Sand Dunes in the Desert

Today, we left the big towns behind as headed from Ouarzazate to M’Hamid in the desert. The countryside became increasingly barren as we travelled although there was a tinge oif green across the landscape following very heavy rains a few months ago.

We said goodbye to Ouarzazate with its impressive Kasbah that we had seen on the other side of a small river,

We drove through some rugged country that was clearly volcanic. We could see a sedimentary underlayer that was covered with volcanic hills that had, some time ago, intruded through the base rock.

Our first stop was at another Kasbah, this time in the village of Tinnegza. We actually stopped to see an oasis of date palms but the Kasbah was directly opposite the pathway into the trees. These trees were growing in a very long stretch of fertile land along a long river valley. They must have stretched for around forty or fifty kilometres. There has been a drought in this area for a few years and the trees were in a sad condition.

Every part of the palm tree is used. The dates are obviously used for food while the trunks are used for construction. The palms and fronds are used for thatching roofs or for firewood.

As we continued our drive, we crossed through some more mountainous areas with stunnning views. We could see lots of little vilages along the way. They were easy to spot with their square shaped minarets.

We had lunch in a tourist cafe in Zagora. This town has wide streets and a large town hall. By now it was getting quite windy and our guide was worrying that it would be very uncomfortable in the sand dunes that we would be visiting later in the day.

A litle while after lunch, we stopped at a ‘factory’ that made pottery. It has been operated by a number of families for over four centuries. Some parts of it looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned up since its opening day. One of the kilns was closed with mud and clay to fire the traditional green coloured items that are coloured with manganese and copper powder. Burning palm tree fonds provided the heat for the kiln.

After this quick visit, we continued on towards the town of M’Hamid which is located well out in the desert. The countryside became increasingly arid and the wind was blowing sand into something of a light sandstorm. The main trees in the area were Acacia Trees, the same as those that I rembember seeing in the Serengeti much further south in Africa.

At one point, we turned off the road and followed a rough four-wheel drive track for about ten kilometres to where the sand dunes began. Our drivers parked the cars in an open spot and left us to walk around the dunes taking photos. By now, it was late afternoon and the light was just right for photography. However, the blowing sand created a bit of a challenge for us.

By 5.00 pm, it was time to find our hotel for the night. This took us along another rough desert track on to the town.

I have a simple but nice room. It even has a fridge!  The most stunning thing about this hotel is its indoor swimming pool. It looks as though it comes straight out of the story of Aladdin except that is set in a very different country.

Tomorrow, we head out to a desert camp for one night so I will be off the air until we get back here to M’Hamid in two days time.