Wandering the streets of the ancient Medina - Fez (above)
The largest of three leather tanneries in the Medina - Fez (above)
The horns of Cafe Clock - Fez (above)
The morning sun peeking over the boarder of Morocco and Algeria (above)
Camel trekking from Merzouga to the Erg Chebbi - Sahara desert (above)
Our 7 hour drive back to Fez through the beautiful terrain of the Atlas Mountains (above)
We decided to venture to Morocco the week of New Years, as it is so close to Spain and still has great weather and lots to do in the midst of winter. Our travel loving hearts have always wanted to visit this incredible county and dive into it's varied terrain, friendly people, enticing color pallet, and unique way of living.
Fez was the base of our stay in Morocco, with its central location it was the perfect place to begin our journey in northern Africa. We decided to stay in the ancient Medina in Fez, a world heritage site and one of the largest enclosed quarters in the world where no cars are allowed. The Medina is full of little spice, produce, and leather shops, along with a number of mosques, fountains, and palaces that hide away down one of the 9,000 plus alleyways that make up this incredible maze.
During our time in Fez we stayed in a Riad (a traditional Moroccan house with a central courtyard) right on the edge of the Medina. We discovered very quickly with our arrival to the Riad the Moroccan tradition of tea drinking. Before doing anything you must sit, relax, and drink a cup of tea. As soon as we arrived in any place (our Riad, a shop, the desert camp, etc.) we were greeted with a friendly smile and the most delicious cup of Moroccan tea, made from fresh mint and green tea leaves with a hint of honey or sugar. A beautiful tea-tray is set before you and your host pours the boiling hot tea, starting low to your cup, then raising it higher and higher until your cup is full. We loved this intention, to pause and simply enjoy the moment. I think we'll do our best to adopt this intention to our lives here in Spain.
While in Morocco we wanted more than anything to travel to the Sahara desert, and although it was a good 7+ hour drive south from Fez, we were determined to do it. A number of people recommended that we hire a tour company to take us from Fez to Merzouga (the closest town to the Sahara) from which we would camel trek overnight into the massive dunes and camp under the vast starry sky. Tours were extremely expensive, and we like our independence and ability to stop and explore off the beaten path when desired. It is more than possible to navigate the roads by yourself and book your own camel trek outside of a tour company if you are up for an adventure.
After our incredible drive through the plains, valleys, and cliffs of the Atlas Mountains we spotted our first glimpse of the massive sand dunes glowing orange in the afternoon sun. Soon enough we mounted our camels and were trekking into the sunset over the great Sahara. We spent the night in a Berber desert camp, the Berber people have been nomads of the Sahara for centuries and know the desert like the back of their hand. We of course enjoyed Moroccan tea upon our arrival, a delicious 4 course meal, and spent hours with our new Berber friends singing, dancing, and playing drums around the fire as we welcomed the night and watched the stars appear one by one in the midnight sky.
One of my favorite moments in the Sahara was our early morning hike up one of the largest dunes to watch the sunrise over the Algerian/Moroccan border. The suns orange rays warmed our hearts and reflected purples and pinks on our surroundings. Nothing compares to that moment, in the stillness of the morning, standing in awe of creation and the majesty of the creator.
More to come soon about our time spent in northern Morocco in the beautiful mountain town of Chefchaouen...
Labels: Camel Trekking, Explore, Fez, Morocco, Northern Africa, Outdoors, Sahara, Travel Blog, Travel Photography, TRLT
