Pictures can speak a thousand words, and some pictures are impossible to put into words. So ignore the text, enjoy the views and get on a plane to live the Sahara Desert dream and meet your own Charlie!
The journey to the Sahara Desert continued from Fez to Midelt, a smaller town with stunning views of the High Atlas Mountains. This was effectively a stopover destination to break up the otherwise 10 hour journey from Fez to the Sahara Desert, and we were all so grateful for it. This was our first hostel with a swimming pool to relax in and we had the opportunity to explore some of Morocco’s stunning landscapes with a wander through the valley followed by a dip in the pool and yet another beautiful tagine dinner to prepare for a big day the next day.
One of the highlights of our stopover in Midelt was exploring the local Kasbah (fortified village), which is over 200 years old and felt like something from Indiana Jones movies. The Mildelt area has been traditionally quite wealthy due to the natur resources in the area, but as per Moroccan custom, looked like any other kasbah in the countryside. It was an awesome experience attempting to talk with the locals and playing jumprope with the kids. It was all fun and games until one little boy tried a Chinese burn karate move and nearly broke my wrist.
It was a long travel day into the Sahara desert – 6 hours by road then 2 hours by camel. It was a scenic drive with the landscape gradually transitioning along the way with water reservoirs, oasis, mountains, with increasingly dry, intense heat. The ride continued until we reached the epic towering sand dunes. As my mate Marcus described it, ‘it looks like a Windows 2000 desktop screensaver’.
Another afternoon was spent relaxing in the pool as we waited for the heat of the day to fade and the sun to sink lower into the sky before we could meet our camel friends and begin the craziest 12 hours of our trip.
Riding a camel is like riding a horse, but a little ‘humpier’. The mount and dismount were very awkward, but once on, the journey is smooth and surprisingly almost comfortable.
Animals in Morocco don’t have names, as they are there to serve a purpose, not kept as ‘pets’. So for 12 hours, my beautiful camel adopted the name Charlie, and plodded through the sand dunes with expert skill and care.
Nothing can describe the beauty of the perfectly formed sand dunes, as they changed daily with the winds and no 2 days will ever be the same. As the sun set in the distance, I left Charlie to scamper up the dunes and take in the view. Phenomenal.
Our desert camp was more of a ‘glamp’ setup, and while we were assured there were no predators in the Sahara, as we waited for dinner a friendly little viper snake appeared, swiftly taken care of by our local hosts. Another night, another delicious tagine dinner was shared as the sky became pitch black, illuminated by millions of stars. We were treated to a traditional music performance where Callum joined in with his mad drum skills, before dragging our mattresses from the tents and sleeping amongst the dunes under the brilliant night sky.
It was a 4am start the next morning as we had to be out of the Sahara before the scorching heat hit, and again we were treated to stunning views at sunrise as we rode for 2 hours through a different route out of the desert. Even as the day played out, the experience felt absolutely unreal and like a dream.
Another day on the road as we continued to the next destination, the Dades Valley in the High Atlas Mountains. We had a couple of interesting spots along the way, including a passageway of water running from the oasis to hydrate the desert towns, and a fossil factory.
The heat was absolutely boiling, and while it was fascinating to learn about the fossils being extracted from the mountains and their history, a couple of us were feeling so ill from the heat it was hard to stand outside and retain any information! The art and furnishings they are able to create from the fossilized rocks and skills that go into the craft are incredible, and if I had a lot of money I’m sure I could’ve come home with some priceless tabletops and outdoor fountains. Maybe if I visit again in 30 years time!
Exhausted after a hot day and the 4am start, I almost tapped out on the opportunity to go on a 4 hour hike through the Todra Gorge and up through the mountain ranges. It felt a little like the Tongariro Crossing and looked a little like the Grand Canyon, and although challenging, I’m so glad I did it! An hour or so into it, the adrenaline rush of being in the outdoors and pushing my body again kicked in and it reminded me of hiking at home.
It was crazy to think in winter these mountains are covered in deep snow, and at times the valley can be completely filled with flash floods. One of the highlights of the hike was coming across a Berber camp set into the mountainside. These nomads wander for months on end before setting up camp with their flocks of mountain goats and camels carrying their goods as they make their journeys through the country.
During this stage of the trip, I found myself again feeling incredibly grateful for the people I have been able to share this experience with. Not only our group of 10 travelers, but our fantastic guide Said and the other kind locals we met along the way. I came away from this experience feeling inspired by the stories of others, their different ways of life and perspective on our big world.
Luke’s journey has also been progressing further south, as the crew have upped their cycle pace to around 100km per day, experienced July 4th in Washington DC, had a few slips and spills on windy roads and taken up the offers of more kind Warm Showers hosts. Despite a few long, hot and challenging days on the road, they are all still full of smiles and high spirits. The Creekside Clique have officially crossed into the South and are over halfway through their trip!
The High Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert were the highlights of my time in Morocco, however I still had another great week to share as we moved through more epic landscapes towards the infamous Marrakech and onto the coast in Essouria. During my next ferry ride I should find time to close this Morocco chapter and move onto Portugal .. I’m a little far behind on this but it is a rewarding feeling reflecting on these awesome experiences and sharing them as I continue my journey through this interesting part of the world.
At the time of writing, there are just 17 days left until the Kiwi & Cali will be reunited and I am super duper to be sharing experiences together with my favourite Cali boy, and there will be 2 of us back on the blog together very soon! Until then,
A Kiwi xo
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