Deserts deserts deserts (Western Sahara to Mauritania) 7/24-27

"I had to live in the desert before I could understand the full value of grass in a green ditch." Ella Maillart

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Camping at the edge of the world:

Gray skies, a slight mist, flat rocky earth as far as the eye can see. A jagged cliff with no discernable bottom, the roar of an ocean below, heard but not seen. We have reached the end of the earth. Nature's creativity seems either to end here, or not yet to have begun. The landscape is simple, the weather is consistent and uniform, always seeming to be on the verge of changing to either sun or rain, but never doing so. We are 10km south of El Ouatia. Today we cross into Western Sahara.

The next two nights were desert. The desert continues to change, some days large sand dunes appear, but mostly it is a mixture of sand, rock, and scrub brush. There are mesas in the distance. The rocks are hollowed out due to sand constantly blowing against them. One day the sand became a brilliant white for about an hour as we drove. We camped 30 minutes off the road on a bluff overlooking the sea, two shipwrecks in the distance. We made the trek down to one, climbing about the rusted out hull. The military soldiers came to visit, and asked if we had whiskey, as they wanted to drink some. We camped behind a small mountain the next night, the wind howling in the desert. The mornings were damp if we were close to the sea. This is a cold desert sometimes. The ocean comes and goes. The coast is huge cliffs, or giant stretches of completely empty beach. Fishing tents appear often. The towns we pass are colonial. Local Moroccans encouraged to move south through housing subsidies and tax free zones. Flags are flown everywhere, buildings have propaganda wall paintings of Berbers waiving Moroccan flags. The message seems clear, this is Moroccan Sahara, not Western Sahara. The towns have grand entryways, light posts, four lane highways. The buildings on the front street look good, but most in the back roads are unfinished. Hollow cities, plonked down overnight it seems.

Western Sahara

Desert camping

Ship wrecks

Yesterday we found a bottle of whiskey that a friend had hidden on his way down, (alcohol is not allowed in Mauritania). He left us instructions as to where he had hidden it. We searched, and found it sticking out of a pile of sand. It was a welcome diversion, and made for an entertaining evening. We camped by the road that night, sandy wind never stopped.

Hidden desert whisky

Treasure hunters

In the morning we headed for the border. Getting out of Morocco was easy, go to this and that office, show forms, get stamps, and finally we were out. The no mans land between the two countries was about 2km. It has no paved section, and no actual road to really follow, just various tracks on hard rock. Burned out cars littered the area, along with washing machines, old tires, and TV's. Numerous "fixers" were on hand on the Mauritanian side, to help with formalities. We got our visas ($65.00 or 55 Euros), and then went to get stamped into the country. We had to sit with the head of the border for a while and chat, which was nice, but took a long time. The sniffer dog jumped in our car for a search, we got the car formalities settled, bought car insurance, and finally we were out.

We drove to Nouadhibbou, about 50km away. The landscape was empty, sand blowing across the road. Mauritania is a transition country from the Arab/Berber north, to the sub saharan south. The town was an amazing mix of colorful fabrics, mosques, donkey carts, goats, and hectic driving. The semi organization of Morocco was gone, and things got a bit more chaotic. Most of the men wear a turban type cloth wrapped around their head and face. Women were either veiled, or wearing bright patterned clothes. We found a place to stay, Chez Ali, and went for our first shower in 10 days. The evening was spent wandering the the markets, and getting food. We are taking a few days to rest here, and then will ride the iron ore train out into the desert, for a few days in the oasis area. Should be great!

Mountains, deserts, and oceans (Morocco) 7/18-23

"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." John Muir

Olive people: 7/18
We left Fez, heading south, with no fixed destination in mind. We drove to the town of Bahlil, a small village where many of the residents have made their home in caves to escape the heat. We were invited into a cave home and drank mint tea. The living room was carved into the mountainside, and kept everything at a pleasent temperature. We said goodbye and drove on towards Souk Al Had, visiting a tall waterfall and getting caught in a huge rainstorm. We drove till about 7pm, and pulled off on a dirt road. Finding an olive grove, we asked permission from the house on a hill and they seemed to think it was a wonderful idea for us to camp among their trees. Some people arrived in the evening and gave us tea, bread, and honey. The police also somehow found us and checked our papers. We think they were just curious though, as they did not seem too interested in actually seeing our documents. They just said hi and then left us alone in the olive grove.

Morning goats at our campsite

Olive grove camping

Mountain people: 7/19
Leaving the olive trees and goat herds that woke us up behind, we headed into the High Atlas mountains. The villages were simple mud brick affairs, built in the valleys along streams. Women worked the fields, bundling wheat and packing it out on donkeys. Children and adults would wave as we passed. Driving higher up, clouds began to form. Rain fell hard and soon the previously empty river bed paralleling the road became a muddy torrent, shooting over a bridge on an offshoot road to our right. Our road up the mountain pass became a river. Jess got out to check the depth and guide us. We put the cars in four wheel drive and drove through. Water reached just below the doors, but we soon gained solid ground again. We continued up the pass, the narrow road clinging to a cliff edge, the valley far below. Parts of the road were completely washed out, but our little cars easily climbed over the rocks and mud. At the top, huge slabs of rock leaned, overhanging the road. The view over the valley was amazing, and we were relieved to be out of the flood zone and rock slide area.

Flash floods

Road becomes a river

Was dry just a few minutes before

Crossing the pass, we headed down, the air growing warmer. We reached a village. The weekly market was being held. The streets were filled with people, vendors lined the sides of the road. We bought bread and vegetables, then wandered amongst the stalls. That night we camped in a rocky clearing in the mountains. In the morning, a man appeared from the next village over. He just wanted to say hi and watch as we packed up camp.

Market day

Markets

Mountain camping

Oasis and Lake people: 7/20
We crossed another high pass in the morning, but the landscape had changed. Only rock and small shrubs dotted the mountains, and it began to get very hot. We had reached the very far edges of the Sahara. We passed through small villages, and our road ran through a narrow canyon. Soon the walls of the canyon soared above us in a sheer cliff face of redish rock. A fresh water spring sprang from the rock and formed a clear river. Tourist vendors set up shops, and busses of people wandered the highway. We walked back into the oasis of date palms and found a clear pool with locals swimming. We jumped in with them, the water was cool and refreshing. After, we wandered back to the ruins of an old mud brick kasbah. We climbed over walls, through old doorways. Some of the ruins were five stories tall. We found our cars, and pushed on to the shores of a lake, where we made our home for the night.

Leaving the Atlas Mountains

Canyon oasis

Swimming with the locals

Desert oasis, so many date palms!

Castle people: 7/21
Waking up, we made the short drive to Ait Ben Haddou, a small mud brick city perched on a hill, and the site of many Hollywood and international films. Along the way we visited the ATLAS film studio, where Kundun, Gladiator, Alexander, The Hills Have Eyes, and other films were shot. It was surreal walking through the abandoned sets, wandering from Tibet into ancient Egypt, seeing behind the curtain so to speak. That evening, outside of the city of Aoulouz, we came across an old abondoned mud brick building, which we dubbed a castle. We pitched our tents inside it's walls for the night. While cooking dinner, we remarked that each night we were something different: city people, mountain people, olive grove people, and so forth. This night we were castle people.

ATLAS film studios

Ait Ben Haddou

Ait ben Haddou

Castle camping

Beach people: 7/22
We made for the coast in the morning, stopping for lunch in a town close to Agadir on the N10 highway. We resupplied for a few more nights camping. Crossing small mountains full of spikey cactus, from which the locals harvest the fruits to sell, we arrived at the Atlantic ocean in the town of Mirleft, south of Agadir. We drove south about 7 kilometers, turned down a dirt road, and reached a quiet beach with an elevated parking lot and a steep road down to the sand. The man working the parking lot said we could camp on the beach. Our cars got stuck in the sand, but many locals helped to push us out. I went for a run on the sand. We cooked pasta with vegetables and went to sleep with the sound of the waves crashing not far from our tents.

Camping on the beach

Beach

Mierleft beach

Cliff people: 7/23
We had a lazy morning on the beach, slowly drinking coffee, reading, and packing our things. We left the coastal road and returned inland to the N1 highway, passing through small desert towns. The landscape began to open up. Huge expanses of rocky desert loomed in front of us. Making the long drive into Tantan, the desert opened up, wide, and flat as far as you could see. Tents were set up in the desert, berber nomads and shepherds wandering the sand and rocks. Chris was caught in a speeding trap, doing 88 in an 80 km per hour zone. Try as we might, we could not get out of the ticket, and they had to pay 150 Dirham, about $15.00. Our first, and hopefully last, ticket. We passed through the oddly quiet town of Tantan, to the coastal city of El Ouatia. We had a bite to eat and wandered this strange town in the middle of the desert. The beach was packed with locals. Everyone brings their own little tent to the beach, along with a complete tea set and charcoal barbecue. Camels roamed the sand, the owners offering rides. A group of boys were playing drums and hand cymbals, everyone was enjoying their day off. We picked up some water and headed south to find a camping spot. The road south of El Ouatia parallels the sea on a high cliff. We found a quiet area on a steep cliff and set up camp for the night. The views over the coast were dramatic from the cliff edge. We made sure to set our tents far back, as the land was clearly eroding and the cliff face was making its way slowly inland over time. A cool breeze blew, and we fell asleep again listening to the waves crash on completely unspoiled beaches far below. Tomorrow we make for Western Sahara, and soon, on to Mauritania.

Cliff camping

Western Sahara cliff camping

Western Saharan coast

Hole to the sea!

Rock the Kasbah (Chafcheouen, Fez, Morocco) 7/15-17

"The world is on a bumpy journey to a new destination and the New Normal". Mohamed El-Erian

Boat People: 7/15
Arriving in the port of Tangiers, we were told to line up in certain areas of the boat depending on where your car was parked. As we could not understand the announcments on the intercom, we just sat on the deck till we were usured down to the bowels of the ship. Finding our Panda, we pushed and honked our way out of the ship and our wheels touched African soil for the first time.

Our first point of call in Africa

Port of Tangiers

Chris and TJ waiting to get off the boat

Moroccoan immigration was fast and friendly. We waited in the newly built port area for the others in the Dakar Odessy to come through. We were 5 cars. Our goal for the night was the small blue city of Chafcheouen. Roads were nice leaving the port as we climbed the hills by the sea. We dropped down along the coast, passing through seaside resort towns, gleaming white and full of both European and Moroccan holiday makers. The call to prayer echoed off the buildings from the tall, distinct rectangular minarets that mark nearly every mosque in the country. We learned that non-muslims are not allowed to enter mosques in Morocco, so we could only peak through the doors from time to time. Getting off the large highways, we took smaller roads through the countryside. The driving was very similar to that of Switzerland and Italy, with maybe just a little more chaos. People seemed to obey traffic signals, and we passed many police speed traps.

On the road to Chafcheouen

The square minarets of Morocco

As the sun was setting, we drove up the final hill to Chafcheouen, and passed by an old broken piece of what looked like a city wall. The only piece left was a blue door, with many people stopped. We stopped as well to take a look. A Moroccan biker explained that it was indeed the city wall, and was a famous landmark in the country. Meeting up with the rest of our group, we parked, and walked for the old Kasbah area (old portion of the city). The city was a refuge for jewish slaves hundreds of years ago, and was painted blue as a sign of immigrants, so we were told. The alleyways narrowed, little tourists shops popped up, walls became bright blue, and soon we found ourselves in a large square, a mosque in the center, and restaurants lining the outskirts. We chose a dinner spot, and had a meal of couscous and tagine. We drove up to a paid camping site and set up camp around 11pm where we collapsed, exhausted.

Kasbah in Chafcheouen

Chafcheouen

The blue streets of Chafcheouen

TJ by the old door to Chafcheouen

Chafcheouen camp site

Blue doors eveywhere

Morning in Chafcheouen

Morning walk in blue steets

City People: 7/16-17
In the morning we revisited the old city for some pictures, and then made for the old trading city of Fez. Along the way we visited the Roman ruins of Volubilis. The area was having a heat wave, and the temperature soared to 116 degrees. We all agreed it was the hottest day any of us had experienced. Our cars did great however. Walking around the ruins in the heat, it was difficult to take in the experience, but being on a hill, overlooking ancient Roman columns with fields of wheat in the background, was beautiful. The road down to Fez took us through small villages with goat herds and broken, potholed, roads. Finally reaching the main road, we made a final push into Fez for the night. We stayed in the Downtown Hostel, which one of our convoy members, Jennifer, booked online. We were met at the Blue Gate, a large doorway into the old Medina (city), and then we had to walk through the streets to the hotel, as no cars are allowed past the gates. Fez has the largest, and oldest Medina of any city in Morocco, and supposidly the world. The streets turned into tiny alleyways again, and even through our hotel was only on the other side of the wall from the Blue Gate, we had to make about 7 turns to arrive there from outside the city walls. From the top of the hotel, you could see the old city, square minarets jutting up through the skyline. As it was cooler on top, Chris and TJ took their sleeping mats and made their bed on the roof for the night, waking up to the call to prayer.

Sunset over Fez

Fez doors

The Blue Gate

So many things in jars!

In the morning, Chris, Jess, TJ and I had a group meeting. We decided to part ways with the Odyssey to Dakar group. We liked everyone in the group, but their pace was too fast for us, and we wanted to stay in Fez another night. We took some final pictures with them, and said our goodbyes, maybe to meet again on their way back up to Europe and our way south.

A final picture with the Odyssey to Dakar group

We spent the day wandering through the old Medina. Small streets gave way to more small streets. Vendors sold all types of tourist tat. We found some red fez hats and couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy a fez in Fez. We made our way down the hill to one of the local leather tanneries. We climbed a 5 story shop to view them. Below we could see many round tanks in various shades of brown, filled with animal hides. On the edges we could see workers unloading donkeys full of sheep and cow hides, waiting to be processed and dyed. The smell was horrible, and would come in waves. Interesting to see, but a challenge for even my stomach. The rest of the day was spent chatting with locals, looking at carpets, eating street food, and we even somehow found ourselves in a small school for a short time. We arrived back in our hotel tired from the long day out. We made a quick trip to the grocery store for camping supplies, then dinner, and sleep.

Medina in Fez

Leather tannery

Fez

Madressas in Fez

Medina Fez

Markets in Fez