Every time someone tells a lie, one grain of sand is added to the desert. Whenever a truth is told, a grain of sand will be removed.
After breakfast we crossed the street to learn about fossils from one of the many shops in the area. They had excavated quite a few incredible sheets of rocks that were filled with fossils. Whenever water was poured over the stone, it brought out out the vibrant colors & designs hidden within. I saw some extraordinary fountains that would have been stunning on my pool deck, but of course I had champagne tastes on a beer diet, so I could only dream about adding them to my backyard paradise.
From the fossil store we boarded our 4 x 4 vehicles - heading out to find our camels in the Sahara Desert for our 40-minute ride toward the dunes. I named my camel Gussie, since she was a female, instead of Gus II (prospective male successor to Gus, my Egyptian camel who widened my butt crack back in 2009). Needless to say, in much more comfortable conditions - temperatures in the 70s, compared to temperatures in triple digits - this was a much more enjoyable ride. Doug, one of my fellow travelers, even went so far as to hint that maybe I liked camels after all (let's not get too carried away now).
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| Our camels and capable guides are awaiting our arrival. |
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| Off we go with the dunes in the background. |
Our little tented campsite, Adar Adventures, was nestled in the sand dunes near Merzouga. Incredibly each tent came with its own ensuite toilet, and the campsite included 2 sinks, 3 tented showers and a tented dining area. Solar power was used for electricity, and thankfully hot water bottles were distributed for keeping us warm & toasty as the nighttime temperatures dipped into the 30s. (It also helped that Aziz accompanied us to a liquor store in Rabat so we could buy wine and beer to keep us warm as well). (ha ha) (I do believe this was the first time in my life that I had a Muslim order wine - in Arabic - for me in a liquor store:)
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| Top row (L to R): our dining hall; some of the individual tents. Bottom row (L to R) ensuite bathroom, complete with fancy throne, plenty of TP; spray for overpowering smells; black bucket for used TP; and blue bucket fot scooping water into toilet bowl after going to help ground absorb the moisture & smells; our outdoor sink and solar-heated showers. |
wow- way back in 2000 we did not have en suite toilet facilities- this is a big step up! but we did however stop as you did for liquor fortifications before heading into the desert... smart move- mot much doing out there once the sun goes down.
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