Justus In The World: The Sahara!

Running around barefoot, chasing the frisbee with sand dunes all around, I just had to smile. I was in the Sahara Desert, in the middle of a picnic stop at the only trees around and life was good! I find myself doing the Moroccan Trilogy: an adventure that bounces around the mountains, the desert and the sea. So far, the relaxing mountain vibes were amazing, but being in the world's largest desert was something special. Everyone knows of the desert, its vast sand dunes, the nomadic people living inside it somehow and camels being the main form of transportation. Well, that is exactly what my last 3 days were all about. So yes, I am smiling and I've lived through the heat and cold of the desert, watching 3 sunrises, 2 sunsets and one amazing moonset.

It's been 8 years since I first rode a camel in Australia and now I was back in the saddle again, holding on tightly as the camel shifts from his sitting position to standing, unbuckling more knees than I have, pitching me forwards, backwards and then upright almost 3 meter off the ground. It's kind of like a roller coaster, minus the safety belt. All part of the experience and over the few days, we were on the camel quite a lot, traveling around the desert. It may look glamorous, but riding on a camel's hump tends to make the nether regions mighty sore.

Our guide was Abdul, a friendly Moroccan from the desert who could look at a camel and make them lower themselves to the ground. The first ride might have been the best with a huge feeling of excitement as we rode into the dunes and full on into the desert. No more mud buildings or real signs of life on the ride until we got to our tent camp. Like circled wagons in the old west of America, the tents were set up in a circle with just one entry point. With not that many people in our group, there was plenty of space and blankets to go around.

After climbing the dunes to enjoy a proper sunset over the dunes in the Sahara, we were treated to a feast cooked by Abdul: chicken tajine! Slow cooked in the tajine pot, complete with the cone shaped lid to keep the flavor it, it was amazing. Definitely one of the best foods you can eat here in Morocco. The night was spent around the fire, playing African drums, telling jokes/riddles and enjoying the bright moon and stars. Very impressive sky out there in the desert.

Day two started with the sunrise of course, cold, but worth it. Over 1.5 hours of camel riding took us to a small clump of trees to relax, play frisbee and eat vegetable salad to keep the energy flowing. Our water came from desert wells which are only 5-6 meters deep normally, meaning that water really is close at hand in the desert. Another long camel ride later, we arrived at a group of mud houses where a Berber family lives. There were 6 kids running around, a full moon rising and some palm trees nearby. Definitely a good traditional spot to hole up for the night. Hole up might be correct as we had to stuff extra blankets in some window holes in the mud house we were in to stay warm. Dirt floors and mud walls, very authentic. They put some carpets/mats on the floor and heaped us up with blankets to stay warm. After watching and learning about lots of stars, it was time to have vegetable couscous for dinner, followed by getting under the covers to stay warm. I haven't had central heating in any place in Morocco so far, and definitely not in a house made of clay.

Being awoken before 6am to the cold and dark, we were treated to an amazing setting of an orange moon, complete with stars ahead of us. Behind us, the sun was slowly working its way up. It was a cold ride back, but one of the most beautiful, watching the moon with the dunes on the left slowly receiving more light from the sun. That was the perfect finish to a great trip in the Sahara. Enjoy the pictures and more will be up soon!