Camel Trek- Merzouga, Morocco

When I lived in the Convent in Ghana I would always volunteer to ride along with Mr. Danso (the driver) or whoever was doing the drop off or pick up at the airport. The sisters were constantly coming and going and airport runs we're at least a couple of times a month. No one really understood why I would constantly volunteer to go along for the ride when with traffic- the 2 hour round trip could easily be doubled. The answer for me was quite simple: the car had air conditioning. Airport runs were a break from the heat that I looked forward to all the time. Mr. Danso knew my reasoning and he started to bring a sweater with him for the rides- full blast AC was a little too much for him. When I compare the heat in Ghana to Morocco- there is no comparison. Morocco is soooo much hotter.

Morocco has been over 120 degrees everyday I have been here. The desert was like 130. I have my own washcloth/sweat rag that comes with me everywhere I go. I caught on pretty quickly that they are used to tourists and therefore dress code is not really an issue... THANK THE LORD I can wear my Bball shorts and a Tshirt. I think walking around naked might still be a little offensive. And I would do anything to have Mr. Danso to drive me around this country with my full blast air conditioning.

Since I last wrote I have been to the desert and back. It was two nights with no AC too long. However, the camel ride was incredible and well worth the suffering. Part of the draw in coming to Morocco was the fact the Sahara desert and camel riding are here. I've seen pictures, I've read about it in books, I even taught about it, and yes, I think the background to our Gateway 2000 was a picture of the desert for awhile. I saw pictures of my brother riding a camel when he studied Arabic here in Morocco, and therefore, I was going to make this happen.

The picture in my head of the desert was pretty much what I experienced. I arrived to my sand castle hotel really late and therefore couldn't see anything. When I woke up and saw I was surrounded by sand dunes I got a little nervous. I only had one water bottle and the image of me crawling up that dune in search of water but seeing a mirage of my cousins Ella and Charlie holding slurpees from 7-11 was all too clear. The sand castle, hippie, lacking AC and refrigeration hotel was only slightly sketchy. The restless nights dripping with sweat and waking up to a sweat body print on the bed still doesn't explain just how hot it was. Craving cold water and even willing to suffer a brain freeze doesn't begin to describe my uncomfortable stay in the desert. However, there are some things we just have to endure if we want to experience one of the coolest things ever- camel riding in the Sahara.

The ride itself lasted a couple of hours but the memories will last a lifetime I'm sure. Being surrounding by massive dunes in all directions, holding on for my life when going up or down the steep dune and taking in the experience as a whole was amazing. The highlight was probably climbing up the dune myself during one of the pit stops. It was then I realized just how hard it is to make your way through the desert. The camels make it look easy. I sat on top of the dune, catching my breath, and thinking to myself just how crazy it is that I was here. The 9 hr ride to the desert and the 13 hr ride out of the desert seem like nothing for the opportunity to do what I did.

Teaching about the Gold Salt trade was always fascinating to me. I had seen the gold mines in Ghana... Not quite like you would picture. I've seen them collecting salt just outside of Tangier on the train just days before. However, to experience the process of riding a camel in the Sahara gives a WHOLE new meaning to Trans-Saharan trade. I have no idea how they did it. I have no idea how people live there. And I have no idea how I managed to survive for just the 2 days I was there.

While on top of the dune a lovely sand storm came through. It was about 15 minutes of sand blowing in all directions. You couldn't open your eyes, but if you peaked out a little like I did you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. If you were wearing basketball shorts and a Tshirt during the sand storm like I was, you could feel the grains whipping your arms and legs and stinging so badly that you wanted to cry yet you realize for the first time in days you aren't sweating. However, the negative piece was the lovely sand storm broke my camera. I was able to get my pictures off the memory card but the lens won't open. Once I get to a bigger city in Europe I'm hoping to hit up a camera store and see if it can be fixed. If not, Im hoping my mom wants to give me a HALF BIRTHDAY gift...? Or a RAMADAN gift? Or a YOU'RE MY FAVORITE CHILD gift?

I was able to make it down the dune and into the arms of my camel driver. He was holding a blanket to block the sand and I sat under that to wait out the storm. Then I realized it wasn't a blanket but his turban and thought to myself I have GOT TO GET ME ONE OF THOSE.

When the storm ended, back on the camel I went, and back to the sand castle hotel the camel took me. I named my camel "Olivia Newton John" because she was really SANDY! Good one huh? So, Olivia Newton John and I shared a magical experience in the desert together, I sweat my butt off all night, and then I took a bus 13 hours to Marrakech. I didnt have a place lined up to stay so i was a little nervous when the bus was late and we didn't arrive until almost 10. But some girl on the bus told me she was staying in a place with AC. I have found the key to my heart and it starts with an A. and it ends with a C. I'll be here tonight, and exploring all day tomorrow before catching my plane back to Europe to continue the originally planned trip. However, I think I'm changing my order of countries to visit because it's been so hot I really want to go to Switzerland next. I really wish the carpet I bought was a magic one so I could take it to the North Pole. The EURAIL doesn't have the North Pole as an option unfortunately. This will probably be the last post from Morocco so with that- GOODBYEEEE AFRICAAAAA AND HELLLLOOOO EUROPE!

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