The Life Of A Nomad

The life of a nomad adventure began when we stepped out of our ornately designed hotel, complete with mosaics and a magnificent foyer fountain, into the sweltering Moroccan heat, then into an air-conditioned vehicle where our Moroccan guide Youssef awaited us. We headed off towards the Sahara with our bags, cameras, and an overabundance of water bottles. We felt the exhilaration of being on the road again as we left our Marrakech hotel, which had been our home for ten days, and watched the interesting array of modes of transportation battle their way along the busy road behind us. They weaved in and out in complicated patterns, from donkey karts to mopeds, in an attempt to seize the lead in their fictional race across the busy streets. Soon, though, we were out of the throngs of the city and driving down quiet rural roads, the Atlas Mountains in the background looming closer with each passing mile.

We traveled by vehicle for two days to reach the Sahara, passing through the harshest, most barren, and the breathtakingly beautiful environment we could conceive. Our guide drove us via the Tizn’Tichka pass, which passes over the Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Draa River Valley, passing past communities with waving youngsters who were delighted to see someone pass by their lonely homes.

We picked up Youssef, our camel guide, at M’hamid. He took us inside his home, a simple clay and straw hut with two rooms, one of which was sparsely equipped with a variety of vividly colored and intricately patterned carpets, a small circular table, and a little television! In a residence with no windows and only a portrait of the king and an excerpt from the Quran on the wall, the TV appeared curiously out of place. The other room was empty, but his wife and four children were content to play and periodically peer curiously through the door at us, smiling and giggling. We removed our shoes and sat on the carpets while being served mint tea and cookies. My main regret at the moment was that I was unable to communicate in the language. His wife and children were warm and kind, and their grins said a lot, but being able to properly show our gratitude for their kindness would have made me very happy.

From the glass of the vehicle, we observed as the scenery transformed from hilly to rocky with a few shrubs, then to a barren environment. We observed as the number of live things decreased, from donkeys and goat herds to just a few birds. However, we were taken aback when passing a small flock of birds when Mohammed leaped out of the moving vehicle and chased us over the desert floor. With his Jellaba (a traditional Moroccan robe akin to a kaftan) and turban flapping wildly in the wind as he rushed, arms widespread like a giddy child after one of the birds, it was a hilarious sight. We stood there, puzzled and delighted by the strange sight, and marveled as he grabbed one of these amazingly fast-footed birds. However, we had the sobering idea that possibly this frenetic chase was to retrieve tonight’s supper, and I began to fear what would happen to the unfortunate bird, as well as how I would respond if this were to be its fate. However, I was pleasantly delighted when Mohammed proudly handed this bird to us simply to show us before gently releasing it. With a huge smile on his face, he climbed back into the vehicle as if the whole thing had never occurred. We arrived weary, sweaty, and hungry at the Erg Chigaga, dunes in the Sahara desert, after a bumpy but exhilarating journey across more sandy and isolated desert territory. When we arrived at our desert tent, though, the sight of the dunes melted all of our tiredness away. The golden dunes loomed over us, accentuated by the sunset sun and as smooth as silk, as we looked in wonder.

As we climbed the dunes that night, we could have been the only humans on the planet. Our vitality was depleted as we fought the wind and sand, which stinging and blowing our faces and dripping perspiration. We hid our faces under scarves and continued climbing, our feet sinking and slipping further into th