The Sahara Desert

Driving to the Sahara Desert

Today we are heading to the Sahara Desert. However before we get there, it is a looooong 7 hour journey by car. So we get up pretty early, snag some breakfast at the hotel and pile into our car for the long journey south.

While the main “point” of the day is to get from point a to point b, we did make a few stops along the way. We did some pit stops for bathroom breaks and to stretch our legs. We also did stops in different places allowing our guide to share more about the region and his country. One thing I find fascinating is the lushness of some areas. The idea of an oasis seems a reality, though not the few palm trees and pond that I see in most cartoons. What’s more surprising is that in many cases it’s “engineered” this way. Apparently the first thing that gets planted are the palm trees. Once these are grown it creates a canopy and provides shade for the ground below. This allows for a more hospitable ecosystem to develop under the “shade” of the palms. Granted this does take years to develop, I think its amazing how innovative these solutions are in an otherwise inhospitable area.

Rest Stop?

After a few hours of driving, we eventually stop for lunch. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere is this more “developed oasis”. It’s almost like a “rest stop” in North America. On the side of the road there is this neat area that cars can stop at and there are spots for sitting, eating  and even swimming! Along the way Said had been collecting different ingredients so that we could have a picnic at this spot! After setting up, and preparing the food we all got to make our own wraps for lunch. Normally I’m a bit leery about a veggie heavy meal being satisfying for me. However, loading up on the veggies and adding a small scoop of marinated tuna turns out to be an amazing recipe! I devour my wrap and it’s actually very filling so I’m happy to be wrong about my preconception!

After lunch we hop back into our van and make the last push for our hotel at the foot of the Sahara desert!

La Kasbah Charme Dunes D’Or

After a few more hours of driving we arrive at La Kasbha Charme Dunes D’Or.  From the outside it looks a little dusty, but once you get inside the main gate it opens up into what I can only describe as a desert resort! There are two main pools in the courtyards and surrounding each pool are the rooms. Our room is easily the largest room we’ve had the entire trip! What makes this place even cooler is its all built from “scratch”. They use the same mud mixture they would for traditional building. You can tell because even by the bed there are bits of hay/sand you can scratch off the walls if you try hard enough!

In addition to the hotel being super expansive, it’s right on the doorstep of the Sahara desert. So you could look out the window and see sand and dunes! Very Cool!

Sunset Camel Ride

After having an hour or two to settle into our rooms, we had to the back of our hotel where our plan is to ride camels into the desert and watch the sunset! This isn’t the first time Gimpy or I have rode camels before. We’ve done it once in Egypt and another time in Dubai. However this time feels a bit different. Facing “away” from our hotel you see nothing but dunes. On our other rides you’re still near civilization, but in this case you can almost feel like you’re riding into the vastness of the desert! (Though I’m very aware it’s still guided and a part of a tour!)

Sahara Sunset

After a bit of a ride we finally stop and dismount. From here we hike up one of the dunes and settle at the top to watch the sun set over the horizon. I’ve been to some very scenic places in the world and I like to think this up there with them! Not only is it an amazingly clear sky (though I imagine this is the norm in the desert). But there’s something about how quiet it is that I didn’t expect. I can only liken it to being up in the mountains whilst snowboarding. Sometimes you might be the only human in the vicinity and things feel and sound incredibly calm. Beyond the conversations and laughing of our group, all you can hear is the light breeze that blows through once in a while.

We hang out until the sun disappears and then we make our way back to our camels. Everyone gets back on and we now make our evening “ride” back to our hotel for dinner. While we start to lose light quite quickly. It’s still incredibly scenic to see the desert in a different “light”.

Dinner

Given there aren’t many establishments in this part of the world. We have dinner at our hotel. Upon arriving we are treated to a traditional tagine and soup! If I recall correctly, this is the first soup of the trip and not something I would expect to be having given the environment we’re in. But in both cases the food is very very good and certainly hits the spot after a long day of transit and the exhilaration of the camel ride.

Pooped from the day, our group retires back to our different rooms for some much needed rest. Tomorrow we (sadly) will be leaving this place enroute to the Todra Gorge.