Entries about nomad

FAVOURITE PHOTO

WE FINISHED YESTERDAY WITH A FUN NIGHT IN OUR RIAD IN TINGHIR.
IT WAS SAD TO LEAVE THIS LITTLE PLACE SURROUNDED BY THE GREAT
DADES MOUNTAINS AND TODRA GORGES. I COULD EASILY HAVE
ENJOYED ANOTHER DAY HERE.

IT'S FUNNY.... THAT EVEN THOUGH I FELT AT THE TIME THAT WE GOT
RIPPED OFF BY A LOCAL CARPET SELLER.... NOW I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE THIS LOCAL SHOW US AROUND A BIT MORE.
RAZOUK.... YOU REALLY WERE A COOL GUY

TODAY, WE WERE ABOUT TO VENTURE INTO SOME ROUGH TERRITORY,
TAKING US THROUGH CHANGING COUNTRYSIDE AND TO THIS SMALL
VILLAGE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE SAHARA WHERE HABIB OUR GUIDE
GREW UP.

TODRA GORGES

WE HAD QUITE A BIT OF MILEAGE TO COVER TODAY SO WE STARTED
OUT EARLY. QUICK PIT STOP AT THE HUGE TODRA GORGES. I MEAN
HUGE!! I IMAGINE THE HOTEL HERE WOULD COST A FORTUNE

OFF ROAD 4X4 TO JEBEL SAGHRO MOUNTAINS

TIME TO TAKE A SHORT CUT AND HIT THE DUSTY TRACK TOWARDS
TAZZARINE AND ON TO THE SAHARA DESERT.

THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY MAY BE BORING FOR SOME. I FOUND IT
INTERESTING. I COULD CERTAINLY SEE THAT WE WERE ON THE WAY
TO THE DESERT. LONG FLAT ROADS TO NOWHERE, FOLLOWED BY
TRAVERSING AROUND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAINE DEVOID OF THE
USUAL GREENERY THAT MOUNTAINS USUALLY ATTRACT.......

ALL THIS KEPT ME INTERESTED... ALONG WITH THE GREAT LOCAL MUSIC THAT
HABIB WAS PLAYING WHILST WE SAT IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE COMFORT
WITH THE AIR-CON ON FULL BALL

QUICK STOP TO STRETCH OUR LEGS.
HOWIE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO FOUND A WEE TREE

N'KOB

THE SHORT CUT DIRT TRACK ENDED AT N'KOB AND BACK ONTO
THE BITUMEN LEADING THROUGH TAZZARINE, TAMEGROUTE
AND TO M'HAMID ON THE EDGE OF THE SAHARA.

I SAW THIS HOUSE HEADING INTO N'KOB THAT LOOKED LIKE
IT WAS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

I WAS LEFT SCRATCHING MY HEAD A BIT?....
WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN BETTER TO WORK ON THE ACCESS
FIRST?.... SEEMS LIKE A BIT OF A ROUGH DRIVEWAY TO ME?...

AFTER DRIVING UP AND THROUGH THE VILLAGE, WE STOPPED
BRIEFLY FOR A VIEW OVER THE VALLEY.

SOME CHILDREN CAME DOWN TO SAY HI AND HABIB GAVE
THEM A BIT OF CHANGE.

NOT TOO FAR NOW...

WE DROVE THROUGH TAZZARINE WITHOUT STOPPING. NOT
TOO MUCH TO SEE HERE.

TAMEGROUTE

THERE WERE HOWEVER A COUPLE OF THINGS OF INTEREST IN
TAMEGROUTE.

TAMEGROUTE IS THE HOME OF LOVELY POTTERY. WE STOPPED
AT A LITTLE SHOP AND HABIB TOOK US AROUND THE BACK AND
SHOWED US HOW THEY MAKE IT SITTING IN DUG OUT HOLES
TO KEEP COOL AND ENSURE THEY DON'T BEND TOO MUCH.
AND WITH KILN HOLES OUT BACK TO FIRE THE POTTERY.

TAMEGROUTE ALSO HAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS SPECIAL.
HABIB TOOK US THROUGH A LABYRINTH OF SMALL STREETS
TO AN AMAZING KORANIC LIBRARY WHERE THOUSANDS OF
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS ARE KEPT.

NOW THAT IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY IN
YOUR TRAVELS. VERY INTERESTING AND INTREGUING.

HABIB EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE NOW IN THE DRAA VALLEY
WHERE THE PALMS MEET THE DESERT AND TRUE ENOUGH
WE WATCHED AS THE PALMS GOT LESS AND LESS AND THE
DESERT LOOMED AHEAD.

WE SAW OUR FIRST DESERT CAMEL

AND A DUST STORM THAT WE HAD TO STRATEGICALLY AVOID.

M'HAMID

MAIN STREET OF M'HAMID. HABIB IS A BERBER NOMAD BORN
AND BRED IN THIS LITTLE TOWN. AS WE DROVE DOWN THE
MAIN AND ONLY STREET, IT WAS TOUCHING TO SEE HOW MANY
LOCALS RACED OVER TO SAY HELLO AND DO THE MOROCCAN
MALE GREETING

WE FELT PRIVILEGED TO BE WITH SUCH A CELEB

BUT THINGS WERE ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT BETTER!

NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SMILING AT THE
LOCALS THAT GREETED OUR GUIDE, BUT HABIB DROVE AROUND
A BACK STREET AND INVITED US TO COME IN AND HAVE A FEED
WITH HIS FAMILY! WOW! WHAT A GRAND PRIVILEGE!!!

A HUGE TAGINE FEAST WAS PRESENTED IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE FAMILY ROOM AND WE SAT DOWN ON NICE PILLOWS ON
THE FLOOR AND ALL TUCKED IN EATING WITH OUR HANDS
AND DIPPING THE HOME MADE BREAD INTO THE JUICES.
I TELL YOU.... IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!

HUBBY AND I FELT HUMBLED AND PRIVILEGED, AND THE FAMILY
WARMTH WAS SO EVIDENT
SORRY.... NO PICTURES. WE DIDN'T THINK THAT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE.

SAHARA DESERT

OUR FIRST NIGHT SLEEPING UNDER THE STARS IN THE SAHARA

THIS CAMP SITE WASN'T FAR FROM M'HAMID.
A MISTY SUNSET GREETED US.

WE WERE ASKED IF WE WANTED TO SLEEP IN A LITTLE HUT OR
IF WE WANTED OUR BED OUTSIDE. THAT'S A NO BRAINER

EVEN AFTER A BIG DAY, I MANAGED TO WAKE A FEW TIMES AND
JUST LOOK UP AT THE STARS AND LISTEN TO THE VARIOUS
DESERT SOUNDS OF INSECTS AND DISTANT CAMELS.
AN EXPERIENCE I WILL NEVER FORGET

NEXT MORNING OUR CAMELS ARRIVED.
YES, WE WERE ABOUT TO RIDE THE CAMELS OUT OF THE DESERT.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS FOR US TO RIDE INTO THE DESERT...
BUT THE SANDSTORM THE PREVIOUS DAY MEANT THAT PLAN B
WAS IN PLACE.

PLAN B WAS GOOD

MY CAMEL - ISN'T SHE CUTE

HUBBY'S CAMEL - EQUALLY CUTE

WE SAW A NOMAD CAMP WITH TWO YOUNG ONES

AND WHEN WE ARRIVED AT M'HAMID .... OUR BUTTS WERE A BIT
SORE.... BUT THE CAMEL RIDE OUT OF THE SAHARA DESERT WAS
A MEMORY THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

NEXT UP - ANOTHER NIGHT SLEEPING UNDER THE STARS IN A
BIGGER DESERT CAMP WITH BIGGER DUNES!!
AND BETTER PHOTOS!!!!