Morocco (Part 3: Monkeys, Camels, and Horses – And More!)

We spent our Thanksgiving weekend being grateful in the Sahara Desert. Before we even got there, we stopped in the cedar forest to feed monkeys which was a blast. At one point, a monkey grabbed a bag of food from Dev and ran off but paused to look back at her and laughed – so we laughed right back! After a long drive we spent the night at the edge of the desert at a funny hotel complete with mini golf on the roof and a tennis court (which Dennis and the kids conquered).

In the morning we set off and really maximized the day. One of the highlights was driving dune buggies into the desert. It was like another planet and reminded us of White Sands in New Mexico. There were sections where we could only see dunes in every direction and driving over some of the high ones was exhilarating. Mira and Dev even drove the buggies for a bit!

After a great lunch at an Amazigh** restaurant, we took a much slower trip on camels to our campsite in the Sahara. We learned that camels are really uncomfortable to ride! The camp was amazing and very Grandma Martha. Definitely glamping at its finest. The highlight, however, was an astronomy class after the stars came out. We learned all about North African and indigenous astronomy (fun fact: ursa minor/major are called momma and little camel!). It was a perfect, cloud-free night with no moon so the view was amazing. Among other things, we got to see Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s moons, the Orion constellation, and the Milky Way galaxy.

After waking up early to see the sunrise and do some (kind of slow) sandboarding, we took off for Skoura. This time we skipped the camels and took a 4×4 pick-up truck. No doubt the kids will say that a major highlight was riding in the back of the truck – on top of our luggage. The driver sped over dunes while the kids sang at the top of their lungs.

Before leaving the desert we stopped to learn about the continental drift and how the Sahara Desert used to be covered in water. We learned about all the fossils they have found in the area and even bought our very own trilobite fossil. Afterwards we stopped for a dramatic walk through the Todra Gorge in the Atlas Mountains.

After a drive along a dirt road, we spent two nights in a town called Skoura, which is in an amazing oasis of palm groves in the desert. Due to the drought and lack of water, the palms weren’t as green as usual but it was still surprisingly green compared to the rest of the landscape. We went horseback-riding (with english saddles!) and the guides were kind enough to get the horses to trot a bit; luckily nobody fell off. It was a wonderful way to explore the nearby villages with their beautiful architecture and many kasbahs.

Tomorrow we’re off to Marrakesh.

**The Amazigh people, often known as the Berbers, are an indigenous ethnic group of North Africa who have lived in the region since at least 5,000 BCE. The term “Berber” comes from the Latin word barbarus, which was used by the Romans to describe non-Latin-speaking peoples and adopted by the French when they controlled Morocco. The Amazigh prefer to be called by the term Imazighen, which means “free men” in their language and the term Berber is considered derogatory.

Be sure to check out the video from Mira below the photos!