I’ve never believed in anything being perfect, but Camp Adounia & the Sahara Desert come pretty close. It was time for check out at Riad Zam Zam so I scarfed down my breakfast, grabbed my bags & we hit the road. Road trip! Sahara Desert here we come! I say we but I really mean my driver & I. Mentally I had prepared myself for one hell of a long boring drive.. & I mean very lonnnnng, ten hours long. But surprisingly that wasn’t the case, I mean yes.. it was indeed very long but it was the furthest thing from boring. Hour 1, 2 & 3: Marrakech to the Atlas Mountains: Having spent the past few weeks in the crazed city of Marrakech without any means of transportation other than the bus, the only places I’ve explored here were within the limits of the bus routes. Yes, I could have taken a taxi but I’ve found more adventure lies in opting for public transportation & it just means more money in my pocket for my next indulging meal. I’ve also found it brings inspiration to my writing & generally makes for an interesting memory. (Yes, interesting.. Haha!) My point being this ride gave me an opportunity to see a whole other side of Marrakech & the outskirts of the city I’ve never seen. I’m now beating myself up for having not ventured out much sooner! As the city faded out.. grass grew & quaint farming villages appeared. It's something beautiful, where little make shift huts were held together with straw & chickens roamed freely. The smiles the villagers flashed gave a strong sense they knew the true meaning of simplicity. As the famers disappeared into our rear view mirror we climbed into the Atlas Mountains. The elevation peaked, my ears popped & my jaw dropped. Prior to arriving I ignorantly thought I’ve seen snow before .. how different could one mountain range be to the next? That assumption was quickly wiped from my thoughts as the natural beauty was breathtaking! The peaks of the mountains laid flat & locals sat by small ponds created by snow run off to gather water for bathing & drinking. The deeper we ventured the colder it became, I rolled up my window & for an authentic feel we turned on some Algerian music. Even without knowledge of the lyrics the instrumental beat makes your hips uncontrollably move. (For my Americans, it’s most comparable to belly dancing music). Hour 4, 5 & 6: Atlas Mountains into Rural Villages: As we made it through the winding road of the mountain ranges & descended into rural villages that hid in the crevices of the hillside it was hard to peel my eyes away from the historic beauty. Homes were camouflaged into the red rock as the walls were built with the mud the hillside provided, women gathered palm tree branches to be dried out as they brilliantly used them for their roofs, men manned small shops filled with pottery & stonework, children played soccer (African football) on any amount of flat land that could be found & the elderly sat by the roadside hiding from the sun as their entertainment were passerbys. Hour 10: The Sahara Desert at sunset & arrival to Camp Adounia: After hours & hours of traveling through landscape that laid my imagination of what Africa was to rest, we arrived in a peaceful Moroccan heaven. Well, it's actually called Camp Adounia, but I think Moroccan heaven is more appropriate. After the sights I had just taken in I didn't think anything or anywhere could really out do it but Camp Adounia placed it's self on my bucket list the minute my feet touched the ground. As I nearly threw myself out of the moving car upon arrival, Mohammed (the camp's manager), greeted me with a crisp glass of Moroccan white wine & a contagious smile that put my worries of being in the middle of nowhere, as a solo traveler, to rest. The sun was setting & the surrounding sand dunes glowed like a dimly lit fire that was fighting for life & candles, placed in handcrafted copper lanterns, illuminated the pathways leading to my tent.. A campfire was crackling & the stars twinkled as if family back at home knew I was missing them. You've never truly seen the potential of a beautiful night's sky until you've spent a night in the Sahara Desert. It was as if I was taking a virtual tour through a history book.. Hour 7, 8 & 9: Rural villages into the Sahara Desert: During the entirety of my trip I've repeatedly said, it doesn't feel like I'm actually traveling through Africa. Morocco is it's own special place unlike anywhere else in the world & truthfully there's no way to explain it or document it. Matter of fact even for a photographer.. blogger.. or any other tittle I give myself it's difficult to visually display what I'm describing. There's so much beauty to be shared but with much due respect to the locals I don't want them to feel as if I'm here to plaster their beautiful faces on postcards. So, unfortunately the only way to share the sights & vibes, they can only be described with words. Speaking of the African vibe, for the first time during my stay here in Morocco, once we hit the middle ground between the mountains & the desert I actually felt like I was in Africa. Talk about eye opening. Women of all ages were squatting by the water banks in their vibrant cultural attire as they hand wash their clothes, colorful carpets were hung from Palm trees set out to dry, men were building & repairing roads, famers were gathered with their livestock in a makeshift market for trade, Sheep headers supervised the sheep as they chowed down on the deep green colored grass, the elderly were moseying down the roadside with no pressure of time, a thick lush forest of Palm trees followed the main road for miles & miles that left you feeling like it was guiding you to a tropical beach, Camels aimlessly roamed the flatland leading to the bare desert with their nomad & as school was letting out.. the boys grouped together riding their bikes home where as the girls were left walking in a uniform only they wore. I indulged in my traditional Moroccan meal whipped up by Mohammed (oh boy does this man know how to cook) & gazed into the campfire until my eyelids couldn't fight it anymore. Off to bed I went. I crawled into the crisp white sheets covered by a thick Moroccan woven blanket & nestled into the most comfortable bed I've slept in in months. Day 1 & 2 in the Sahara with Camp Adounia It felt like I was asleep for only a moment when I was peacefully awoken mid morning by the chirping birds. My tent glowed & I smiled knowing, this is my life! "Your breakfast is ready!", whispered Mohammed through the tent. I moseyed over to the table & took a look around since this was the first time I was actually able to take in the beauty of the Camp & thought, "There's no place I'd rather be". It was beautiful. I sipped on my coffee & awaited Mohammed for my breakfast. Treating me like a queen, he plated me 3 m'simins (Moroccan pancakes) & left me to enjoy the calmness of the Sahara. Finishing up my meal, Mohammed went over my options for the day.. Camel riding in the dunes, sand boarding, quad riding, going into the nearby town or simply relaxing.. I opted for the sand boarding first & then finding some camels to love. We ventured up the surrounding dunes barefoot with our boards in hand searching for the biggest slope. We found one but I chickened out, he rode it down & I tumbled down the slope meeting him at the bottom. I finally got up the courage & rode down the next. We wandered a bit, talking about the simple things in life.. he shared how his parents met. His parents were both Nomads of the Sahara, their paths crossed when they simultaneously brought their camels to the same small body of water. With 5 children later, the rest is history! Needing a break, we found a tree, sat under it & I questioned him.. "All dunes look the same, so how in the heck do you know our way back?" He chuckled & jokingly said he didn't. (Being stuck in the desert with him.. Not such a bad thing! Haha..) I questioned him again.. he said, "The footprints, the landscape & the plants that grow where water gathers after rainfall.." What a beautiful thing. No street signs, no noises, just me.. him, our foot prints & the sun beaming down. Do I have to leave?! We strolled back to camp through the dunes & Mohammed warmed up some water for my bucket shower.. Never bathed via a bucket & washcloth so this was a first.. & I loved it! Anyways, off to see the camels we went & on the way we bumped into a nomad with a pack of ten camels roaming freely to munch on shrubs. We lowered our music & I crept up to the closest camel. Not wanting to invade it's space, I admired from a far. It stared at me for a brief moment & went back to eating. I appreciated the moment I had & we let him be. Before heading back to the camp we stopped at a well, filled up a few large buckets & left them for roaming animals. Back to the camp we went. Mohammed once again cooked a delicious traditional meal & I invited him to sit with me around the campfire. We admired the twinkling stars & decided to head up to the dunes for a better view. We grabbed a pillow, my wine & left our shoes behind. We found the perfect spot & gazed up at the stars until once again my eyelids couldn't hold the weight. What a peaceful way to end an unforgettable experience in an amazing destination. Bislamah! Until next time .. XOXO .. The Growing Traveler
6 Comments
Pam Wallace
2/17/2017 05:23:51 pm
Sounds like an amazing experience....Heaven on Earth. Stay safe!
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Candace
2/17/2017 06:50:34 pm
WOW So wonderful that you felt safe going to this camp in the middle of nowhere and to know that you felt like you could never leave! LOVE THE OPTIONS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, did you ever ride the camel?
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Mary Brust
2/17/2017 06:55:53 pm
Wow - What can I say!! You have an amazing way with words. Your way of describing everything you see, do or the way you feel is awesome!! Miss you little one. Love & Hugs M
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Dee Mama
2/17/2017 08:36:19 pm
What can I say Remy Girl ... once again, a beautiful story ... I was so right there with you ... feeling, seeing and tasting it all ... lol. I think Life has you and you'll never be the same again. I always knew you came here with a purpose ... a big purpose ... that you had something to share with us ... and who knew that that little girl, whom I would get so frustrated with wanting you to get to the point already, would become such a wonderful storyteller ... thank you for this great adventure ... I LOVE you 💕
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Eunseol
2/18/2017 03:04:30 am
Photos are awsome!!!!!
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Virginia Tse
2/18/2017 12:10:06 pm
Remy, beautiful! Your pictures are great but your words bring each place alive. ❤
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