tilos

I just got back from a month long trip around Morroco. I spend 3 days in Merzouga, and did a great overnight trip into the Sahara. We wanted to do a 2-day trip, but because of the sandstorms and the summer heat, the auberge (Chez Julia) recommended just a 1-day trip. We joined up with 2 other travelers. The camel ride was about 2 hours each way, and left me incredibly sore. There was time in the evening for climbing up the dunes to watch the sunset, though the wind was so strong that I didn’t make it to the top.

We had a fantastic chicken tagine dinner and watched the 20 someodd feral cats that lived at the camp site. After dinner, we climbed up a dune to watch the starts and drum with some of the Berbers from the campsite. The star watching is amazing, there is only a small amount of light visible at the horizon that gets in the way. You could sleep either at the campsite or under the stars.

I found Fiji a bit crowded for my taste, but then again, I didn’t have enough money to head too far from the main island (I only saw Waya island). I loved seeing how Indian and Melanesian culture blended together.

Torres Del Paine is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been—mountains, lush green valleys, and bright blue lakes. I wish we had spent more time here rather than heading down to Punta Arenas to see the penguins (which, while interesting, were not worth the long drive).