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June 22, 2009
Dawn in the Dunes
In Morocco, Alan and I went camping in the Sahara outside the small town of Erfoud. We slept in a Bedouin-style tent and woke before sunrise to climb in the dunes. They were so high, so soft, and as the incline got steeper we couldn’t stand up straight—we practically crawled to the top to watch the sun come up.
When you’re walking in the desert, there’s this stillness in the warm, enveloping air. We sat in silence, with every hint of a breeze muffled by the expanse of sand. It was so meditative. I imagined what tremendous energy it must take for the sun to rise … and when it finally did, I thought, This is a miracle.
After the sun came up, we realized it was about to get really hot, really quickly, so we made our way down the dune. At first, I was worried about falling, because you can’t exactly walk down. Instead, we ended up half running, half sliding—which was almost like skiing, with our bodies supported by the sand.
To experience such profound remoteness after negotiating the dizzying streets of Marrakesh was so incredible—and so unique to Morocco. Have you experienced similar contrasts during your adventures with OAT? I hope you’ll tell me about them—or any other memorable moments from your travels. Email me at:
harriet@oattravel.com
In my next update of Harriet’s Corner, I’ll be featuring some of our most beloved Small Ship Adventures—including Antarctica, Patagonia, the Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, and more.
Harriet Lewis