Gorges and Sahara Desert

On the way to the desert we took a side road through the Gorges Du Dades. This was a beautiful area with villages in the valleys and beautiful scenery. Farmers in the valleys. We didn’t drive that far into them as the roads were like yesterday sheer cliffs and my nerves were already shot from the mountain drive the day before and Brent’s back.

On our way to Erfoud where we were staying for the night we ran into a small village that was having a strike or something going on with people sitting in the middle of the road chanting and basically blocking the main road through town. When you have a one road town and it is the only road to where you need to go you start to panic. People talk to you through the car and stare at you because you are pretty strange looking. Very white and not dressed as they are. It was the first time in Morocco I felt insecure or unsafe.

Southern Morocco is much different then Northern Morocco. In the south we saw hardly anyone without a headdress or scarf. In Northern Morocco it is very common to see people with scarfs and those without. We (I mean me as the woman) aren’t fairly out of the norm to be walking around without a head scarf. Here in southern morocco we stand out like a really loud sour thumb. However they know we are tourists and as such I believe are given a little understanding just stares anyway.
We saw a few trucks that were trying to get through the road that was blocking off and as they turned around thought we should follow them because they probably know a road we don’t know about. So we did right through the desert on a dirt road. Who needs to trek into the desert, we already did!
Once In Erfoud we checked into a great hotel and the kids went swimming, relaxed and ate a late lunch. This area is known for fossils and we stopped at a fossil shop/ museum. They had a fossil that said it was from Wyoming, USA. (we thought that was pretty cool)
We traveled a little further to reach the Sahara Desert picked up a young guy for a tour guide. (These tour guides spot you from a mile away and descend upon you with offers of treks, camel rides, overnight stays in the desert in a Berber tent, etc. ) We just wanted a short look at the desert at sunset and play in the sand dunes. The kids loved rolling down the sand dunes. It was probably about 105 degrees however! The high season for desert treks is November-December this is the low season. (in case you want to come on a tour here)

oasis

So we were about the only ones around. Actually Morocco tourism they have told us is down over 50 % since the Marrakech bombing.
It was a fun day and now we can say we have walked in the Sahara Desert. We even collected some sand to take home (for cindy)

We stayed in a nice little villa in Midelt the next night. It was quiet and not much to do there.