Hochmuth Adventures 2023: Trip to Morocco

Day 7 - Friday, January 8, 2023 - Arfoud to Merzouga(Oasis)

Got to sleep in - 9:00 and then we were off to the fossil store. This region is known for it's fossils which date back 360 millions of years ago. The pieces were very beautiful. We bought just a few pieces. Then it was on to Rissani to see the market. There you could buy almost anything. We saw fruits, vegetable, clothing and spices. We bought hot and sweet paprika. Goats, sheep and cows were available for sale also. There was even a parking lot for the donkeys of the people who were attending the market. Next we saw Tsar Ouled Abdelhalim, from the 17th century, which is a fortified area of houses. It is a UNESCO site and is currently being restored. Four wheel drive vehicles were our next means of trannsportation and they took us to an oasis for a BBQ lunch. Lunch was very good. Then it was on to the dessert. We made 3 stops to capture lovely views and look at fossils. The dessert was surpringly rocky but there were also sand dunes which our driver made sure to drive through or over. I thought we were going to flip over a couple of times. When we arrived at the hotel we were served tea again before going to our camels. Once on our camels we were led to the dunes where the camel handlers took pictures while we waited for the sunset. The camel ride was lots of fun. I felt like we were channeling Dad and Mom. We returned to the hotel for another delicious meal and then shower and bed. It was a long but great day.

Views from the fossil store