A roller coaster in the Sahara

[by Jonas] Arrived in Ksar Khamliya, near Merzouga and Erg Chebbi, the sand dunes of the Sahara, we were greeted with tea, as we have been everywhere in Morocco so far.

To our surprise, our host Mustafa threw a large chunk of sugar into the tea (and by that we don't mean sugar cubes!) and then spent the next 5 minutes pouring the tea back and forth between a glass and the kettle. When we asked him about it, he explained that this was the way to dissolve the sugar better in the tea and make it taste better. Then he got up silently and went to the kitchen. We didn't really know what was happening, but shortly after he came back with a roughly 2 kg (4.4 lbs) block of pressed sugar. He broke off a piece to prove that it was sugar. And that's how the tea tasted, especially sweet but still with a delicious mint flavor!

There was also something that we still weren't sure what it was. It was a dry, crumbly mass that initially tasted frighteningly like sand. But right after that, the actual flavor spread. It's a taste that is hard to describe, it reminded us most of peanuts. The dish is a typical Ramadan meal of the Berbers.

But unfortunately, we didn't have much time to chat, we only had one night before the longest stretch of our road trip awaited us the next day, and we really wanted to go to the desert. However, a decision had to be made: on foot, with a camel, with a buggy, or with a quad. Each option has its pros and cons. Walking was quickly ruled out since it was already getting late and we wouldn't have gotten very far into the desert. The camels were also out of the question, as they don't move very quickly, which would have meant either sleeping in a camp in the desert or planning at least half a day for the tour. Besides, it is rarely possible to know in advance how the animals are treated and if it is justifiable to ride them into the desert.

The buggy was also not an option as it was too expensive. So the quad remained, even though we also had moral concerns here. Are we ruining the impression of the desert for ourselves? Or even more: are we ruining the immersion of others who are on a relaxed tour on a camel, and what about the animals here too? Obviously, there is no perfect solution, so we decided to go for a one-hour quad ride with a friend of our host. To our surprise, he even got into our car and showed us the way to his friend and to the place where we could find beautiful high dunes. We negotiated a price of still exaggerated €73.55 for two quads for one hour with an included guide. Nevertheless, apparently a fair price compared to other providers in the area.

And then it started, a short introduction to the automatic quads and a short way to the desert, and we were already zooming over the sand dunes of the Sahara at 60 km/h (37 mph) or more. Up and down, up and down, one turn after another, a breathtaking sight after another. But we really felt the vastness and silence of the desert only when we stopped for a short break. This is where some photos were taken:

It was the right decision to ride the quad, we think. We had an incredible amount of fun, and due to the late hour, there were only a few other people in the desert who could have been disturbed by the noisy engines. We would have loved to ride again right away!

During that time, Mustafa apparently went shopping and put a bag with the comment 'Dinner' in our trunk.

The drive back to the camp afterwards felt strange. We kept wanting to accelerate like before and take the curves just like that.

Franzi on the road in the village of Khamliya

After a short walk through the village, dinner was served, cooked by Mustafa himself. He brought a plate of vegetables and some bread. Initially, we were a bit disappointed and almost emptied the plate completely, as we weren't sure if we would get full. The portions in Morocco had been smaller so far. However, this time it was different: this plate was only the appetizer, which we didn't find out until Mustafa brought a tajine, which was surely meant for 3-4 people. It consisted of various other vegetables, such as zucchini and eggplant, and a generous portion of chicken.

To make matters worse, our host then brought a whole cut honeydew melon for dessert. We couldn't eat everything for a long time, and we hadn't expected a 3-course meal either.

Then it was bedtime. Unfortunately, our room was neither air-conditioned nor well-ventilated, so the night was very restless and sleepless. Of all nights, it had to be the night before the longest car ride of our trip...

Because our destination the next day was Fes.

You can find out about our impressions of this trip and the next city in the upcoming blog. This blog was at least partially written on a rooftop terrace in the old Medina of Fes, I can already say that much :)

Until then,

Franzi & Jonas