September 13, 2002 –
Merzouga
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Finally we arrive in Rissani at 6:30am. I didn’t
sleep well during the trip and a lot of false guides woke us up at each stop
to promote their tours in the desert. But that’s only a beginning. In Rissani, I have to meet the 2 Italians because
they finally took the night bus to reach the dunes and I also have to meet a
Moroccan Tayab who is working at the Panorama Hotel that is linked to Erg
Chebbi auberge, a place I really want to stay in. Tayab is there when the bus
arrives but he suddenly disappears after a few minutes… As a result like the
other tourists in the bus we are taken in charge by a group of Moroccan very
well trained. It seems that there is a kind of connection with a lot of intermediaries.
The bus driver stops the engine just in front of a café where you can have a
breakfast. In this café other men show you that the only possibility to reach
Merzouga and the dunes is to leave with them just after 7am unless you want
to wait until 2pm in Rissani and instead of driving you to all the auberges
and hotels in the area you are forced to go to Lahmada auberge. When there
you realize that you must stay there because the distances are very long
between each auberge or hotel. That’s the plan... Furthermore, the price to
pay to reach the auberge is depending on your nationality, your face, I paid
20 DH but others paid 10 or 15 DH or even 30 DH. In the minibus we are 2 Belgians, 4 Spaniards, 1
English and myself. The arrival in front of the dunes is a magic moment, they
are so huge and with such a beautiful color.
At Lahmada, I choose like Jack to sleep on the roof
with the natural air conditioning system whereas in the rooms the temperature
will be higher and uncomfortable. It is only 8am but the staff of the auberge
is very pushy to force us taking one of the numerous tours they propose. As
Jack says, “come on, we are here for the whole day so give us a break and
come back later with your tours”. Many of us were upset by the staff attitude
as the first tour starts only at 5pm so in 9 hours!!! The tours are also very
expensive between 300 DH and 1000 DH and I am sure that the prices depends on
the customer’s face. The price of a bottle of water doubles there but
that’s normal we are far from everything so we have to pay 10 DH. A solution
is to fill an epty bottle with tap water using purifying pastilles. We order
a simple mix salad and we spend a lot of time playing backgammon, talking or
simply having a rest inside the auberge because outside it is too hot. Around 3:30pm, the wind lifts the sand and the sky
clouds over preventing the sun to reach us. I seize the occasion to walk
outside and with a keffieh on my head like a Palestinian terrorist I decide
to reach the Erg Chebbi auberge where the Italians should be. On my map the
auberge does not seem to be very far from my location but I quickly notice
that many auberges or hotels are forgotten on the map and some Moroccans tell
me that the auberge is far from here but no problem I will reach it. Walking
conditions are pretty severe with all that wind and the sand around me but
thanks to the keffieh and sunglasses it will be ok. En route, a Moroccan on a motorbike comes to me and
he starts talking. Quickly I understand that he only wants to sell me some
rocks, I am laughing because the spectacle is unreal, we are in the middle of
nowhere and I just meet the only merchant in the area!!!
It is also the end of school time and I pass many
pupils on bicycle going home. Some of them on motorbikes propose me to drive
me to Erg Chebbi auberge against some Dirhams but I decline, I am here to
walk the distance. On my way, I see to camels eating some leafs in a tree,
the sand does not disturb them at all.
The auberge Erg Chebbi Erg Chebbi hotel is very well located just next to
the first dunes (the sand is here at just 20m from the door) and there is no
other auberges before the village of Hassalbied. The view is great on the
highest dune of the Erg. The auberge is huge and there is a swimming pool
right in the middle. The owner shows me the place and I visit nearly all the
rooms that are wonderful (prices are between 100 and 300 DH a night) but, for
travelers like me, you can sleep on the roof for 20 to 30 DH. I talk a lot
with Saïd, the boss, because the Italians are not there!!! Saïd is very kind
because he offers me to drive me back to Lhamada on his motorbike, that’s
really nice.
Back there, Jack is not well at all, he caught a
cold and I meet our last visitor of the day Satoshi, a Japanese guy who
started his trip in Japan in December 2001. He traveled with the Orient
Express to Moscow and then Europe, after he went to former Yougoslavia. He is
in Morocco for 5 weeks and after he will reach Middle East, former USSR Republics
and finally China to end there his trip, what a program and some nice
pictures I am sure.
Tonight I go to bed very earls because we planned
with Satoshi to climb the highest dune in front of us to see the sunrise
tomorrow morning. So it implies a wake up at 4:45am!!! Main expenses of the day : Minibus Rissani – Dunes of Merzouga: 20 DH Night in Lhamada : 20 DH on the roof Drinks (water, soft drinks, tea …) + lunch meal: 40
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Other travels (Syria,
Jordan, Egypt, USA...) (Hotels, Transportation
timetables…) D1 :
Luxembourg – Paris – Casablanca D4 :
Meknes – Volubilis – Meknes D9 :
Tinehrir – Ouarzazate – Marrakesh D13 :
Refuge – 4167m –Tizi Ouanoums D14 :
Tizi Ouanoums – Amsouzert D16 :
Azib Likemt – Tacheddirt D17 :
Tacheddirt – Imlil – Marrakesh D19 :
Essaouira – El Jadida – Tangier D22 :
Chefchaouen – Casablanca D23 :
Casablanca – Paris – Luxembourg |
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Last update : December
2002
Contact : pindavid@hotmail.com
