Today I woke in the Sahara Desert at 4:45am, since the sun was soon to rise I got up, and walked up the large dune near our tent. I only got about 20 meters high as the sand was very soft, gaining 1 foot for every 2-3 taken. I sat there and waited for the sun to rise in the cool morning.
At 5:30am the sun started to become visible in the sky and the dunes started showing their colours again.
I stayed there for about another 15 minutes taking in the view and snapping pics.
I then went back to the tent and Pam got up and we walked around the area taking some more pictures.
Apparently only the white ones bite!
One of our more mellow camels
We then returned to our tent and had breakfast ( bread, butter, jam + slices of orange and Mint Tea )
There were two small boys who had some wares to sell and Pam bought a few little necklaces for 20DH each.
We then departed the Sahara on our camels (6:30am), we returned to Auburge Dunes D’Or where we met with our Guide and we headed back to Erfoud in the 4x4 vehicle.
The outside of the Auberge
We travelled by 4x4 from our hotel to Auburge Dunes D’Or. The road was good for about 6 KM and then we were off the road for about another 20 km. The Auberge is about 12 KM from the town of Merzouga.
We arrived at about 2:30pm and it was decided that it was too hot to leave right away and we would leave at about 5:30pm.
We basically just rested in the Auberge for 3 hours which was nice and cool.
As the time approached Pam was getting nervous, she did not like the idea of being on a camel.
When the time came we went outside and met our camels and then we were on them. No messing around. We were very lucky as there was only Pam and I on our trip. So it was like our private journey.
It is quite easy to get on the camel, just sit on the seat, but when it gets up it is another story.
The camels front legs move a bit then his back legs go up so you end up facing and leaning down holding on hard, then his front legs come up and you are horizontal and ready for walking.
The Camelier, Mohab (person who leads the camel) walks the whole time; he walked with bare feet and did not worry about anything biting him.
We leisurely strolled over the many dunes, the camelier walk taking the easiest route for the camels so there are not too many rises and falls, but there are still a lot of these, maybe it is for the people on the camels?
The dunes were very beautiful at that time of day and especially as the sun was setting at about 7pm
I was taking a lot of photos so hopefully we will end up with some nice shots. Pam was holding on for grim death and had bruises to show for it.
Just before sunset we got off our camels to watch the sun come down, it was truly a wonderful sight.
Pam was moaning, she wanted to get going before the sun set, but did not want to get back on the camel, did not want to walk, did not want to be out in the dark. So we waited until the sun set ( I came 1/2 way round the world to see this).
We then got back on our camels, and Pam held on for grim death again.
I was quite relaxed on my camel, just being cautious when going down a dune as you are forced to the front of the camel, and the camel often sinks into the sand a wee bit when doing downhill.
I pulled out my MP3 player and started listening to some low groove music, and just really enjoyed the moment.
After about 25 minutes we came to the site with Tents, the sky was nearly dark now and we got off our camels.
There was a square of small tents, not very high, maybe 3 feet or so with a clearing, the centre about 20 feet x 20 feet.
Mohab bought out mats and placed them around and placed a table in the middle. It was now very dark and a kerosene lamp was bought out. It provided a nice ambient light around us.
About 30 minutes later we were eating bread and a tajine and berber whisky (mint tea) that Mohab had made for us.
There were no knives or forks, we were eating berber style, with our fingers.
You rip some bread off and use it to scoop up the food, there were two rules
We finished up with slices of melon and oranges.
After dinner we were asked if we wanted to sleep in the tent or under the stars. We choose the stars. They removed the table and placed 4 mattresses 2x2 down and put a sheet down, and 5 large blankets on top.
It was very nice, sleeping under the stars, the only problem was the moon was out so you did not see as many stars as if the moon was not showing.
A very nice ending to a great day looking up at the stars and moon.
Today is the last day in Fes, in fact we were up early as we were going to be picked up by a guide for Experience IT Tours to take us on the next part of our journey.
We mentioned to Jennifer the owner of the Riad that we were being met by our driver/guide and she said that a lot of people did not know where her Riad was and often they do not turn up.
We were thinking of how we would be able to contact the company when we were told our guide/driver had arrived.
We have a great time in Fes, and the Riad Dar Roumana was great.
Our driver/guide was Mr Namir, and he was a nice man with a silver Mercedes which meant that our trip would be done in style.
We began our journey to Midelt at about 8:45am after saying good bye to Jennifer and Sebastian.
We stopped for lunch at a small village and Pam has Tajine, and I had BBQ Beef, both were served with Bread, and Mint Tea.
The butcher owned the meat and restaurant part and the BBQ. So we only had to pay the one man for everything.
The total bill was 65 DH
We leave Fez this morning in about 15 minutes. We have booked a driver to take us to Midelt, Erfoud, Merzouga (Dessert), and on to Marrakesh
We will probably not have Internet Access until we get to Marrakesh in about 4 days.
A walk long the souk bring you to shops selling everything from Meat, Vegetables, Spices, Watches, Ceramics, and pretty much anything in between.
This vendor is sellking Dates, Almonds, and Apricots + many other things on his shelves.
This young girl was on a stand selling rose water in bottles
The animals are the main way to move goods around the Medina, this one was carrying wool from the Tannerie.
Pam showing off the bread or is it really the meat!
Meat is hung and not refridgerated, and you select from the vendor by what is on display.
Pam and I went for a stroll along the small streets to get to the Souk ( Market )
Along the way we met Chef Wan - he was filming along the street with his entourage of camera men and Ministry of Tourism officals.
We got a photo with him
For more details about chef Wan see http://www.chef-wan.com.my/
We met Chef Wan on the flight from Dubai to Casablanca, he is a popular TV Chef
When Pam & I were going through airport security we were wondering what the recent changes would be like.
The main change was no liquids or gels or creams more than 100ml or 100grams.
You also have to have everything in a plastic bag no larger than 1 litre which is quite small but ok.
We put our liquids and pills and stuff into our 1 litre bags.
Christchurch Airport
I placed all my bags on the machine and I went through the scanner. The buzzer went off and time to stand like a prisoner. They decide that my belt and shoes are my problem so off they come and the belt and shoes go back through the machine, and me through the scanner.
All go now - no problems.
Sydney Airport
We arrive in Sydney about 3 hours after our flight departs which was good and fast.
This time we are transiting in Sydney for 2 hours, and again we must go though security. There are signs saying you need the plastic bag, and no liquids over 100ml.
The security guy did not want to see our bag, but we would have been happy to give it to him. It goes through the scanner and if they want they will take further action.
Again my belt and shows trigger the scanner, so they come off and I go back out and remove them and return through the scanner.
No problem now and I collect my bag and Pam hers.
We then go up stairs where they have a walkway right over the security area, so we stop on the walk way to see from the top how this security stuff works.
There we see how many people have too much, either water, liquids, Gels, or other stuff such as Baby Formula.
We watched one Asian lady who had a bottle of Cognac, or Single Malt and a bottle of wine.
The security person removed it from here and walked away the Asian lady standing there for about 5 minutes or more and then contacted the other security people probably asking what is going on?
After 10 minutes we see here coming up the escalator what we used with no booze, the the booze did not go in the general bin where most everything else went. We assume it went to the local social club!
There was lots of funny products thrown out, Chilli Sauce, Some Skin Products, Water, and generally anything over 100ml or 100 grams.
We read the law before we left and decided that we would loose Duty free if we took it from Christchurch - Good Decision
So this Asian lady was probably on our flight from Christchurch, bought some Duty Free after the security screening, and then lost it in Australia because she was going somewhere else.
I believe the rule is this:
Dubai Airport
We arrived in Dubai and checked out the duty free assuming since the next flight was our last we would be ok - and we were.
Generally Dubai Alcohol is about 10% cheaper than NZ
Smokes are real cheap even compared to NZ Duty Free.
In NZ Benson and Hedges are about $49 NZD per carton, in Dubai they are about $14 USD or maybe $20 NZD
Pam said the cosmetics she was looking at were about 40-50% cheaper there.
We buy a couple of bottles of Gin - Bombay Sapphire of course, $120 Dubai Dollars, or about $19 NZD each
Casablanca Airport
I asked on Trip Advisor about Duty Free in Casablanca and was told no problem just get it on Arrival.
Sorry this is not the case!
We arrived and went into a Duty Free shop and they had some booze - no Bombay Sapphire but other gins.
I bought a Camus VS Cognac for 23 Euro - 30% good deal and a bottle of wine 10 EURO (Turned out to be pretty crap)
Take it to the counter - and told you can only buy for departure!
They then decide that I can buy it but I can not have a bag and must hide it in my own bad - no problem I thought.
They then say they will not accept VISA - well we just got off the phone no Moroccan money, which is not available outside the country. They will accept British Pounds and EURO.
Well I have neither so I have to leave empty handed.
We then find another duty free shop go there and 100% no go on arrival!
We go down stairs just before immigration and I say to Pam that I have USD and maybe they will take them.
She wais and I return to the original shop - they do take USD so I get my Cognac and Wine - Put it in my back pack and off we go.
About a week before our flight to Morocco, Pam injured her knee ( we assume when our dogs - Ruby & Otto lunged towards another dog behind a gate and pulled here forward ).
She had been on some medications for this, and got a doctors certificate to say that her knew was not very good and she needed to have good leg room.
We telephoned Emirates and Emailed them and they were very slow to resond with any thing.
But basically they said that seats such as the Bulk Head seats could not be pre-allocated prior to normal checkin and in general you had to do it either online up to 24 hours prior to boarding, or at the airpport.
We logged in 24 hours prior to our flight and found that the bulk head seats were not available to be selected and neither were many other seats, most pre-allocated.
We then tried about 10 hours prior to our site and was told that we had already checked in and that was it until we got to the airport.
We get to the airpport show our medical certificate and get told that the seats are already allocated.
So we were in normal seats, in rows 26
When we got on our flight we see other people in the bulk head seats who no doubt have no medical problems and no babies.
Not sure how they got the seats but we had to live with the normal seat. At least Pam's knee was getting better but not a lot of leg room for her or me.
My Window Seat was missing the window.