Into the Sahara | MOrocco TRAVEL JOURNAL
After the previous two days hiking we were very exhausted and all retired to our tents. Despite having a tree root right under my sleeping mat, it wasn't the comfiest and felt like someone had snuck a very pointy stone under my bed. Despite this we slept pretty well and woke to a beautiful morning and ready for the next stage of our adventure. We would be heading east into the Sahara. It would take a few days to reach the Sahara and we would be exploring places and villages along the way.
We had a fairly slow relaxed morning before jumping in the 4x4’s and heading off across mountain passes. We stopped to visit an argan oil factory and even had a go at crushing the nuts to produce the oil.
We then drove for several more hours before reaching an unfinished road to reach our overnight accommodation. We spent the remainder of the day chilling in the pool and having a good time. There were only a few other people staying at the hotel. We had dinner and danced with the hotel staff as music was played. It was a fun way to end the evening before lying on the balcony outside our room and watching shooting stars.
The next morning we had a yummy breakfast next to the pool and then drove through villages that looked like they were ancient and made from mud. The dry landscape and environment meant that they didn’t erode nearly as fast as they would in a wetter environment.
The walls of the hotel were surrounded by traditional mud built buildings that were mostly ruined, it was really fun in the morning to get out and explore before we left.
We eventually arrived at the Todra Gorge, it is a high walled gorge with a road and river running down the middle. We got out to explore and walk along the river which was mostly dry. A man came galloping down the road on a horse shouting, our drivers Khalid and Ali said we had to go quickly. Apparently the waters were coming and they would fill the river through the gorge and it would be unsafe for us. We made our way back up the river bank and into the 4x4’s and started to leave as the water came flooding down. We had to make several crossings of the increasingly flooded road before we reached safety. It was very exciting and as soon as we reached higher ground we got out to watch the force of the waters rushing through the river channel.
After continuing the journey we stopped because one of the drivers spotted a scorpion on the road. We got out and he showed us it stinging his sandals and ejecting venom. We arrived in a traditional Berber village for the night and played games and swam in the pool as storm clouds moved in above.
The landscape and small towns were straight out of the film gladiator. Some scenes from the film were located on our route and we would stop and look. We eventually arrived at the Sahara desert and the drastic sudden change from grey brown rock and gravel to golden orange sand dunes on the horizon was incredible to see.
The two 4x4’s raced across a large open expanse to be the first to the dunes. We would then carry on via camel to our overnight camp in the desert.
The silence of the desert was deafening, the vast expanse of sand and dunes was endless and we were grateful for our guide leading the camels. We enjoyed a night around the fire and listened to our guides playing the drums before retiring to our beds under the stars.
The next morning a couple of us hiked up a sand dune overlooking our camp to catch a glimpse of the rising sun coming over the dunes on the horizon. By the time we got back down everyone else was waking and the camels were being readied to leave the desert. After again meeting up with our drivers after trekking back through the dunes we carried on back to Marrakech.
We would cover the entire journey in just two days having one overnight stop at a beautiful hotel with an amazing pool that we spent the afternoon swimming in. We explored mountainside villages that were now ruined and abandoned but incredible to see. We were looking forward to arriving in Marrakech and visiting the markets and exploring the city in our final part of our Moroccan adventure.
