Erg Chebbi

Merzouga is a busy centre for travellers seeking the desert experience in Erg Chebbi. This is one of several ergs in Morocco – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. From their nice hotel, tourists are herded, possibly on a camel, across the sand dunes west to a permanent campsite in the desert. Camps are carefully placed to be out of site of the hotels while maintaining such basics as hot water and wifi.  After a night of glamping and good food, the desert hardened adventurers are brought back to their hotel for a much needed shower and glass of chilled chardonnay. It is the grown up equivalent of camping in the garden.

We headed east of the dunes in an attempt to sneak round the back of tourist land and see some proper desert. Diane and I arrived well ahead of the others and set up camp. The cars didn’t turn up until nightfall. Evening takes about half an hour here. Just after you first notice the sun is going down, it sets and goes dark. We had a few problems with cars getting stuck in the sand. The trick is to deflate the tyres. Also, Liz announced the onset of Ammophobia – a fear of sand. This is a tricky and potentially serious medical condition to manage in the middle of an erg. We did the best we could mostly by patting her on the head.

Next morning the group consensus was that we should leave the dunes and head further south. This was achieved with only a modicum of getting stuck. By lunchtime we were on the tarmac road to Rissani.