My Saharan adventure + more!

Using the term "Saharan adventure" is a bit of a stretch, as I went to Zagora, which is on the very edge of the Sahara desert, and it was only for 2 days. But hey, the experience was still an adventure! The journey to the desert was as much of a part of the trip as the actual desert experience, if not more, and it started at 7 am on Monday morning. My tour guide picked me up at my hostel, and we walked to the van, where there was a young Dutch couple there waiting. We drove about 10 minutes, and then the chaos began. There were maybe 50 people outside on the street, all of whom had booked with different tour companies, and were going on different tours, for different lengths of time. For about 40 minutes, people were instructed by a several Moroccan men to get on and off various vans, as they tried to fill vans with people who were going on the same trip. I'm certain there was a more efficient way to do this, but who doesn't like that added thrill of total uncertainty? Eventually, I was placed in a van with about 17 other people, and we were on our way. The van was cramped and my knees were not happy, but the drive was lively and I made some friends along the way!a d

On our way we stopped for photo ops, and these opportunities were plentiful. After a couple hours of driving, we stopped at a village Ait Benhaddou, which is fortified city (and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) that is known for being a filming location for movies and TV shows like Gladiator and Game of Thrones. The view of it was literally jaw dropping. We got a guided tour through the village, and learned about the 4 families that live there and its clay architecture. After a quick lunch, we continued driving, where after a few hours we arrived into the Atlas Mountains, which with its huge dramatic valleys and lack of any greenery reminded me of drives through the American Southwest. After a few more stops for photos, bathroom breaks, and snacks, we arrived to Zagora at about 7, where our camels were waiting for us, along with the local Berbers that would guide us. The Berbers are indigenous people that are local to Northern Africa, and we were visiting one of their villages.

After getting off the van, I got a good look at my camel, and realized how truly weird looking they are. With their lanky legs and bobbly knees, they kind of strut, which is a very funny sight. Their noses/snouts are so big that when looked at from straight on, they block the view of most of their face, so just their eyes stick out. I got on my camel, and we began the journey to our tents, where we were sleeping for the night! The ride was about an hour long, beautiful, and painful. Nobody tells you how riding a camel isn't exactly the most comfortable thing. We were split into 3 lines, and I was leading my line, with a Berber man leading my camel with a rope. Halfway through he hands me the rope, and darts away, climbing over a fenced in area. Very confused as to what was happening, I just sat their on my camel, wondering if he was coming back or not. A few minutes later, he emerged with a watermelon, that he handed to me! The fenced in area was a watermelon field, and I was responsible for carrying it back to the camp. I felt very Jennifer Gray from Dirty Dancing. Most of our ride was through flat barren land, but by the end we were surrounded by very picturesque sand dunes that often come to mind when you think of the desert. Eventually we reached the camp, where we split into groups of 5 to go into our tents, and then headed to dinner. Dinner was a traditional turkey tagine with vegetables, along with lots of bread and tea. And of course, the watermelon for dessert! Later, the Berbers did a traditional dance, which was very fun to watch. It was interesting talking to the other people on our trip, along with the Berbers, who taught us words in their language and asked us about our trip so far. One of the highlights was seeing the stars at night. It was a little bit hazy, so apparently the stars weren't as bright as normal, but I thought it was still incredible. We went to sleep soon after on the little cots in our tents, and it seemed like minutes later we were woken up by the Berbers beating their drums announcing breakfast. It was 7 am, and the light was truly spectacular. Everything was tinged with orange, and although the sky was a bit cloudy, it cast very intense shadows on everything that created a dramatic effect. We hopped back on our camels, and began the trek back to our van while enjoying the sunrise. The ride back was much shorter than the first, as we made fewer stops, however the views were just as striking, and I felt like we spent longer driving around the winding roads that edged the mountains. Eventually we reached Marrakech, and although I was tired and sore, it was definitely time and money well spent. 

The rest of my time here has been spent walking around the souks and going to the various attractions and neighborhoods. I like how the streets can so so incredibly busy, and an absolute whirlwind of colors, noises, and scents, and then you can pop into a park, palace, or museum, and it's suddenly so tranquil. I don't stop as many markets or stalls as I would like to, because I know I won't buy anything, and the shop owners will feel like it's a personal assault on them after they try to convince me to buy and I say no. Yesterday however, while with someone that I met from the desert tour, I ran into a man who brought us to a shops that he insists was much less touristy than the souks. We told him we couldn't tip (that's a common trap in Marrakech that I've fallen into once in the Jewish quarter), and he insisted that he was on his way to work anyway as a chef, and didn't want our money. And he was right! He brought us to a lovely market where nobody pressured us to buy, and we got to peruse everything from spices to fabrics. Something unique to Marrakech (or that I've never noticed in other cities) is the number of alleyways. There are hundreds of alleyways that seem to be very off the beaten track, but often act as actual streets and are the only way to get to places. Most hostels and riads (small local Moroccan hotels) are located far down dark alleyways, and it takes some time getting accustomed to reaching them!

Today I'm planning on finding a place for lunch that I've heard about. It doubles as a women's training and job placement center, which is even more of a reason to visit! Later I'm meeting up with a British girl that I met on the Sahara trip, and I also want to visit a park and mosque that have been on my list. I leave tomorrow night for Split, but have the whole day here, as my flight is at 11:30 pm-- after which I get to enjoy a lovely 12 hour layover in the Barcelona airport, which I'm sure will be an experience.