Just a quick update... I've had a truly amazing week, in Merzouga, out in the desert near the Algerian border.
I met 2 English girls in Chefchaouen who I'm traveling with for now, and we picked up a South-African guy in Fes, who has just finished cycling from London to the south of Spain on his bicycle. We met another couple from London on the bus to Merzouga who are traveling by land across North Africa, making our group 6.
I'll spare you the details of our tumultuous journey to Merzouga, filled with hassle and long drawn out sales attempts, and say that we arrived early morning to a great hotel/ranch on the edge of the town, run by very nice and down to earth people...

We trekked out into the desert on camels for about 3 hours, and spent the night sleeping in the sand under millions and millions of stars. The next afternoon after the heat was dwindling we moved another 3 hours out past the dunes and stayed with some nomads this time far more secluded, and even more magical, and yet even more stars. Their goats broke into our food in the night, so we woke up to them eating our breakfast, which wasn't too special, considering we had about 5-6 hours of trekking in front of us.

Perhaps to much information, but my ass was way too sore to ride the camel back, so I walked back with another guy alongside the camels, which was quite interesting. The first couple hours were fine, as we were just walking across cracked earth and it was flat... but then we reached the sand and dunes again, as the heat was setting in, and I have to say it was one of the harder things I've done in life. Up and down endless sand dunes for hours, in the heat of the day no less, as we'd gotten a late start. I also ran out of water, so for the last hour truly felt like I was trekking through and endless desert in search of an oasis that just kept getting further and further away.

We spent another night at the ranch once we got back, and had an amazing dinner and party that night, with all of the friends of the guys at the hotel, who put on a little concert for us with drums and dancing, all in the middle of a sandstorm that erupted during our dinner. Yet another magical evening.

So, now in Marrakesh, just down to me and the 2 girls again, and trying our hand at shopping in the souqs... another fun adventure... And it will be another week or so before I get all of the sand out of my hair and elsewhere...

Take care, and much love from Morocco!