Long drive on Saturday. Diverse scenery. From mountains to dry plains to stretches of date palms to scrubby desert to the orange dunes of the Sahara. Through the longest valley in Africa which stretches from north of here to the Atlantic Ocean. The river is bone dry.
We had a break for tea, stopped to buy head scarves and a jelaba for Grubb for the desert. A stop at a pottery cooperative. Then lunch in M’hamid.. A nice vegetable tajine to offset the meat heavy meals we’ve been having. Served with, of all things, French fries. Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, oil and vinegar are offered in addition to the Moroccan spice dishes containing salt, cumin and chili to sprinkle onto the food.
We look around and it seems we’ve been thrown back to the 60s. Hippie looking young folk have come from all over to attend a music festival.
M’hamid is the end of the road. Literally. From there it is 1-1/2 hours of off-road bumping, bouncing and sliding through the Saharan dunes to our camp.
By the time we arrive, it’s 5:30. Bashir, the camp manager, greets us, shows us to our tent. The tent is spacious with a king sized bed. An attached smaller tent contains the bathroom. This is glamping.
Bashir says, come to the bar, get a drink, then at 6 you walk to the top of that dune to see the sunset. I will come with more drinks.
Which dune? We managed to climb the wrong dune. We looked over and saw other people clustered on the next dune over. Down and then up again through the soft sand, sinking with every step. Trudge. But then, Bashir shows up with a cooler full of drinks and a box of wine glasses. Shakran for a lovely glass of Moroccan white and as many refills as I’d like.
Dinner is fabulous. A couscous dish and chicken tajine are the main courses. There are perhaps 10 or 12 other guests. We eat at one long table. We sit across from a French family from Paris and next to a Canadian couple from Edmonton. We trade travel tips. So happens they’ve all come from the direction we are going when we leave and they are headed to where we’ve been.
The Wi-Fi here is gets better the closer you get to the bar tent. That’s motivation I suppose. But the bar is free. If no one is around to serve, you help yourself.
Back in our tent after dinner and conversation, the night is absolutely silent. And dark. Tranquil.
This whole vibe reminded me of Maria Muldaur’s “Midnight at the Oasis”. I had forgotten how suggestive the lyrics were, including an anatopism about a cactus.
I’m looking forward to see Grubb out walking in his desert attire. I guess they didn’t have an still suits?
an still suits?
Any still suits? From Dune.
I totally missed the reference. Guess I need to reread.
Lovely sunset. With no moon up late you should have a pretty good display of stars. Don’t remember if the Milky Way is visible at this time of year.
We didn’t see the Milky Way but someone claimed they’d seen it the night before.