What a few days it has been! After Dades Gorge we headed for nearby Todra Gorge, which was full of date palmeries. We walked through some and up to an old Kasbah. Stayed in a Riad with a nice outdoor area and had some delicious food including a fabulous Moroccan salad.

The next day we headed through to Rissani close to the Sahara where we were guided through the big market here as well as seeing old buildings, the working of the Hammams and the field where they park their donkeys. We were also given an interesting sales pitch by a keen carpet salesman.

From here it was off to Merzouga, the gate way to the Sahara Desert. We went on the off road piste in a 4WD. Not long after we were headed into the massive dunes on camels, the sand black and gold in the sunset. The camels were definitely not too comfy, especially for the boys! We headed into the desert for about 90 minutes before we arrived at an oasis where our camp was, with Berber Nomad camps nearby. Soon the stars were out and we could see many shooting stars. We were treated to a good dinner before the two Berber men looking after us built a fire and played drums. They told us about their lives in the desert. As we talked the moon rose and lit the surroundings and we were off to sleep in our tent.

The next morning we were up to see the sun come up and after a painful camel journey were back at Merzouga for breakfast!