20231112 Sahara: It was a long and very interesting day altogether. I slept poorly all night, so was not really perky until mid-morning. We packed an overnight bag for the Sahara nights since the bus doesn’t go into there and we are in a series of four-wheel drive vehicles. Thus, big bags stay in the bus. Left the hotel at 8:00 and headed out through the desert. We moved from the High Atlas to the desert, and now to the Anti Atlas and the Sahara.
Before I go into the day, per se, some independent observations.
- Many partially built buildings that are finished as people have money. There are no property taxes unless you are a business.
- Most buildings are made from Adobe brick or concrete block. Some poured concrete.
- I have been told to stay hydrated, which is no problem, since I am thirsty all the time and am consuming gallons of water.
- Have been in touch with Kathy and John and Natalie. That is fun to keep this connection while they are in Greece and I am here
- Morocco is very clean and feels safe. Even when I have been in any kind of a small city with people around, there is never a feeling that there is either crime or pickpockets.
- Education is required for all children. There is a very strict child labor law. While French has been taught for years as the second language, this is now switching to English
- In Berber cities, they use their own language and not Arabic.
The scenery on most of the drive up to and beyond lunch was flat desert with mountains behind. Houses dotted here and there and villages as well. Sage is a planted shrub in the desert to feed nomadic tribes’ goats and cattle. On many plots of land in the flat, vast area there is a block or adobe wall on the street with a closed gate. Picture this with no fences or barriers of any kind on the other three sides of the plot.
Our first major stop (other than one for pictures or bathrooms) was in the town of Tinghir for a visit to the workshop of Berber rug weavers at The Berber House. The rug shop was quite welcoming, tea and ceremony, and they showed us about every pattern of rug that they make. All handmade. All have specific stories and patterns aligned with events or tribes. Wonderful experience. Many of our group bought some to send home.
Then a nice lunch at a nearby hotel, Kasbah Lamrani, by their pool. I had my table, of course. Also has a calico cat who wanted my food! Continued our drive through the desert and the scenery continued to change. About 4:00 got to Erfoud, an oasis region at the edge of the Sahara. Our four-wheel vehicles (three of us and a driver for each) were waiting. However, before departing, we spent a good deal of time at a place where fossils from what was the ocean floor here hundreds of millions of years ago are made into wonderful artwork, tables, sinks, etc. They dig up huge blocks of fossils from under the desert. Each block is cut into slabs by a high-tech saw that can only cut one inch an hour…that’s how hard this material is. It’s all amazing to see what they have to do next to hand-tool around to reveal each fossil.
Fifteen-minute drive over the desert in the four-wheel vehicles. I was with Ron and Ismael. Got to Erg Chebbi and our hotel, AUBURGE DU SUD, where I am in Room 33, about 5:30. Put our stuff away and then wandered out onto the dunes which start right by the hotel. Climbed up and down dunes to get angles for shadows and light. Stayed through and beyond sunset catching nuances of colors and angles. This was the spot for which I rented a 100-400mm lens and it was worth it.
Dinner around the pool at 7:30, music by Ishmael and some of the staff. This really is Ishmael’s element! Did some image downloading, but was asleep at the keyboard by 9:00. Shower, shave, bed.
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