13/01/2012 Merzouga – Dades Gorge, Morocco

We woke up around 6:30am for sunrise, it was FREEZING! A few of the group had slept under the stars by the camp fire and actually had ice on their faces and in their beanies! Tom’s water bottle had frozen over and I couldn’t feel my feet… We wandered out into the dunes and found a good viewing point to watch the sunrise which was very speccy as it gradually turned the surrounding dunes red. We watched goats climbing on the roof of a tent in a nearby camp which was very entertaining and listened to a donkey sounding off half way up the dunes! We then sat outside around the camp and had some breakfast before riding our camel’s back to the hotel. We showered quickly then set off through more desert country to the Dades Gorge. On the way we stopped at our tour guides parents place for lunch where his mum cooked us all some amazing chicken and vegetable cous cous – Friday’s are their traditional cous cous eating days so that was very special. We were shown around the house then continued on our way. We stopped to take a few pics around the gorge then arrived at the hotel in the dark. We had more tasty tajines and vegies for dinner before all the girls got henna tattoos on their arms.




Waiting for sunrise in the Sahara



Waiting for sunrise in the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Waiting for sunrise in the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Here comes the sun...

Sunrise over the Sahara

Sunrise over the Sahara

Our camels preparing for the trip back

Breakfast back in the camp

Breakfast

Alfresco breakfast in the camp

In our camp

Our camp

Our breakfast in the camp

Sahara

View out over the dunes from our camp

View out over the dunes from our camp

View out over the dunes from our camp

View out over the dunes from our camp

Our camp in the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Camel ride back through the Sahara

Leaving our camels...

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Our guides parents place

Outside our guides parents place

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Lunch at our guides parents place

Lunch at our guides parents place

Driving to the Dades Gorge

Driving to the Dades Gorge

The Dades Gorge

The Dades Gorge

Driving to the hotel

On the drive to the Dades Gorge

On the drive to the Dades Gorge

On the drive to the Dades Gorge

Tom passed out in the bus

Yes he is asleep!! haha

In our hotel

Getting henna

Claire's henna