I’VE ALWAYS LIKED THE DESERT: SAHARA

It is difficult to explain in words the sensations that invade the soul when sitting on a desert dune and being surrounded by the infinity of sandy landscapes. Perhaps the phrase of Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “I have always liked the desert. You sit on a sand dune in the desert, you don’t see anything, and you don’t hear anything. However, through the silence something throbs, and shines,” would be a perfect attempt to explain it. Of course, spending time in a desert, contemplating the sunset and enjoying the beauty that nature offers is an unforgettable experience that marks a before and after in one’s life.

SAHARA’S CURIOSITIES

Sahara, which in Arabic means “the great desert”, is really immense as its name indicates. It is therefore the first largest hot desert in the world to be found in North Africa, being the border of many countries, including Morocco, the country from which I began my journey to this fantastic place.

By the way, I’m not sure if you know, but most of the deserts that exist in the world are usually located between latitudes 25º and 30º in both the northern and southern hemispheres. This is due to the general atmospheric circulation, according to which the hot air in the area of ​​the equator rises and produces connective rains as it cools in heigh. It also moves towards the poles, although it never reaches them due to the coriolis effect and the movement of the Earth, since it again descends in the latitudes in which the great deserts of the world are located: Sahara, Atacama, Namibia, etc. There soft and warm winds predominate, called trade winds that blow in a northeast or southeast direction according to the hemisphere.

The Sahara wind is capable of reaching Europe, it is then called sirroco, it blows strongly and is capable of bringing large amounts of sand that cover the European streets. I can remember a time when I visited Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, which is usually snowed during winter, it was dyed red by the sand of the Sahara.

HOW TO GET TO SAHARA FROM MOROCCO

To travel to the Sahara I crossed all of Morocco by bus, going through the impressive Atlas Mountains, which were formed at the same time as the Pyrenees or the Alps, thus being quite young mountains from a geological point of view. By the way, you should not be surprised to see the snow on them, since although it is an African country, in winter it is quite cold, even more so in the high mountains. On my trip I visited some of the most beautiful cities in this country, such as Chefchaouen or Fez, and after many hours of travel (12 hours at least) on roads that could honestly improve a lot, I arrived in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi). The term “erg” refers to the dunes, and of course near this city, located almost on the border with Algeria, the reddish sand dunes are really wonderful.

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During my trip, a tire from the bus I was traveling in broke. However, luckily, it was right next to a town, located literally nowhere, where there was a workshop that was dedicated to repairing trucks. Good thing all the bad luck didn’t last too long. While I was waiting with other passengers, we were approached by some children who were curious to see what foreigners were doing in their town, we even played soccer with them. It was so fun!

HOW TO GET FUN IN SAHARA

When you arrive in Merzouga you have numerous opportunities to create your adventures in the Sahara desert, I propose the following activities that I really liked:

A 4×4 tour through the dunes. Be careful: they drive very fast! In addition, they go anywhere, even the areas of large boulders do not seem to affect their cars. You can ask the chauffeur to stop you in some places, such as in the mines near the city that were previously exploited by the French in order to obtain lead and zinc, where local people worked hard at great depths. Sometimes more than 40 meters! Near the mines there are stalls where you have the possibility to buy handcrafted products. You can also find there the wonderful desert roses.

Ride a dromedary going to the desert camp where you are going to spend a night and which is usually located in the dunes. Yes, the dromedaries are magnificent, but being up in one for at least two hours, time that the excursion takes, is really hard on your legs. Surely you will feel pain and pray to reach the destination as soon as possible. However, it is an adventure that you should not miss. Then you will tell your hardships to friends and family, proud of having achieved it. The camp is made up of haimas, that is, typical nomadic tents, where you will spend the night surrounded by the stars. Isn’t that a wonderful plan?

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While spending the afternoon in the desert, I recommend you stroll through the dunes. It is very pleasant to feel the softness of the sand under your feet, but be careful with going barefoot, under the sand there may be scorpions that could hurt you. Although they are not very frequent either. On the other hand, you will surely have the opportunity to see a beetle. Did you know that they were sacred to the ancient Egyptians? This funny insect was associated with the god Jepri (the rising Sun), since the Egyptians believed that beetles were only male and self-reproduced by depositing semen in a ball of manure, like the god Jepri who created himself out of nowhere.

Watch the sunset on a dune. Certainly one of the most wonderful experiences that you will have the opportunity to feel in your life.

TIPS:

• Although I went by bus, there is also a possibility of renting your own car to go to Merzouga. Of course, the roads are in poor condition and you have to be careful when driving.
• In the Sahara desert inhabit the Tuareg, that is, the Berber people who dress in blue to avoid the heat of the Sun. If you are lucky you can find their camp (they are nomads) and get closer to see how they live. However, try to disturb as little as possible, respect their home. They have own script, Tifinagh, and language, Tamasheg.
• Take some kind of coat, the nights in the desert are really cold, especially during the winter months.