vrecha
Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2010
- Messages
- 189
Again a month out there, this time we went exploring the territories that tourists usually don't touch: the inlands of the Western Sahara.
Regarding Morocco, the plan was to drive it as quickly as possible, partly because our main focus was souther and partly because we don't like opportunistic locals that Morocco in known to be filled with. I studied some guidebooks, also the ones from Chris Scott, to have some idea on which routes and spots the masses of tourists gather so we could avoid them. It paid off well. On our whole trip, we were not a single time asked for a "cadeau", but instead enjoyed in pristine relations with locals, were often invited to share a meal or a tea with them, without any expectations of paying for it. Of course we donated some items we carried with us for such opportunities, sometimes we exchanged some goods and all the time we had much fun in their company. We found them to be relaxed and have a good sense of humour. Knowing a little French, a few Arabic phrases and souther, in WS, Spanish, helps a lot with communication.
Some pictures from WS with comments follow.
I've heard the WS in mostly rocky desert. It certainly looks rocky from the asphalt road Laayoune-Dakhla, but inlands you can find a lot of ergs and you can do a lot of sand driving of different difficulties. Of course, travelling alone, with just one vehicle, you restrict yourself to the safe side and avoid big challenges.
Than you have large sandy plans.
Sometimes the going becomes too soft and you decide to take another course ...
The silence, the landscape, the solitude, isolation ... "awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping" as my desert traveler ideal, Tom Sheppard, says.
When you encounter lots of these ...
... you know you are near one of the old military fronts, and the possibility of minefields around becomes high. Especially when you have to cross one of the old "berms":
But the prizes for taking the risks are high. For example, you discover an old spa facility that was built before the war and is now abandoned. The boreholes provide thermal water of 30°C, 45°C and 70°C. The middle one ideal for thermal bathing, the hottest provides excellent medium for washing the clothes and cleaning the dishes. We stayed there for five days.
There are also some colorful "sebhas" in the area.
If you are keen on collecting fossils, you are well served, too.
Or if you want to see some inscriptions and pictures drawn by the nomads, who lived there few thousands years ago, no problem.
And the friendly, welcoming locals. In oases, they give you as much delicious vegetables from their gardens as you can carry.
Or you help one guy who ran out of diesel while watching over his camels ...
... and you end up at his father's place for the afternoon.
Those are the places to remember, the places we will be returning to.
For the end, the rough drawing of the desert loops we've driven.
And again, our LandCruiser performed excellently, although it's almost unmodified (OME + 33'' tyres + 90L additional fuel tank). Automatic transmission worked without a complaint, no overheating. Thanks, Toyota for providing such quality vehicles.
Regarding Morocco, the plan was to drive it as quickly as possible, partly because our main focus was souther and partly because we don't like opportunistic locals that Morocco in known to be filled with. I studied some guidebooks, also the ones from Chris Scott, to have some idea on which routes and spots the masses of tourists gather so we could avoid them. It paid off well. On our whole trip, we were not a single time asked for a "cadeau", but instead enjoyed in pristine relations with locals, were often invited to share a meal or a tea with them, without any expectations of paying for it. Of course we donated some items we carried with us for such opportunities, sometimes we exchanged some goods and all the time we had much fun in their company. We found them to be relaxed and have a good sense of humour. Knowing a little French, a few Arabic phrases and souther, in WS, Spanish, helps a lot with communication.
Some pictures from WS with comments follow.
I've heard the WS in mostly rocky desert. It certainly looks rocky from the asphalt road Laayoune-Dakhla, but inlands you can find a lot of ergs and you can do a lot of sand driving of different difficulties. Of course, travelling alone, with just one vehicle, you restrict yourself to the safe side and avoid big challenges.
Than you have large sandy plans.
Sometimes the going becomes too soft and you decide to take another course ...
The silence, the landscape, the solitude, isolation ... "awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping" as my desert traveler ideal, Tom Sheppard, says.
When you encounter lots of these ...
... you know you are near one of the old military fronts, and the possibility of minefields around becomes high. Especially when you have to cross one of the old "berms":
But the prizes for taking the risks are high. For example, you discover an old spa facility that was built before the war and is now abandoned. The boreholes provide thermal water of 30°C, 45°C and 70°C. The middle one ideal for thermal bathing, the hottest provides excellent medium for washing the clothes and cleaning the dishes. We stayed there for five days.
There are also some colorful "sebhas" in the area.
If you are keen on collecting fossils, you are well served, too.
Or if you want to see some inscriptions and pictures drawn by the nomads, who lived there few thousands years ago, no problem.
And the friendly, welcoming locals. In oases, they give you as much delicious vegetables from their gardens as you can carry.
Or you help one guy who ran out of diesel while watching over his camels ...
... and you end up at his father's place for the afternoon.
Those are the places to remember, the places we will be returning to.
For the end, the rough drawing of the desert loops we've driven.
And again, our LandCruiser performed excellently, although it's almost unmodified (OME + 33'' tyres + 90L additional fuel tank). Automatic transmission worked without a complaint, no overheating. Thanks, Toyota for providing such quality vehicles.
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