We spent our first night on the edge of the Sahara at the Chergui Kasbah in Erfoud. A kasbah is usually a fortress or a fortified home; if this hotel was a fortress it was trying to keep out the ordinary. The grounds were large and lush with two swimming pools. My room felt enormous after the small, old city riad in Fes.

The region of the Sahara where we would be staying is a treasure trove of fossils. Scientists are not sure why this is so; one theory is that as the sea that once covered the Sahara shrank, remaining life forms congregated where the water remained. While dinosaur remains have been found, the fossils we saw were of snails and squid.

The fossils are harvested by select licensed companies in a single quarry outside Erfoud. The stone is cut horizontally in slabs and fashioned into various products: sculptures, benches, tables, vanities, all kinds of small containers. Some is even chiselled into fine art. And I just downsized. 😦

Camels delivered us from Erfoud to our tented camp near Merzouga, about an hour’s ride away. The riad in Fes had given scarves to the women in our group. The guides helped us cover up to prevent sun stroke and as protection from blowing sand and flies. (The men were given fez’s – not quite so useful in the desert.) The weather gods cooperated, however, and we rode unhampered to the OAT tented camp.

Camel rides are not smooth going. There is a rythm of sorts, but downhillls are especially dicey as the animal thumps straight-legged onto a level below where you currently sit. To say nothing of getting on and off, but you’ll have to try it yourself to see what I mean. Upon arrival at the camp, several of us noticed that we had thousands of steps on our phone counters that we had not in fact taken. Way to go, my camel, getting my step count up!

OAT owns the camp but not the land. The land is tribal; OAT can only negotiate with the tribal powers that be to use the land. This camp is quite new. There’s a central dining tent and a covered outdoor area, and 15 or so individual tents complete with indoor plumbing. We didn’t even have to make our own beds at this camp!

After freshening up, we went in search of fossils. This was not difficult. Everywhere you looked or walked, the rock on the ground was full of them. Magically some people from an out-of-sight village found us. (The photo in the header of this post is the village.) I hadn’t brought any money along – what is there to buy in the middle of the Sahara I thought – though others found a few little things to invest in.

Before dinner Hadija, the camp chef, gave us a lesson in tagine cooking. First place some meat, onions, salt and oil in a tagine cooker. Cook over a charcoal brazier or gas stove for about 10 minutes. Then pile on veggies – cauliflower, cored carrots, potato, zuchini, peas and finally lemon slices – on top with spices and herbs – pepper, turmeric, garlic, cilantro, ginger, parsley, cumin. Cook for 35-40 with a little water added to steam the vegetables. Very tasty.

Following our tagine dinner we took our still camel-stiff bodies off to bed. Drums sounded in the distance and the fabric of the tents rustled in the breeze. Altogether a lovely day.