Arabian Nights

Four days ago we walked out of our hotel to face four camels lounging about in the sand. They were to take us across the desert. Of course, we got on, and thus started out our desert expedition. The first two hours were spent getting away from society and into the endless desert. The camels had a motion of jerking forwards and then immediately stopping, but I became used to that after a while. Dad had the camera, and took lots of pictures of the dunes and the camels. The hue of the sand was amazing, especially compared with the brilliant blue of the sky. Every so often the camel that mom was riding, named Jimmy Hendrix, had the luck to have his rope get untied. Then jimmy would stand their while our guide, Hassan, would trudge back to retie it.
This happened twice, and finally we made it to out camp of black tents shaded by a lone palm tree. We got off the camels and, at Hassan’s suggestion, we decided to trudge up the enormous dune right by our campsite. When we reached the top, we rested, breathing heavy, and took a couple swigs of water. Then we relaxed and watched the sunset.
The lighting was pretty good. Unfortunately, then our camera died, so we didn’t get any more pictures.
But the ones we got were pretty good:

Then Emma and I ran down the steep slope barefoot, running far out of control and falling more than once. When we finally reached level ground the sun had set and it was getting dark. We set up a few cots outside under the stars after a quick cup of tea with Hassan. Then me and my sister ran off to say goodnight to the camels. We found all but one. Emma spotted a mouse and a few beetles in the low light. Then we hiked back to camp and had dinner, which was the repetitive meal it had been every night in Morocco: salad and Tajine.
After we ate, we used the handy star watcher app on the ipad to look at the stars, then Mom took out Emma‘s nook and read Arabian Nights. The perfect setting. The next morning I woke up early, not really getting a good night’s sleep due to the amount of energy it takes for one to find a good spot to go to the bathroom.
We then had breakfast and Emma and I made the exhausting trek up the side of the dune to sketch.
We drew a bit of the scenery, and then went back down to camp to jump on our camels. Hassan led us away from camp as we headed to a tribe of Nomad people in the ‘black desert’: a plain of black stones.
On the way Hassan pointed out the den of a fox, scarab beetle footprints, the tracks of a hedgehog, and a couple snake eggs, which we collected.

We made it to the camp after picking up a camel friend on the way, that apparently came with Hassan every time he made the journey. It was a young one that wore no saddle. After arriving, we settled down into a surprisingly cool and comfortable mud and straw hut, were we sat and discussed the mysteries of Lost. (Halfway through season four already, we might need to find something else to watch for the second half of our trip)
We hiked out to collect fossils and Emma found what she and Mom believe is fossilized camel droppings.

Mabye. Hassan said it looked like a snake egg. See the two eyes?
Anyway, it took about four hours before they served our Couscous. (another over used Moroccan dish). We ate it not so hungrily and then rested for a while as Hassan got the camels ready. We finally did jump on and rode them back to camp. Three times my camel, Mimoon would decide he had enough riding and sit down. It took quite a bit of encouragement to get him going again.
After two hours of riding and a bit of saddle readjustment on my part we got back to our camp.
Then we jumped off and got back to the tents, where we decided to run up to the top of our enormous dune to watch the sunset. Emma and I tried to bring the camp cat, Jonas up with us by tempting him with pets every few feet. Eventually I lost patience and picked him up, but Jonas was understandably not that happy about that. He started meowing and then Emma and I led him back to camp. After he sat around near camp for I while, I began the steep and tiring hike to the top. After wearing my muscles to the limit, I made it to the top of the ridge and watched sunset.
That was about the time when the other families appeared in camp riding their own camels. After hanging around on the dune for a while, Mom, Dad and I slid back down to the camp.
Down at the camp, we had our preliminary tea, and then Emma and I took another expedition into the nearby desert looking for animals. Finding none, we headed back to camp. There we had more Tajine.
Mom, Emma and I decided to sleep in the tent tonight, so we all crawled in there and listened to Arabian nights. Dad wanted to sleep outside, but it was too windy and he had to get into the tent.
So, the next day we got out of the tent and ran up the big dune. Mom, Dad, and Emma tried to ski down the slope with no ski boots and one snowboard. It wasn’t the most successful of enterprises.
So we hopped on the camels, my sore thighs screaming in protest. A one hour and forty minute journey later, we were home.
I miss Boise.