"Daisy & Me"

The Moroccan Adventure

The last few days have been a terrific experience. (To set the stage, the astetics of our ship berth location are - well - third world: The smells of human waste and fish "by product", loose dogs, feral cats, the huge pile of scrap metal next to us on the dock, the crowds of "salespeople" (dates and carpet purchase, etc.), and the dust. But the ship agent has been excellent in doing what needs to be done - he even gave us the use of his office, and wireless network, a five-minute walk away, from where I am sending this communication.)

We arrived in Agadir on Saturday, December 8th, and explored about the city a bit during the afternoon (early curfew for precautionary purposes, all student groups including at least one male student, and females "modestly" dressed). Then early on Sunday - the bus was shipside by 6:15AM - we left for our adventure, traveling inland in a south easterly direction. There were a number of stops - at village
markets and other points of interest. (Toilets were generally of the PWAV- variety, that is, "pee with a view". More than once I gave quiet thanks for the efficiency of the male disposal equipment!) Our route took us several hundred kilometres to the edge of the Sahara, and within 30 km of the border with Algeria, currently a hostile state from Morocco?s point of view. (The military were not in evidence, but there were a half dozen police check points to go through. Incidentally, Morocco?s immediate neighbour to the south on the coast, Western Sahara, is occupied by Morocco.) On Sunday evening we stayed at a hotel in Zagora, then bussed further east in the morning - very arid territory, excepting close proximity to one "river", which is a trickle this time of year, and some "don't look down" climbs up through foothills and back down to the desert floor. After lunch in some shade (nicely catered ? there is a good bit of tourist excursion activity in this area, although we were the only group in evidence that day), and a visit to a bustling market, we drove a few more miles to the literal "end of the road". There I made the acquaintance of Daisy, "my" camel. The ride in to the camp site took about an hour and a half. Advance publicity notwithstanding, the camels patiently made their way up and over the low dunes and wound through the higher ones.

There were twenty of them, in lines of four (tethered one behind the other), each led by a Moroccan "herder". (Because we were a group of 38, at the halfway point those who had been walking replaced the riders to that point. The same procedure was followed on our return the next morning, although with just slightly less enthusiasm. As one of the teachers, I did not want to displace any students desiring a ride back out; nevertheless, Daisy and I were reunited for most of the journey.) I will not be walking quite as fluidly for a day or so - a few hours of camel riding, climbing the highest sand dune in the area to watch the sun set, out at 3:00 AM to look at the stars in the chill of the desert night, and a 12-hour bus ride back to the ship was noted by various body parts as I rolled out of my bunk this morning!) Land rovers had preceded us and the "safari" company personnel had made the site ready. Four-person tents arranged in a semi-circle opened to a camp fire area and a large dining tent, with a "his and her" tent further away for "wash up". We had some authentic Moroccan music and dancing around the fire. In the dining tent we sat on low stools and ate with our bread what I would call a hearty stew (the proper name
escapes me). Most of us were asleep quite early. During a "comfort break" during the night, I marveled at the canopy of stars (mentioned above) and the silence of the desert. It was a special little interval in this larger adventure, one which seemed particularly moving with Advent in my thoughts.

The next morning we had a breakfast of tea and bread, and "broke camp" at first light, arriving back at the bus, and the road, to tackle the return to Agadir. Today we sail at 4:00 PM - my last sail - with Las Palmas, the Canary Islands, our Saturday destination. Exams await the students Thursday through to Saturday lunch time. I fly home via Madrid, London and Toronto on Monday. I'll see most of you very soon! It has been a blast.

Dr "T"/Maurice/Dad/Papa/Tug