Desert
people and their ways

The desert is a passage
    The desert is a passage- a place to cross on your way from one province to another, from one site of commerce to another. People do not live, or visit the desert- as they do mountains or seashores; for the desert is a dangerous, rough place.

Tourist Caravan near Mhamid

boy on donkey near Mhamid

No one ever crosses the desert alone- you need friends to care for you, and friends to carry for you. Often, animals serve as this trusty companion. What better than a thirstless dromedary (there are no camels in Morocco) or tireless mule to carry you, your belongings and your precious waters through waves of dunes?     While mules are OK for short desert trips, a dromedary or camel is indispensable for longer trips. Caravans- or troops of dromedaries walking one behind the other,the latter's head tied to the former's rear- were the most common form of desert travel, though nowadays only tourists cross deserts in such ways!

Deserts are treacherous environments, with little water and hard climates. In summer, days are unbearably hot (up to 50 degrees Celsius) and nights barely fresher. And while winter days are somewhat inviting, winter nights are bitterly cold.     To find water, travelers and nomads living on the desert's outskirts must dig deep wells. Just as the desert's vegetation develops long roots to search for water hundreds of feet away, wells are often found far from the Nomad's base camp- and young men spend full days filling the entire tribe's receptacles.     Wells like this one are precious, for they contain fresh, tasteless water. A few feet away donkeys gather around another well, abandoned by the locals, due to the water's salty taste. This unusual occurrence of saline water in desert lands was something Leo warned about in his text: "There is no water, except once every 100 or 200 miles. And even then, it has a salty, bitter taste- and comes from very deep holes." (447)

water well near Mhamid

And yet, despite all this adversity, the desert can be a very pleasant place to rest. During the day, under the shade of an occasional tree. Or at night, when the starry night unveils beauties our city accustomed selves can't even imagine. This freedom, silence and simplicity can become addictive; and desert guides know this well. They eat, sleep, pray and live in the desert- as all of us do in our homes!     But they know the desert is only a place to be walking through, never to settle in. And so, when their 1 day, 1 week or 1 month tour is finished, they come home, to rest the dromedaries and remind the world that the desert is a passage.