Camels!

Bonjour!

I'm sure you've all been eagerly anticipating photos of our Sahara visit.

Voila!
(Well, at least it's a start. We had some camera issues on this trip).

Anyway, we had a fabulous time traveling with Terry, Amy, Charlie and Camille to Fes, and then later, to the Sahara, Tinihir and Ouarzazate.

Fes is just as fascinating as when Bob and I first came here on our honeymoon nearly 17 years ago. We stayed in a riad with a great view of the medina and nearby hillside from the terrace, and had a lovely meal there. The next morning, the eight of us headed out on a tour with Ali, our guide, who explained the decorations and symbolism of the tile work and carving in the medersas (Islamic religious schools), took us to the various souks, and brought us to a little preschool where three year and four year olds stood promptly when asked and recited at length from the Koran. Bob called it the best tour ever.

After the tour, some of us brave folk had the "black powder treatment" at an herbal shop (to clear our sinuses and prevent snoring -- at least we hope that's what it did). Then we had lunch at a place that serves the best banana/date/almond milkshakes in the world, and, according to Charlie, also serves a tasty camel burger with fries.

On Saturday, after we met our surly driver for the next four days (the one unfortunate part of trip), we headed south to the desert, stopping along the way to see some monkeys that were quite used to tourists (see photo).


Once we arrived in the desert, we headed off into the sunset on camel (well, sort of, as the sun was sinking fast, but we were headed east).

Happily, riding a camel was a lot more fun than I anticipated, although 1 1/2 hours was plenty of time on a camel -- I don't think I could handle a multi-day trek or even one full day on a camel. When we arrived at our site, the candles were already lit, the tents (made of a hodgepodge of colorful carpets and blankets) were ready, and our dinner had been prepared. The tents even had mattresses with fresh sheets and blankets, although the pillows were far from soft. Early the next morning, most of us climbed a large dune -- hard work going up -- to watch the sun rise over the desert.

After the desert, we visited the Todra Gorge, spent a night in Tinihir, and ended up in Ouarzazate, staying in a magical dar (old guesthouse much like a riad but a closed house around an open courtyard), where we had one of the best meals yet in Morocco -- amazing olives in fresh herbs, delicious vegetarian pastilla, fresh apple cake/torte, and, for the meat-eaters, camel kefti -- or camel meatballs (Anna said they tasted like very well-prepared beef). After dinner, Amy and I had our first hammam, which included some pretty vigorous scrubbing -- or gommage -- by our attendants. I still have one bruise I blame on that gommage.

The last day was a long travel day home, via Marrakech. We'll try to post more photos later, with less text (Anna again says I wrote too much, but then she hasn't been writing much at all!).

Au revoir,

Kim