Sahara (part one)

Friday began an amazing adventure across Morocco to the Algerian border and back. The trip to the Sahara was half of the fun of the entire trip. Mid-day we loaded onto our Missouri Transport bus, which is a Moroccan company oddly enough, and headed out on the road south away from Fes. Leaving Fes, we started out traveling through the first of a variety of landscapes on our drive across Morocco. Fes is located in north-central Morocco between the Rift mountains to the north and the Middle Atlas to the south and east. To get to the dunes of Erg Chebbi we would climb up over the rooftop of Morocco ,which forms the spine of the country, and descend into the desert lands of the southeast. Beginning our ascent from the valley we continued into the Mediterrean hill country surrounding the city. In these mountains there are two treelines, one where the elevation is high enough to support tree growth and then the second where it is too high and trees cannot grow. At this point we were entering the first of the two treelines and the Meditteranean scrub began to evolve into forests of pine, cedar, and mixed decidious trees. Soon after the forests thickened and the mountainsides grew greener as we climbed higher into the middle Atlas. At this point we were driving through Alpine country that resembled Europe, parts of Colorado, or the Sierra Nevada range. While traveling through our second geographic persona we passed through the small mountain town of Ifrane. Driving through, the architecture took on less of a North African feel and put on a style more akin to buildings you would find in the European Alps. For a minute I forgot I was in Morocco and felt as if I could have been driving through rural Switzerland. The town was also immaculately clean, being home to argueably the nicest university in Morocco. Al-Aqawain University was built by the Kings of Morocco and Saudi Arabia and resembles a village of Colorado ski lodges. Continuing on with our seven hour trip, the landscape once again began to change. We began to desend down through an arid hill country into a highland plain that resembled parts of New Mexico. Once down into the mountain fringed plain I could see the massifs of the Middle Atlas rising in front of us. Passing through the city of Midelt, we were in the highest mountain range of Eastern Morocco and which include Jebel Ayachi, a 11,200 ft. peak, the highest in the Eastern High Atlas. As I peeked up at the top of some of the ridges I could spot small pockets of snow hanging onto life as the summer heat strengthened across the country every day. We drove on through the wide valley bordered by mountain ranges rising from what once were deep, cutting valleys gouged into the earth, now filled flat by years of eroded sediment. Moving further toward our destination we left the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico and crossed into what seemed the Canyon lands of Arizona. Here we traveled parallel to a meandering river the cut a winding canyon into the rocky plateau. With each mile now the terrain grew flatter and more desolate. In most cases this would not excite many people, but for us it meant one step closer to the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara. Once emptied out of the highlands of Morocco, our bus drove across a flat, rocky wasteland. Our first night would not take us to the Sahara, but to a four star hotel in Erfoud one hour away from our final destination. Finally at around 7:30 our bus pulled into the ancient Kasbah styled hotel in the middle of somewhere, which happened to be on the edge of nowhere. Our hotel for Friday night was a walled complex of buildings and courtyards called Kasbah Xaluca. Checking there was tea and cookies in the lobby that smelled of cedar, a pleasant aroma stregthened by the lingering afternoon heat. Naturally, John and I continued our theme as roomies and headed off to find our room. Leaving the lobby we entered the main courtyard which held an outdoor restaurant, bar, and very inviting pool of shimmering, cool water. Our room was past the main courtyard and on the outside of a square complex with a courtyard in the middle, resembling an old desert fort. Opening the solid wooden door to our room, we flipped on the light and were pleasantly surprised at the sight of our accomidations. This was easily the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in and probably will be for quite awhile. There were two couches to our right flanking the t.v. and surrounding the coffee table which held a bowl of peanuts and raisins. Across from the living area were the two bed split between a window with wooden shutters that opened to a view of the desert. Further to the right, an moorish archway carved shaped into the stucco walls led to a bathroom of brilliant tiles and bronze trimmings. The room was large and had a warm feel with the rustic wooden furniture and luxurious desert look. The night at Hotel Xaluca held food, music, and swimming. After an enjoyable and relaxing night with friends, it was time to rest for our trip to the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara the following day. A recollection that I will save for tomorrow.

~Andrew