Life in a year full of Saturdays: Atlas Mountains

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Merzouga - Erg Chebbi (Morocco) - Not the Saharan Sahara

MERZOUGA - ERG CHEBBI (Morocco)
19 October - 20 October 2017

As with most things, ones something because too popular then there’s always some group that feels disenfranchised. The tipping point always comes with either the real or perceived financial rewards that one party received against another. The party missing out lashes out against their perceived loss.

In Erg Chebbi, on Morocco’s eastern frontier, there has been a proliferation of desert camps built upon the overwhelming interest and increase of tourists coming to the area in order to see the legendary sand dunes and experience the solitude, if only for one or two nights, of the Saharan desert. As of March 2019 however the Moroccan military, under the direction of the Moroccan government, went into Erg Chebbi (just outside of Merzouga) and without notice, started to disband the camps that were set up in the Erg Chebbi dunes.

Merzouga - Morocco

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

The pretence for this action of course came under the heading of environmental conservation & security and safety concerns. The real reason, it appears, is that a relatively powerful group of hoteliers from Merzouga felt as though the camps were ‘dudding’ them out of potential income as tourists, such as myself, were not electing to stay in their hotels but rather in the desert camps.

Now these camps, for the most part, were and currently still are, legitimate business’s, registered in the correct manner, providing work/income for locals and promoting the tourism industry throughout Morocco.

The government it appears, had a different outlook, swayed perhaps by either family or friends that may indeed be invested in the hotel business in Merzouga.

The outcome, for now, is unresolved but it doesn’t seem that the camps will be back any time soon.

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Our camp site - Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Technically speaking, the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi are within an area understood to be semi Pre-Saharan steppes and not really part of the Saharan desert, which actually lies a fair distance south of the area. Which then beckons the real question, why the hell did we go there? We thought we were going to the Sahara!!! That’s the way it was billed! The Sahara! But did we fact check? No? Did I even look at a map to consider if these statements were correct, no.

For most people the technicalities associated with geography don’t mean much. Ah, a desert in Morocco is close enough to being in the Sahara….right

BUT…NO, THAT’S BULLSHIT – IT’S NOT

Lets go ahead and say that the experience of an overnight stay in the desert was probably Sahara like, and hence we made our decision to head out of Marrakech for a night and take in the look at feel of what a Saharan like desert may be.

It’s a fairly sizeable drive from Marrakech out to Merzouga, around 560kms and 8-9 hrs of travel. Cutting across the Atlas Mountains, through Ourzazate and dashing east towards the border the day felt long and admittedly we slept for some large part, particularly over the other side of the Atlas.

Arriving in Merzouga we were ushered into a hotel, along it appeared with a few other groups of tourists that arrived to do the same style of trip. All of which aligns to what I’ve read about the disgruntlement of hotel owners who were looking to align with specific camps in order to provide a type of ‘enhanced service’, i.e., somewhere to get changed, have refreshments and have showers prior to and after the camp.

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

45 mins after arriving we headed out to the Erg Chebbi dunes. Dropped off on the edge of the desert we boarded our vessels of the desert and headed out into the dunes, Lawrence of Arabia style.

Moving slowly and methodically through the dunes, the further we trekked the more we lost touch with known man made elements and the further we dived into a totally unfamiliar environment.

Morning - Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

It only took us passing a few dunes to come to the realisation that these hills formed by wind blown sand were both enormous, all encompassing and quite beautiful. What hits you more than anything though is the silence. Other than the sound of the wind passing through the only other sounds were the hooves of the camels hitting the sand and the odd pieces of chatter from its passengers.

The camp itself was situated in a gully, bounded by high sand dunes on all sides, so it felt sheltered and protected. The tents themselves were good enough and the beds were comfortable. Carpets were spread out within the camp site and of course within the tents themselves, all in all, a comfortable experience and enjoyable.

The only disappointment for the night came when the promised bonfire and musical accompaniment decided not to make an appearance, or, decided that they couldn’t be stuffed. Not a huge issue but it would have been cool to have had that to support our evening. Still, when you’re out in the desert, its pitch black, the stars wrapping themselves around your visual universe and the silence pounding like a drum, it’s a hell of an experience.

The next work it was go back to where you came from. But prior to boarding our transit train of the desert, we had the opportunity to climb to the top of one of the main dunes surrounding the camp and take some photos.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Sydney: All the easy shots down the line - this one is for you dad

Sydney (Australia)
23 December 2014

Yesterday I saw your car parked outside of the house and for a split second, before my brain allowed me to truly remember, I got excited because I thought you were home, and then when I realised what I'd done, I tried to hold onto that feeling of you still being with us for a few seconds longer. I took those few seconds for all they were worth.

I still have the 2014 World Cup chart pinned up on the wall next to my desk, it gives me a chance to assign a day, time and place to the games that we watched. That was our thing. Waking up at 3am, making coffee, watching Australia play or watching any world cup match that we thought might be interesting. Sometimes I'd dose through the second half of games but I'd try and hide it from you, I'm sure that you knew I was sleeping, even when you would ask 'Henry, are you watching?'.

I hated hearing the racing channel blaring at anytime. I couldn't stand the sound of live race calls, but now I wish there was a reason for me to hear it again other than it allowing for me to remember you in my mind. I watch games of football and I know I lack the insight and intuition that you had to be able to analyse a game and see events before they happened. I never quite understood how you were able to do that, but you could do it, just as in the same manner you were able to read the character of a person so much faster than anyone else.

Now I look at photos and can't seem to reconcile the images of you smiling as you sailed on past Notre Dame, or the surprise on your face when I met you in Paris, with the memory of you. For now you exist for me in memory and in spirit, and whilst I'm thankful for all the great memories I have of you I would much rather be talking to you about them rather than thinking of them in order to give context to such a great person that was you, my dad.

So now, I leave this. Times that we shared whilst travelling. I was lucky enough to have had some fabulous moments with you in the last few years and they will stay with me for the rest of my life. This last journey however is one that you must do on your own and I hope that wherever your destination is that you have a chance to sit back, watch a game or two and back a winner. Let me just say that for right here and now, the space that you left is enormous and I miss you being in it, maybe we'll meet somewhere and sometime else, maybe not, but for the last 39yrs you were fantastic person and I feel more than lucky to have had a father like you.