Merzouga, Morocco 2017

Walking from Moha's Camel's House about two blocks to the edge of town, we four tourists are ready to mount our camels and head into Erg Chebbi, the Red Dunes of the Sahara. Not all deserts are composed of sand although this may be the popular notion; sand composes only about twenty per cent of the deserts on earth.

Photo: Doug Baum

It will be my second time of desert camping; what will this be like compared to the elegant "glamping" in Oman's Wahiba Sands? Happily, the saddles are of minimal construction, i.e. minimal in the use of wood or metal; the soft form fits around the animal's hump and with a blanket or two across, are very comfortable (could someone tell Tunisians about this)?

Photo: Heather Daveno

My companions ― Heather, Catherine, and Mark ― and I mount one at a time. I'd had my eye on the young black camel but he was relegated to Mark. Mine is called Akawi. Our leader Doug is not riding yet; he is running like a madman beside us, ahead of us, behind us, taking photographs. The man is tireless. In fact he made a video: https://www.facebook.com/texascamelcorps/videos/1321974761172514/

Too bad he deleted the shot where I tore my shirt open to show my Canada T-shirt.

Photo: Doug Baum

I soon understand that riding in the soft sand dunes is not like the usual experience of riding on level terrain. Stepping down a dune, even going on a diagonal (not straight forward!) the camel's front legs plunge into the shifting sand ― at which point you'd better be using a strong arm or two to maintain your balance. Traversing up a dune is the opposite. Either way, excellent core muscles are another big advantage.

Photo: Heather Daveno

We meander, or so it seems, absorbing our golden environment, marvelling at the burnished colour of the desert sands completely surrounding us. Hassan, leading the camels, is often barefoot; Moha is free to supervise and also take photos. The colours of their garb are a feast for the eye. Because it's March, early spring, we are not subject to blistering heat. Over an hour later we spot our camp, nested so naturally in the dunes, seemingly miles from everywhere. If we keep riding east we would soon be in Algeria.

Photo: Heather Daveno

Photo: Heather Daveno

The camp tents are the traditional woven goat hair, very sturdy fabric, cobbled together in a circle with a fence on the perimeter for security when not occupied. There is a cook tent and a dining tent, a socializing shelter and of course the sleeping tents. The bedroom tents, about ten of them, encircle a common space. Depending on the number of people booked, you may have your own tent or share with others. The ground is sand but they have placed carpets for easier walking. A primitive enclosure for the chemical toilet attempts privacy, somewhat defeated by the zipper that only closes halfway down. We have lunch and a rest. Note to self: juicy orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon; try this at home! Although I doubt one can reproduce the sweet freshness of the ubiquitous Moroccan oranges.

Around 4:45 pm we get the order to saddle up again. We ride for a long time to a special vantage point for sundown. We pass one or two equally small, nestled camps impossible to see until you're almost on top of them. But we see no other riders. Mark's great long shot photo shows the occasional camp hidden within the dunes.

Photo: Mark Charteris

This time my camel is in lead position. We change positions to accustom the younger camels to learn staying in line. It's a wonder how our barefoot boys know where they are going; all are dunes to the horizon in every direction. Any route is a continual action of up a dune and down or along the other side; at times the incline is alarming. This is not always easy riding. Catherine and Mark had brought stirrups to use and I could see why. Propping my legs forward rather than hanging down was much more comfortable on a prolonged ride ― there's a reason why police and soldiers curl their legs up when they can.

Photo: Moha

Photo: Moha

The wind has picked up by the time we reach our dismount spot. The idea is to climb that huge dune and see the sunset. The climb is decidedly more than I want to attempt and I justify it by knowing the sun won't photograph well on my camera (heh, you can see how much I rely on my companions for good pics). Instead I commune with the placid camels, take a photo of each, and sing to them. Doug was broadcasting to Facebook Live from the top of the dune amid thunderous wind noise ... the wind that imperceptibly sculpts these gigantic monuments of nature. Facebook video:

https://www.facebook.com/texascamelcorps/videos/1321096954593628/

They see me:

Photo: Heather Daveno

And I see them:

The sun went down, you notice. We have a long way to return to camp, judging by our timing to get here. Yes, dusk settles around us until it turns very black and nothing can be seen ahead; ascents and descents can't be anticipated! Yet we trust Moha and Hassan are operating on internal GPS. Above us, the pitch is punctuated by a zillion stars to thrill the most seasoned traveller. As always, the silence and comparative solitude are striking, tangible, harmonious. Eventually a flashlight beam from the camp signals our destination.

Photo: Heather Daveno

 

Heather said it: "You are closer to the stars on the back of a camel."

Dinner is served at a low table in the dining tent surrounded by swathes of colourful draped fabrics meeting at the centre pole. Cushions are provided at random for lounging. A small group from China has joined us for overnight. Ni hao! Tagine cooking is the staple dish, as everywhere in Morocco. I think Moha is pouring the mint tea at this point, to drowsy, satisfied guests.

Photo: Moha

However, the evening is not over. A good Berber meal is followed by music and camaraderie. Outside the camp, a fire quickly sprouts. Drums begin. Did a flute appear? Dancing sparks rise to the stars. The Berber men exult in singing. The delighted Chinese guests take their turn with a song and the drums are shared around. Music and laughter have no language barriers; it's a little U.N. of happiness.

Weary but replete in all ways, we drag slowly to bed. Mine is very narrow and a bit tilted to starboard along its length but right now it looks like the best place on earth to be. Close the curtain entrance and turn off my electric light (although we are never aware of a generator). Lamps around the camp are extinguished leaving not a glimmer of light for numerous individual night trips to the toilet, including mine, stumbling over carpets and groping unfamiliar structures. Mixed levels of contented snoring arise, but we are dead to the world. Until a confused man blunders into my tent, turning on the light, waking and scaring the bejeezuz out of me. The others were so out of it my startled scream didn't disturb a soul. Except one terrified Chinese gentleman.

Morning comes with sunrise, just as it should. All is right with the world. Fresh orange juice, freshly prepared bread; the cooking tent has been busy. With reluctance we have to depart this uncomplicated, elemental world, but knowing it exists, that such harmony with nature and humankind is possible.

Photo: Moha

Photo: Doug Baum

Photo: Doug Baum

© 2017 Brenda Dougall Merriman

Camel's House, Merzouga, Morocco

In the cluster of terra cotta-coloured mud brick buildings called Merzouga, Morocco ― something between a village and a town ― Moha Sahlouai Sct (http://www.saharacameltrips.com/) lives and works. His home welcomes camel-trekkers at the beginning and end of a desert adventure. Here our luggage was safely stored while we ventured into fabled lands.

Merzouga is located at the edge of the famous Red Dunes of the Sahara; you may not find the place on a map. Look west, down south near Taouz. Algeria is just a camel ride away. Moha is a Berber, and this is his country.

  

There are no precise statistics, but the Moroccan population is overwhelmingly mixed Berber and pure Berber descent. True Berbers (or Amizighen) speak a related variety of languages quite different from Arabic; it is only in the last generation that the alphabet (Tifinagh) and writing of Tamazight has been standardized and recognized as a "national language."

The unofficial Berber flag displays the Tifinagh yaz symbol "free man," representing their nomadic heritage.

Moha is one of a handful of entrepreneurs who offers overnight desert camping. And the only way to reach the camp is by camel. His camels, our new best friends, were also waiting to greet us. While torn jeans are often young Moroccan men's choice of garb, Moha did not disappoint in traditional dress and hospitality.

Built around the customary courtyard, a Moroccan home insulates inhabitants from outside noise and passing commotion. Here one is meant to relax. In Camel's House, note the simplicity of typical tiles and ornamentation, the whimsy in the homemade camel toy. A characteristic Moroccan home has a stairway to the roof to enjoy sunrise or sunset (unfortunately no photo to show here). Mint tea is de rigueur for guests who, after their camping experience, can use WiFi to regale their friends with stories.

We were taken to a neighbour who stocks gifts of every description―souvenirs, clothing, beauty products―as well as offering an internet café. Easy to succumb to temptation, lingering and browsing shelf after shelf.

In the winter off-season, Moha and his father work at building ― the ancient technique of mud brick (adobe) construction. The desert camping enterprise has brought new life to Merzouga. A few more shops now entice visiting tourists.

It's a magic world away.

© 2017 Brenda Dougall Merriman

Riads, Kasbahs, Lodgings: Morocco

Riad = originally a town house with rooms around a courtyard with a garden and fountain, of at least three storeys; without a garden and fountain it is a Dar, but the name riad is now generally applied to both. Some of these old structures in urban medinas (old towns) have been renovated to serve as guesthouses. Most riads have less than a dozen rooms to rent.

Kasbah = originally a fortified building that housed a ruling family or several families, so sizes vary. It is surrounded by high walls and has at least one impressive entrance gate. In these places, many have very old locks and keys to ornate bedroom doors.

I have had to borrow from my companion Heather Daveno (HD below) because her great interest in architectural detail, crafts, and textiles make her photographs beautifully precise. For further illumination, please visit her August Phoenix Hats albums: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AugustPhoenix2/photos/?tab=albums.

Dar el-Kebira in Rabat

Our first taste of living (sleeping) in Moorish architecture and Moroccan decor ― encouraging a princess feeling. El-Kebira is located deep in the very narrow, twisting alleys of the Rabat medina. To transport luggage from a car park way outside the medina, a Dar employee met us and used a hand-pulled cart (we were a small group). The entrance door gives no hint to the beauties inside (and this is true of most guesthouse doors in a medina). We were enthralled with the ambiance and furnishings, high ceilings and exotic textiles. Typically, all bedrooms open onto the central courtyard, now the reception area, with walkways around the upper floors. Breakfast was served on the rooftop patio to start the day perfectly.

Courtesy HD

Al Khalifa in Chefchaouen

Al Khalifa is actually a small modern hotel but its location on a mountainside steps away from entering the fascinating medina makes it special. It is adjacent to a little river that rolls and plunges toward the Atlantic, a river where women still find pools to do their laundry. Never mind I had to trudge to my room on the third floor (elevators are rare in small multiple-storey lodgings). Princess time in a king size bed and a bathroom with a lovely sink and fixtures of ornate design. The sliding pocket door into my bathroom was gorgeous.

Mohayut in Merzouga

This hotel on the edge of the Sahara is a recent build in a one-storey variation of traditional style, something akin to a kasbah. A swimming pool is the centrepiece of a large courtyard where guest rooms are accessed. Another courtyard serves as the outdoor dining area, a smaller one beside the dining room. Perhaps there are more; our stay was regrettably brief. A guardian camel helps circulate the pool water. From the rooftop you can see the desert in all directions; I watched a camel safari returning from a desert ride. The entire place exudes peace and privacy, a favourite with everyone.

Courtesy HD

Note the Berber symbols

Breakfast at Mohayut

Tomboctou in Tinghir

Tinghir is a town in the heart of the beautiful Todra Valley. Tomboctou is billed as a hotel but was built as a family kasbah in 1944, of traditional mud-and-straw brick construction. Converted now to a 16-room guest house, it's located in the central part of town (but not in the medina). Here a swimming pool dominates a courtyard adjacent to reception and dining area ― obviously new additions. On the left is the original kasbah, three tall storeys for guest rooms; here, the central courtyard (not open to the sky) displays a number of antique African carvings and art works. By the dining room, models of kasbahs have been set up. It has a roof terrace "to watch the stars" but we were very busy elsewhere that evening.

Entrance to the original kasbah; from the hotel website

Looking into the interior courtyard; courtesy HD

Some of the African exhibits

Tomboctou restaurant; courtesy HD

Kasbah Ait ben Moro in Skoura

A true kasbah dating back to the 18th century with the high fortified walls, originally home to several families who are still represented on staff. It has been fully restored for guests and is a pleasure to explore. You can see the height of its several storeys. Myriad passages and stairways open onto small courtyards, with lovely gardens and/or countryside views. Flanked at the entrance by a pottery business and a women's weaving co-op, Ait Ben Moro is one of the most popular kasbah destinations for tourists.

Photo from Ait Ben Moro website

  

Riad Dar Dzahra in Taroudant

Part of this riad is three hundred years old so again the sense of history is around you. Bedrooms are lavishly adorned with the expected Moroccan furniture and finishing touches; the bathrooms feature modern decorative sinks and hardware. The dining area, indoors and out, includes a house cat. A garden wall surrounds three sides of the pool with a variety of horticultural samples. Parking is available at the back and the medina beckons at the front doorstep with all its fascinating souks.

Riad Adriana in Marrakech

Perhaps the most memorable of all, this exquisite riad endowed the most "royal" feeling of all. Not the easiest place to find in the warren of the medina's little streets, but so well placed around the corner (or two) from the souks of the busy bazaar. Elegant rooms, mosaic floors, Berber carpets and blankets, carved pillars, copper bathroom fixtures, and scattered rose petals to welcome you. The open air courtyard with its fountain is a peaceful place to sit, as is the roof terrace where breakfast was served. Mint tea is customarily served in any riad or kasbah to greet new arrivals.

© 2017 Brenda Dougall Merriman