Our day was fabulous! After breakfast, we headed to Todra Gorge. Our first stop was Tineghir, a beautiful village in the palm-lined valley. Todra Gorge was about 30 minutes down the road, where we saw Berbers doing their laundry in the river on the canyon floor.
Our guide Rachid mentioned that we would pass through his hometown on the way to the Sahara. When I asked if we could see his home and meet his family, he surprised us with lunch! His mom and sisters made us Berber pizza, which was similar to a huge calzone stuffed with chicken (I think), sliced nuts, spices, and vegetables. We had the best time visiting with his family, eating pizza, and drinking tea.
After lunch, we climbed on our camels and rode 2 hours into the Sahara. The ride was fun and exciting for the first five minutes, then it was extremely quiet and scenic and painful! My husband tried to board down the dunes before dinner, but the board just kept sinking in the sand and he ended up sand everywhere! There were four other guests in the tent camp – a couple from Germany and Spain and a mother and daughter from Andorra. We ate tagine (a Berber stew with meat, vegetables, and lots of spices), bread, and fruit in the dining tent and then sat outside. The Milky Way was so bright and I wished on a shooting star.
Tineghir
Tineghir
Laundry day
Todra Gorge
Our caravan into the desert
Erg Chebbi Dunes in the Sahara
Tent camp in the Erg Chebbi Dunes in the Sahara