Merzouga (MA) : our first dunes
N 31°05.699' W 004°00.332'
Merzouga is a small desert town and Morocco’s only erg boasting a stretch of dunes up to 200m high in various tones from yellow to light pink. Of the innumerable places to stay it was almost a cliché that we ended up at Auberge Africa run by Moja who became a friend during our week long stay. The unwalled grounds are open towards the dunescape, had almost no guests and was very relaxing – on of those places you don’t want to leave. A walk through the dunes to try and test the GPS, climbing the tallest dune at sunset or a walk to the dried-up lake were the perfect break from travelling and the buzz of vibrant medinas.
Nevertheless, New Year’s and the passing of the Lisbon-Dakar Rally only 500m from the auberge had the place busy including a few too many obnoxious would-like-to-be adventurers with their all-terrain toys on their two week festive season holiday. Watching the competitors noisily negotiate the 3 km dune section which was littered with 4x4’s, dirt bikes and quads of the visiting spectators evoked more a feeling of our disharmony with nature than a sense if man conquering the desert. A line of slow moving dromedars in the sea of sand in the distance could not have underlined this more effectively.
Back at the auberge we had use of the premises’ kitchen so I even got Annabella’s home made gnocchis to end the year 2005. On our last night Moja invited a French couple who was on our wavelength and had been staying at the auberge for the past month, and us for dinner at his house. The atmosphere was very relaxed and in the large loom with three low tables and cushions on the floor, a PC and a mini Hifi-system seemed out of place. We thus, however, appreciate brilliant images of some of Moja’s ventures in the dessert to Berber music by Tinariwen. We had a delicious beef tajne eating with our hands from a common dish and drank lots of sweet Berber mint tea until well past midnight. This hearty experience of hospitality and friendship characterizes and reflects well our travel experience in Morocco.
N 31°05.699'
W 004°00.332'
Merzouga is a small desert town and Morocco’s only erg boasting a stretch of dunes up to 200m high in various tones from yellow to light pink. Of the innumerable places to stay it was almost a cliché that we ended up at Auberge Africa run by Moja who became a friend during our week long stay. The unwalled grounds are open towards the dunescape, had almost no guests and was very relaxing – on of those places you don’t want to leave. A walk through the dunes to try and test the GPS, climbing the tallest dune at sunset or a walk to the dried-up lake were the perfect break from travelling and the buzz of vibrant medinas.
Nevertheless, New Year’s and the passing of the Lisbon-Dakar Rally only 500m from the auberge had the place busy including a few too many obnoxious would-like-to-be adventurers with their all-terrain toys on their two week festive season holiday. Watching the competitors noisily negotiate the 3 km dune section which was littered with 4x4’s, dirt bikes and quads of the visiting spectators evoked more a feeling of our disharmony with nature than a sense if man conquering the desert. A line of slow moving dromedars in the sea of sand in the distance could not have underlined this more effectively.
Back at the auberge we had use of the premises’ kitchen so I even got Annabella’s home made gnocchis to end the year 2005. On our last night Moja invited a French couple who was on our wavelength and had been staying at the auberge for the past month, and us for dinner at his house. The atmosphere was very relaxed and in the large loom with three low tables and cushions on the floor, a PC and a mini Hifi-system seemed out of place. We thus, however, appreciate brilliant images of some of Moja’s ventures in the dessert to Berber music by Tinariwen. We had a delicious beef tajne eating with our hands from a common dish and drank lots of sweet Berber mint tea until well past midnight. This hearty experience of hospitality and friendship characterizes and reflects well our travel experience in Morocco.
N 31°05.699'
W 004°00.332'
posted by Retobados at 9:48 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home