Given the crazy night we had, we barely slept. At around 5.30 am, it felt like there was a bit of a lull in the wind, and we stepped out for a look see. There was still sand blowing around, but the sky had cleared up a little bit and we could see the moon in the deep blue of the dawn sky.
We went back in and got our cameras, walked out of the tent and crested the immediate dunes around our camp. Camels were already on the move, starting to ferry tourists hopeful for a sunrise.
We decided to walk instead of taking camels, and we set off into the dunes as the sky grew ever lighter.
A Berber came up to us and offered to guide us through the dunes, and more importantly, find our way back to camp.
We walked for a good 15 minutes till we crested a high ridge of dunes and sat down to watch the sunrise. The overcast sky did not augur well, but the desert was slowly coming alive in the early morning.
Finally the pale disc of the sun struggled to appear through the clouds, and the sands around us turned into the beautiful rose gold that they are known for.
We sat in the cool sand for a long time. We could see the camel trains leaving all the other vantage points in the distance, no doubt carrying the disappointed tourists back to their SUVs for the ride back to their hotels. We were in no rush and enjoyed the feeling of being alone in the desert for a while. The wind had dropped to a mild gentle breeze and it made for a very pleasant morning.
Soon enough though, it was time to head back to camp for breakfast. We meandered back slowly through the dunes.
The ripples in the sand and the voluptuous curves of the dunes had us reaching for our cameras again and again.
A true blue denizen of the desert joins us in welcoming the new day.
Closer to camp, its time for some more Berber shopping.
We reached camp and for the first time in full light could see the effects of the sandstorm on the tents and the rugs. Inside the tent, our bags and things, as well as the entire bed, was covered in sand. This is what we had slept in the night before. No wonder we did not get much sleep.
Words cannot describe how wonderful that hot shower in the desert felt. Washing the sand off the body whilst peeking out to see the glorious dunes outside is an unforgettable feeling. We dusted down our stuff and packed up. The men in the camp had been hard at work cleaning up after the sandstorm and while we waited for them to set up breakfast, we lounged around.
We had a wonderful breakfast in the meal tent, with lots of the freshly squeezed orange juice that was fast becoming addictive.
It was time to leave, and we thanked all our Berber friends for making our stay so comfortable. Better weather would have been wonderful, but in all fairness, we did have one more night in the desert the next day, and all things considered, it was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a full blown sandstorm in the desert.
We loaded up the SUV and set off, traversing through the piste and hitting the road again. As we headed back towards Rissani, we saw the impending encroaching of the desert on the land around it.
We reached Rissani, and fueled up, before turning off into the Draa Valley.
We stopped at a small village in the Draa Valley to buy some fresh cumin. Khalid says that the best cumin in Morocco comes from this area, and it was extremely fresh and fragrant. As we waited in the car, we could see how the entire language of clothing had also changed. These Berber women were wearing the traditional Berber black robe that is seen in the South.
As we neared midday, we could see students setting off for home after a morning in school.
We stopped for lunch at the Auberge Ennakh, for the usual tagine and chips meal. The setting overlooking an oasis in the Draa valley was spectacular though, and our attendant was thrilled to meet us, being a big fan of Bollywood films, Salman Khan in particular.
We descended into the valley and the oases, where the gift of water ensured greenery amongst the brown hues of the desert.
We stopped for an afternoon break at a little cafe deep in the oases. Looking around at all the greenery, it was difficult to imagine that we were deep in the dunes just a few hours before.
By the roadside, in the afternoon heat, were young men and even little boys selling dates to passing traffic.
We stopped for a photo op at an old kasbah in the palm groves.
Time to make some new friends, easily done with candy. Their smiles light up the day.
It was late afternoon when we finally pulled into Zagora, the dusty town at the edge of the desert. Even with its neatly laid out streets and the riot of flowering bougainvillea and palms, it maintains an "old western" town kind of look.
We stopped by the iconic "Tombouctou - 52 days" sign outside the town. From this point to Timbuctu in Mali takes 52 by camel to cross the Sahara.
We reached our digs for the night, the Riad Lamane. We checked in, unloaded our stuff and were shown to our very own adobe or mud brick house, in authentic Berber construction style.
After relaxing a but, we stepped out to wander among the gardens. We returned to freshen up for dinner.
Dinner was in the restaurant in the riad, more of the same traditional Moroccan fare, but good stuff. God bless the French for having introduced "pommes frites" or french fries to Morocco, it meant I would never go hungry.
We were sleep deprived from the previous night and headed to bed. We were off to another part of the desert tomorrow and if our first meeting was any kind of hint, it would be wise to rest up for our next encounter.
