Upon waking all we could think of was what was ahead. We prepared ourselves eagerly and waited at the camp gates in anticipation for our ride. We were aware of the difficulty finding our campsite (turn left 5 times) but became concerned as we were still left standing 20minutes after the allocated pickup time. Finally our ride arrived and from the 4wd stepped our guide, Mohammed in his Berber poncho and his genuine smile. As we squeezed into the car we were met with anxious faces and glowing smiles from a family of four Americans who we were about to embark on a journey with.

Our journey began winding our way through the Atlas mountains offering us views of green valleys, snow capped peaks and villages, old and new, with the former eroding back into the mountains from which they'd been built. We stopped briefly to learn how villagers would use nuts from the Argan tree to create oils and pastes which were then used in the production of food, soaps and cosmetics. After sampling and purchasing, we sat to share a meal offered by Mohammed consisting of Morrocan bread and a selection of Argan dips; Amlou (Almond dip with Argan oil), Argan oil and honey mixed with Argan oil, everyone of them delicious. This gave us a chance to meet our new companions, Charles and Vicky with their two daughters Anna and Laurel, sharing stories of our travels and getting advice on places to see.

We continued the journey through the mountain range appearing on the other side into a barren landscape of dirt and rock. This turned out to be a perfect place for Mohammed to take another break, in the middle of nowhere setting the stereo blaring with Morrocan tunes then getting us all out to dance for no other reason but because we could. Many smiles later we were on our way again headed for Ait Benhaddou, a world heritage site and location of movies such as Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator. Being lead by a local Berber we were introduced the the design and building methods of a traditionally Ksar and the building methods used. This allowed us to understand why the buildings would disolve into the landscape when the residents moved to a better kasbah... very eco-friendly. We enjoyed lunch in the local hotel which was an oasis itself offer amazing food, crystal clear (but cold) pool and the amazing company of our fellow American friends.

We continued on, entering the Dades Gorges made up of "monkeys fingers" consisting of melted rock formations, where we arrived at our hotel for the night. The hidden treasures of this place never ceased to end and our hotel was one of them. Each room was endearing in their own way offering a balcony view  of the local stream meandering through the high gorges of the area which were bathed in ranges of orange, red and purple as the sun subsided. After a refreshing shower we went onto the lounge to await dinner listening to the locals boisterously but very happily chat to someone on the phone, passing it between each other, often in mid sentence or so it would seem. Dinner was served on a round table by the fire where we shared bread (a typical and delightful custom) while sipping mint tea. After another amazing Moroccan dinner we were entertained by Mohammed, and others, to a traditional drumming presentation. This was antastic and we were all happy to leave it at that. Mohammed, however would have none of that and insisted passing various bongo drums around to our group where we showed how inapt we were with our rythm skills. Not to be detered, Mohammed then pulled us up to dance to out of sequence, inept drumming where we all out did ourselves in being the most unco-ordinated... I won!!! The night ended after a lot of laughter, fun and smoke (woodfires aren't so great without ventilation) for a great night sleep filled with absolute silence in our remote oasis.

Our hotel was so silent that upon waking I thought I might be dead. Then Kayla farted and wished I was. The day improved as we spent another Morrocan breakfast, consisting of shared bread, condiments and conversation. It turns out Americans are as boring as us when it comes to breakfast, only having cereal. We continued our journey to the Todra Gorge, a brief visit which contained another small hotel in a surreal location perfect for a hot summer stay in North Africa (or a cool winter visit) and rock climbers, of which there were many. Leaving the gorges everything went flat except for the moutains in the distance, being surounded by the Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges, both offering their own vistas against the wonderful blue sky and the more immediate landscape that changed from grey rock to black dirt and ending in golden sand. 

At this stage, not only the country, but the citizens also started to change. Berber villages were pointed out along side barriers they had made to slow the advance of the Saharan sands. We entered the final village we would witness as we arrived at Mohammeds home. This for us was unexpected, as we were invited into his home for lunch. After removing our shoes and sitting in his lounge, we were offered the best food and mint tea we had yet tasted, while the family kids watched Tom & Jerry (him and his brother shared a house) on his smartphone. The invitation into his home was so sincere it was humbling, ending with him letting us know from this point forward we were forever welcome.

On the final leg of our trek the dunes of the Erg Chebbi started to appear. Remarkably, the desert surrounding turned black and leaving the road to cross this dark surface we were abruptly stopped by Mohammed. It wa time for another random dance in the desert, all of us madly covorting with no one else but ourselves to see. Just as randomly, Mohammed jumped back into the car, set it into gear then jumped back out chasing it around the flat landscape. After the fun ended we drove to the edge of the golden dunes, donned our turbans, mounted our camels and begun the trek into the desert.

It took us awhile to figure out the most comfortable way to ride. going up and down some of the largest dunes we had ever seen, but once we got in the groove the journey became quite peaceful and scenic in a way only the Sahara can offer. A short 90minutes later we came upon the nomad camp site where we would be spending the evening. After waddling away from our camels and stowing our gear it was time to explore. We ended up perching ourselves ontop of a dune overlooking the camp, with a view of the surrounds while we awaited the sunset. Our time on this journey had been impeccable as it turned out tonight was going to be a full moon and when the sun disappeared the dunes were lit up by the glow of the moon. The experience was magical.

As the temperature dropped we headed back to the camp to be served dinner cooked by the 3 nomad hosts then once again treated to them playing drums, this time around a camp fire under a full moon. Just like the previous night we were asked to participate and although we were a lot more relaxed and willing to try our skill level hadn't changed. Our hosts graciously gave us an alternative to open mic night to comedy night instead, asking us all to tell jokes/riddles. Once again the nomads out did us and the night was enjoyed by all, even the cat in the fridge. We retired to our tents and slept cosily to be awoken at 5am for breakfast and the departure back. We retraced our steps stopping to witness the sunrise in the Sahara then continued to greet Mohammed who was waiting to return us to Marrakech.

12hours and a couple of stops later we were back at our campsite ready for a hot shower. The shower was luke warm but refreshing and our beds a welcome end to an amazing trip.