Completely ignoring the call to prayer, I didn’t wake fully until closer to 7am this morning and I had to literally shake Abbey from her sleeping bag for breakfast at 8am. We ate outside again and enjoyed traditional flat breads with goats butter and jam. By 9am we were all packed up and ready for the next adventure. This morning we were to travel in two local ‘taxis’ – I am not convinced they would have passed an MOT, I think you at least have to have the rear bench seats actually attached to something as a starter! Needless to say it was a very dusty, bumpy ride out to our rendezvous point with our camels and Berber guides.
Morning in the oasis
All ready to hit the road (or mount the camels!)
The Berber bus was a jumping
Stopping to get water from a local village well - don’t worry, we didn’t drink it (maybe in the mint tea though!)
Some local women going about their business – makes you realize how lucky we have it
We met our camel caravan and the camelteers just outside the village of Iferd. Abbey was slightly annoyed to discover that, as the youngest of the group, she would be required to double up on one of the camels with me (well, technically they were all dromedaries). As we were to be allocated the largest and lead camel we were the first to take to the saddle. I admit to holding on to Abbey very tightly as our camel began to stand up –which was a three stage, very jerky process! We were then thoroughly entertained watching the Berbers match riders with camels, some of whom, by the amount of noise they were making, were quite obviously none to impressed with the whole process, and you should have heard the camels!
Our camel train awaits
Abbey very quickly determined that all the camels should have names (none had been supplied by our camelteers who were of a more practical nature). Our camel became Charlie Camel and, with plenty of encouragement from Abbey, Nathan’s became Tagine whilst Zac settled on Couscous. Before long all the camels were being named much to the amusement of our guides. Our camels were divided into groups of 3 or 4 each with a Berber in the lead. The Berber’s all wore desert garb and it was a little disconcerting when one of the younger men answered his mobile phone about an hour into our trek (Nathan doesn’t get such good reception at home!)
The pace of the morning was slow and at times quite rhythmic and the desert sun became warm enough for jumpers to finally be removed. You had to be on your guard though as every now and then the ground underfoot would change or there would be a slight rise or fall and the camels would jolt around – nothing to serious but enough to keep most of us awake. Abbey treated herself to a short nap whilst our Berber guide sang traditional songs for her as we travelled. It had become very clear from the outset that Abbey was somewhat of a favourite with our main guides, Slimane and Mohammed, and this continued with our camelteers who delighted in all her antics.
Zac on Couscous riding behind David
Charlie Camel and our Berber guide
Nathan and Tagine
Our trek passed quite quickly and before we knew it we had travelled behind some protective rocky outcrops and sand dunes and come upon our camp. Our ‘taxis’ had driven a more direct route and the drivers had already set up our dinner and cooking tent as well as the all important Loo tent – not too many trees to hide behind in the desert! Our camelteers unsaddled the camels and tethered the front leg of the group leaders before setting them free to roam and find a meal.
Abbey, Queen of the desert!
After a quick snack of dried fruit and nuts, the kids took off up the sand dunes and went wild. The dunes offered fantastic views once you made your way to the top – a good work out for the thighs!
The kids were finally wrangled out of the dunes for lunch, which consisted of a mixed salad platter, rice, flat bread and fish all followed up by chilled oranges. We ate sitting around mats in the dining tent. Once lunch was out of the way the kids disappeared once more to spend the remainder of the afternoon rambling around the dunes and rocky outcrops. I have to admit to having more photos of Abbey then Zac who was almost impossible to catch as he teamed up with David and Fred (both 10) and raced up then rolled down the dunes.
Phoebe, Rachael, Mort and Abbey – in a very big sand pit!
Abbey and Mort pretending to be on Mars
At last some sign that Zac was near!
I went for a stroll with Nathan of Arabia
Nathan caught up with Zac for a short while creating the giant ‘Z’ then they met up with a local Berber out in the desert on his motorcycle. They ended up haggling with him and purchasing a fossil found in the local area. The same gentlemen ended up at camp (how convenient!) where Abbey got her turn to choose later in the day.
Yes, that red spot would be Zac – a rare sighting indeed!
I think George Lucas based his Jawa’s on these men
The kids did come in briefly for some quiet time, which they spent all together in the dining tent designing their own camels. After more mint tea it was back to the dunes for them. Nathan assisted our guides with putting up dome tents for tonight then all the adults enjoyed some down time of their own before it was time for dinner. At one point I had to enter into some very heavy negotiations with Abbey to convince her to use the Loo, aka ‘hole in the ground’. I must say she was very brave – or very desperate! It was a little odd to go with a camel standing only a few feet away!
Setting up camp
Haggling over fossils
Our cook was amazing, managing to prepare the most delicious and decorative meals
Whilst relaxing and chatting with our guide, Slimane, he told us how as a child he literally had to walk four hours one way, across a set of mountains, in order to go to school, which started at 8am! He credited his older brother for encouraging him to continue and complete his schooling. Puts our one-mile scooter to shame.
Dinner tonight was a feast of chicken and couscous served with a tagine of vegetables. As we ate the Berbers started bringing the camels closer to camp and the evening air was filled with their grunting, growling noises – again very reminiscent of Star Wars! Abbey and I then left to have some quiet story time and get ready for bed but were drawn out once again by the sounds of Berber drumming and singing. Throughout the day we had all contributed to finding small pieces of brush and sticks for a campfire. After some traditional Berber songs it was time for some good old campfire favourites – nothing like a round of Kumbaya before bed!
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