We looked outside with trepidation the next morning, hoping with all our hearts for good weather. It was going to be another attempt at the desert and with any luck, things wouldn't get as hairy as the last one.
We packed up and headed out into the wonderful gardens for breakfast.
We loaded up the SUV, and it was time to head off into the desert again. The sun was shining, and all was looking good.
We stopped enroute at the village of Tamegroute. It has three claims to fame - the ancient zaouia with its extensive library of old texts, the underground kasbah, and the distinctive green Tamegroute pottery.
It was quite early and the library was not yet open, so our guide Mustafa took us for a walk around the village and the underground kasbah.
This is a very poor village deep in the heart of desert land, and most kids do not go to school. Jobs are almost non existent with most youth making a living in the pottery kilns.
We made our way to the zaouia, where many students from all over the world come to study the ancient texts on geography, history, mathematics and medicine. The dry weather is suitable for the preservation of these old manuscripts, most of which are on goat skin or vellum, and are simply lined up in bookcases, which could be detrimental to the texts in the long run. Some are open in display cases and feature beautiful calligraphy with gold dust and saffron and diagrams. The library was the collection of Mohammed Bou Nasri, put together on his visits to the holy lands of Mecca and Medina. One of the most striking displays is that of the 11th century Koran on gazelle skin. The curator of the library was kind enough to explain all the different kinds of manuscripts.
We walked around the village some more. I asked Mohammed whether things were improving, and his face lit up. "Oh yes, things are getting better. Water is always a problem for desert villages like ours, but new pipes have been put in, and we now get 5 hours of water every week ! Its wonderful !"
Puts things in perspective doesn't it ? The next time you whine about water shortages, or dump a half filled glass into the sink, spare a thought for desert people like the ones in Tamegroute.
Time to round off our visit with the third star attraction. We visited the pottery of one of the seven families that are known to make the Tamegroute green glaze pottery. Its as basic as you can get.
The finished article with the distinctive green glaze.
We bought a small tagine shaped candle stand from the shop, and then it was time to move on.
Desert towns along the way were similar in outlook to Rissani and Zagora, and we stopped at one to pick up provisions for lunch, and to make more little friends.
We passed by the Tin Fou dunes. These are smaller dunes and are popular with visitors who do not want go all the way to Chigaga.
We reached M'Hamid in good time, and the weather was good - sunny and of course, very warm. This frontier town is where we picked up our Tuareg guide Mohammed.
This is literally the end of the road. From here on, the desert wins, and we have to go off road once more into the sand and piste. Mohammed says a small prayer, and we all chime in "Bismillah". This is the Tuareg way - to ask for the blessings of God before venturing into the desert.
There are numerous signs stating "You are entering the desert, so make sure you have enough water and supplies, as well as first aid equipment before you go further". The SUV is fully engaged as we drive up and around small dunes.
At intervals the road flattens out into gravel and sand, and the rapid advance of the desert is all too evident.
Its close to lunchtime, and we stop at a Tuareg nomadic camp. This is as back of the beyond as you can get. There is naturally no veggie option for me except the salad, so I supplement that with a cup of instant ramen noodles, which makes for a lot of interest among the Berber.
While we wait for the brochettes and salads to be prepared, we sit on the ground on Berber rugs, looking out onto the deserts. The only sound is that of the camels tethered nearby. The perfect spot for another "Can't believe where I am" moment. Its very hot outside, but inside, in the shade, its comfortable, the kind of warmth that induces sleep. Indeed after lunch, we take a short nap while Khalid and Mohammed finish up.
We are roused from our somnambulistic pleasures - its time to get going. Back on the road, and pretty soon we get our first look at the Chigaga dunes.
We stop by this interesting Berber signage, giving directions to a school for Berber children. Trouble is that when we look in the direction of the arrow, we see nothing. I ask Mohammed where the school is and he gestures vaguely saying "Its there". I tell him I don't see anything, and he assures me that its there. All I can see is nothingness in all direction. I ask him how the kids can find a school that can't even be seen. He grins and replies, "We are Berber. Our GPS is in our heads".
And we truly see evidence of this time and time again. We would be trundling along in the nothingness and suddenly Mohammed would tell Khalid to turn left or right and head off along another trajectory into the same expansive nothingness. And for the life of me, I could see no sign, no mark, nothing to orient by. It truly is a remarkable skill.
Our camp is in a very remote part of the Chigaga dunes, and requires us to cross the Iriqi salt flats and double back into the dunes. We stopped in the middle of the flats and got out to stretch our legs. What a vast barren wasteland this truly is, majestic and alluring with its terrible beauty.
As we crossed the flats, we would spy a Tuareg on a camel. Once we encountered another SUV and Mohammed asked Khalid to overtake it. As we passed it, Mohammed said "Great, now they can enjoy a sandstorm too". Berber humour at its best. Every once in a while, Khalid would lock the steering wheel and we would do numerous wheelies, before heading off again.
Mohammed asked Khalid to stop and told us to get out. He pointed in the distance. It looked like trees on the border of a body of water. He shook his head and said "Mirage". It was amazing to see one after always reading about it, and it does look like water in the distance, only as we keep driving towards it, it moves further and further away.
We finally see the part of the dunes that house our camp, Dar Ahlam. The sky is totally clear and there are no fears of a sandstorm tonight.
We get out of the SUV and trudge up the sands towards the camp.
Finally, we see it, our white tent erected in the midst of the dunes.
Abdul, who is going to be our caretaker for the duration of our stay is there to welcome us. He tells us even more glorious news. Of the 4 tents that the camp comprises, only ours is going to be occupied tonight. Which means, we really and truly will be all by ourselves in the magnificent Sahara.
But first things first, a welcome drink that has been arranged for us on one of the dunes.
Gordon has already hit upon the Tuareg headgear as a very practical option for keeping the heat off ones head. I am content to use the traditional cloth as a stole for now. We partake of the mint tea, and the cookies and cake.
Our gear has meanwhile been stowed away in the tent, and we head into it. It is very very hot at this point and the interiors are burning up, but it is beautifully laid out.
We decide to wait it out for a bit till a little later in the day, when it would be cooler to go for a walk in the dunes. We sat outside the tent, like intrepid explorers, enjoying the landscape and cool drinks.
As late afternoon approached, we headed off into the dunes. The camp is in the thick of it, and all one has to do is walk around.
It is immediately evident that we are dealing with a different kind of desert here. The sand is not the rose gold of Chebbi, rather the more golden brown of the Sahara that one expects to find. It is vast and remote, and absolutely spellbinding.
Over the crest of a dune, we see Abdul heading our way with cold towels and drinks. Warm sand under the feet, cold drink in hand, majestic dunes all around, it doesn't get better than this.
We walk around playing silly shadow games. I feel the need to put my stamp on the desert and inscribe "Dimple was here" in the sand. Best kind of graffiti there is - it will be blown over in a few days, and there will be nothing there to show that I was ever here.
The evening shadows are lengthening over the sands, and Abdul finds us once more to invite us for tea while watching the sunset.
We head back to camp, dump caps and grab fresh camera batteries.
As we head back into the dunes, the sun is already making its intentions felt.
The tea table has been laid out at the best vantage point in the dunes to watch the sunset.
All around us, the sands are changing colour, keeping up with the setting sun.
And then it gets much better. Lanterns are lit by our table, and tea and snacks appear. There's olives, and crackers with cheese, and this is followed by wine.
We watch the sunset, and the sky starts turning the beautiful indigo blue, celebrating the onset of dusk.
As we toast to the desert, the star attraction is just beginning, and we have a perfect vantage point.
We sprawl onto our backs and gaze up into the sky. Venus appears first, as she is wont to do, and pretty soon she is joined by a number of others. As the sky turns from indigo to teal to near black, the heavens are laid out before us, a carpet of stars wherever you look, and in the distance, the faint reddish glow of Mars. We lie there for a long time, not talking, just looking at the Milky Way displayed in all its glory. How tragic it is that this sky is always there, right above us, but it takes a visit to a remote place like the desert to drown out all the other light and noise and see it in all its perfection.
Its time for dinner, and we have been told to follow the path of lanterns set amidst the dunes. We walk along the beautifully lit sands and reach our dinner spot, in the dunes, where a table has been laid out for us along with a roaring fire. The heat of the afternoon is a distant memory, it has cooled down considerably.
There are no words, and sadly, no camera that will take photos to describe how beautiful the setting is. We will cherish the images in our minds' eye forever.
Dinner was a sumptuous affair, with a couple of different expensive wines, which of course meant Gordon had a great time. After the best harira of the trip, we segued into our mains of tagines and couscous, but of a very high quality and taste. Clearly this is a classy affair.
All of this comes at a very steep cost, and not one that we are prone to doing, in fact, this is probably one of the most expensive stays we have ever had. As we look at each other, sitting literally in the middle of nowhere, with the warm sand under our feet, the unending sky over our heads, and the total silence that can only be heard in the desert, its utterly, completely and definitely worth every penny.
We watch the stars for a long time, and then finally head back through the dunes, along the lantern lit sands to our tent. As we enter, we see a large scorpion leave it, making for an interesting reality check. We sit outside a little bit and then decide to leave the desert to its night time denizens, while we sleep in our cosy beds.
It had been a magical day, and all that we hoped for. Next morning would be a true desert sunrise and we wanted to be up early to welcome the new day.
