Highlights from Walking with the Nomads

I am still trying to digest everything I experienced on my latest trip, it was THAT good. I spent a week with a nomadic family from the Ait Atta tribe in the Jebel Saghro region of Morocco, and followed them on their semi-annual migration. Words can't describe the experience. Without sounding cliche, it was so unique, special, and humbling. I will never forget this adventure.

The days started around 6:30am with the flock of 200 sheep and goats, 3 camels and 4 donkeys letting us know the sun was coming up. After breakfast, we would hike anywhere from 4-6 hours with the herd of animals and the nomad family. We would arrive into camp at lunch and then have the afternoon free to relax, watch the flurry of activity at camp, help bake bread, play with the kids, go for an optional hike, etc. There was never a dull moment. The family was so welcoming, friendly and had a great sense of humour. Under the starry skies at night, we were treated to delicious 3-course dinners and red wine before heading to bed and the serenading sounds of camels constantly chewing.

Some of the memories that stand out for me are:

1. Watching a way of life that over the years has been passed down from generation to generation and probably hasn't changed much. I somewhat envied their lifestyle living in a world where they have no idea what twitter, facebook or a blog is.

2. The diversity in the landscapes from high mountain passes and shady oases to vast desert moonlike landscapes and fields of date palm trees.

3. The tea breaks throughout the day. I was always amazed how much sugar they put into one teapot. As David described on our trip, the block of sugar was the size of his car! Well, that's exaggerated, but it was at least the size of my palm.

4. The comraderie at camp with the nomad family (it was apparent how important family is to them) and singing and dancing with them at night.

5. Walking while carrying baby goats and lambs. The little lamb I became attached to was a bit of a whiner. She was always at the back of the pack so I helped her along by carrying her some of the way. I found out after that this poor little lamb was abandoned by her Mom (who was somewhere in the herd of 200) so she relied on the goats' for milk.

6. The children. At first they were shy of us, but by the end they liked to sit near us, get their pictures taken and were all smiles. Some of my fellow travellers brought balloons for the kids. Little Mohammed, the 8-year old camel herder, loved them. For the next few days, he did all his chores with a balloon in his mouth. Like all kids, he liked the farting noise the balloon made when the air was let out :) Unfortunately, within a few days, all the balloons had popped!

7. Learning to make lemon chicken tagine. The secret is olives, olives and more olives! (and plenty of spices, red onion and tomatoes)

And so much more...the constant sounds of the animals, not hearing a plane overhead the entire time, finding a rock to perch on and watching the flurry of the camp below, Fatima putting henna on my hands, sitting around a warm campfire with the family and learning about their way of life, cracking almonds with the family for their daily snack, eating spicy tagines under a full moon, etc.

You can view the itinerary on BikeHike Adventure's website at http://www.bikehike.com/morocco/morocco_trip02a.html

Happy Travels,
Meghan