After being cramped in the middle seat for two days, I finally caught a glimpse of the dunes on the horizon. The Sahara desert tour was hitting its peak. I wondered if they were just a mirage – after all this driving I was anxious – and the seat belt up my a** wasn’t helping.
Sahara Desert Tour – Day 2 Erg Chebbi
Erg Chebbi. The flat desert abruptly stopped and a sea of red erupted behind it. The point where they kissed was dotted with half a dozen hotels, ours by the name of Kasban Hotel Merzouga.
We dropped our suitcases and packed our backpacks for the night. Mohammed, introduced us to a second Mohammed, our desert guide, over Berber Whiskey – sweet Moroccan mint tea, made not so sweet at our request. After a decent sugar lift, Mohammed II walked us to meet our camel friends.
A shaky ascent, and we were off. He led us on a 45-minute trek through the dunes to the Berber tents where we would spend the night.
We parked the camels and quickly found a broken set of skis and 2 strapless snowboards. We less the gracefully climbed to the peak of a dune to give sand boarding a go. Not as easy as it looks, especially without straps.
An hour later, we headed back to camp for a traditional nomad dinner.
As always, it began with Moroccan soup. Next up a tomato and eggplant dip paired with bread, a Spiced Goat Stew and crisp apples and sweet melon for dessert.
A threatening thunder and lightning storm interrupted our dessert. Mohammed II advised us to take cover. The storm lit up the sky dramatically. Horizontal sheets of rain fiercely hit the carpets hanging at the doorway to our tent. The storm lasted well into the early morning. Unfortunately, no shooting stars for us, but a few games of dominoes and glasses of whiskey kept us warm.
Sahara Desert Tour – Day 3
We woke up just after 6 to the overwhelming scent of cat piss and damp sheets. Poorly rested, noses plugged, we hiked up the same peak we sand boarded down to catch the sunrise.
Prettier than a picture.
Like clockwork, Mohammed II called us down at 7. We had a cup of tea, grabbed our bags and ascended the camels to head back to the hotel for breakfast and a shower before hopping back on the road.
I wish we would’ve spent two nights in the dunes. The journey out there was longer than the time we spent. I’d recommend spending one night in the tents and one night at the hotel if you have the chance.
Continue on to part 3 to read about our last leg of our Sahara desert tour.
