Camel Trekking the Sahara Desert

#Camel_Trekking_Sahara

The Sahara Desert is that large it covers 10 different countries of Africa (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan plus Tunisia) 
It has dry valleys, mountains, salt flats, barren rocky plateaus and sand dunes

On this adventure i will just touch just a small piece of it, but will still get a feel what its like to trek one of the worlds great natural spans 

 

Fun Facts;

A) Only the deserts of Antarctica and the Northern Arctic (both considered dry regions) have larger masses, so that makes the Sahara the largest HOT desert in the World ( 9,200,000 sq kms / 3,600,000 sq miles.....as big as Continental USA)

 B) The Bedouins (meaning desert dwellers) live in the Sahara plus survive by moving around by making tent camps near natural resources depending on the season

 C) The record high temperature recorded was 58C (136F) but depending on the time of the year its comfortable for us adventure travelers, for example when i was there 27C (80F) so normal for me

 D) Archeologists have found many wonders in the desert from Saharan Rock Paintings, Stone Circles and Dinosaur Fossils

E) The Sahara is 70% rock with only the other 30% being of sand 

F) The highest point in the desert is the Emi Koussi Volcano at 3400 meters (11,150 feet) which also has some hot springs if your in the area 

G) You think of the desert you think dry, not here 
 There are over 20 saltwater lakes with one exception Lake Chad (freshwater) plus over 90 oases
 (shade & rest areas)
But remember, it is spread over 4.8 million kms (3 million miles) so do not try to find these fertile spots on your own 😅

 H) The area in the Tunisian Sahara was used for the movie set of Star Wars many times
 Present Day;
 now the fictional birth village of Luke Skywalker has some remnants left behind for all the film buffs to visit

As we head out from Marrakesh with my group, i find out they are all from France (which at one time ruled Morocco 1912-1955) so French has been kept within the culture and still being one of the languages spoken here

So i knew my Canadian French (different grammar, vowels, vocabulary plus pronunciations) is not like that of the Parisian French, but we managed 

My biggest concern was if i was hurting the camel as being a lover of all animals that would go against my principles
To ease my fears i was told these Ships of the Desert can carry 600kg (1300 lbs), travel 40kms (25 miles) plus go 10 days without water
Plus i also noticed the handlers were very good to their caravans..... as well as they should be as this is how they made their living off us tourists


  Some Ethical Guidelines to Follow;
 A) Go with tour operators that have animal welfare policies such as World Expeditions or Intrepid Travel
 B) Ask the operators how their camels are trained and treated
C) Only book camels in the environments they have evolved to survive in, the desert
For example if you see rides offered in tropical, humid or non-desert landscapes this is a red flag
D) Visual check on your part; the camels should look settled plus calm, eyes should be clear, skin in good condition and no wear spots under the harnesses, saddles or halters
 E) Only one person per camel as the shady tour operators will double up to maximize profit
 F) Finally the multi-day safaris at a slow pace is much better than the quick turnarounds on the camels

As we wait for our Berber hosts i was told by our guides that some continue their nomadic desert lifestyle and others the tradition of farming with a culture that dates back for more than 4000 years

We are then served a Berber Tea (Atay) which is a mixture of green tea leaves, fresh mint leaves plus lots of sugar, then slices of bread with olive oil, jam and honey

As we take a break i noticed most of our transportation were of the one hump dromedaries and my handler tells me that when born,
 the calves have no hump until they start to eat solid food which eventually will grow into 80 lbs of fat, not water as what most people would of have assumed 

Yes i have ridden horses many times and a camel is a different experience, but not a difficult skill to learn very quickly
The only awkward moments for most novice riders i could see was the getting on/off part of the ride

KeyTip; it should not be filmed by your friends 😅

I was told Camels are sensitive creatures who will tell you when they are not comfortable with their passenger, but my Buddie liked the idea of me getting some extra grass and leaves

Also my guide told me Camels recognize poisonous plants growing in any area so will not eat them  Intelligence Growth, through social learning by watching what others in the flock have done

I was told the men cover their faces to show respect and modesty as the mouth is considered to be one of the most revealing parts of a mans body
But as you read below, it is also for protection from blowing sand, sun plus insects

On the way back after my two day trek the hotel driver kept pointing at my face (he knew no English) So i put up my fingers to feel and to my surprise had a stinger, then i pulled it out so within minutes i could feel it swelling up

What to do in Northwest Africa in this situation i asked myself
Well i remembered the old Indiana Jones movies 😂 so went to the local bar, asked for two whiskeys  (which got a stare from the bartender) and downed one, the other i pored on the wound

Next morning i was feeling a little off, not sure if it was the alcohol (as i do not drink hard liquor) or if it was the poison from whatever bit me
 But nonetheless was on the mend enough to do a hike of the nearby Atlas Mountains

Did this charcoal drawing  (saying thanks) to the great country of Morocco for this latest adventure