gorges, with rock walls (and climbers) loomed over a river of crystal clear rushing water and brought Utah’s Zion National Park to mind.  And there was lots of flat, desert scrub land with hills in the distance that could have been in any number of Arizona’s less-than-lovely places. 

Not everything made home turf seem close at hand, though.  Women gathered at a roadside stream to do their laundry together.  The Royal Gendarmarie (the highest level of security forces in Morocco) was stationed at regular roadside checkpoints, pulling some motorists aside and waving others on, seemingly at random.  We were not stopped, and Idir said that he never is, a fact he attributes to his peaceful face!  Several times, locals asked if we’re from the UK (we all sound/look alike!); their response upon learning that we’re from the USA is to chant, “O-BA-MA!” and smile.  Definitely not the norm back in Arizona!

We’ll be unable to post blog entries tonight (no Wi Fi at the hotel) or tomorrow night (no mystery there), so as I write, we hope you’re enjoying your time off.  If you’re not, it’s too late by the time you read this!