Travels with V

Morocco

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New Year’s eve in the dunes

Merzouga, Draa valley, Marrakech

When we reach the real desert, the vast Sahara with dunes glowing red in the evening, we find some camels (in fact they’re dromedary) waiting for us. They’re actually very cute and observant animals. They take us comfortably out into the dunes with their swinging soothing walk. After about half an hour we arrive at our tented camp where we’ll spend the night, eat and drink and celebrate the New Year.

After dinner the camp fire is lit and a local band plays traditional berber party music. One guy plays a sort of electrified guitar with just one string and the rest of the guys rattle metal castanets. Wait, what? Castanets? Yes, remember that the first Africans to conquer Spain in the Moorish invasion were berber troops.

We are thankful for the burning fire, when it dies down the desert chill is a shock. It’s probably the coldest night any of us have ever experienced. We have three layers of clothes on and lie under double  blankets, and we still shiver. I have to keep my hands away from my face because my breath turns to ice just two centimeters away from my  nose.

But in the early morning a fiery red sun rises behind the dunes where we sit and try to regain our body temperature.

In the course of New Year’s day we head back to Ouerzazate, taking a route through the lush green Draa valley where date palms form a rich green carpet stretching out to the horizon. It’s soothing for the eyes to see green colours after all the red and grey sand and stone of the desert.

On our last night in Marrakesh we try to once again book a table at Pepe Nero, but it’s full and we end up in a rather messy restaurant nearby. And of course we get sick. Actually we already are, because our tour guide in Ouarzazate was ill with the flu. So we arrive home in not the best condition, but you know, that happens. After a week in bed we’re fine and ready to plan our next travel adventure.

So long magical Morocco!

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Resebloggar finns det gott om men vi har en lite annan tanke med våra berättelser. Vi vill främst beskriva våra upplevelser av udda platser, människorna vi möter och miljöer som är rätt annorlunda mot vad vi möter hemma.

Därför hamnar vi ibland i avlägsna indianbyar i Guatemalas berg eller bland andetroende bybor på en ö i Indonesien. Men också på mer kända platser som Machu Picchu i Peru eller sandstränderna i Goa. Allt sett genom våra ögon och kameror.

Den som vill ha restips får också sitt - varje resmål har en avdelning med sånt vi kan rekommendera. Eller undvika. Vårt fokus är framför allt att sporra er läsare att göra som vi - resa rätt ut i den vida världen.