A three day expedition to the Sahara is an enriching way to get a taste of southern Morocco and is one of great ways to escape Marrakech for a few days. Bright and early we wandered into the square, red light glowing from a mini bus and Hicham Alsa readily waiting for us. 

For the next three days we wandered the High Atlas Mountains, stopping off at cultural and heritage points of interest. Be ready to tip a few guides. Sometimes it gets annoying, but you don’t have to dig too deep in your pockets to make sure locals benefit from tourism. 

The first nights hotel is really chill, and a good place to catch up on sleep after a long day. Stuff yourself during breakfast and be ready for a day of real adventure. 

Lots of beautiful stops, photo ops and socializing with locals before getting your butt up on a camel. Let yourself wander once you get onto the dunes. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the sand while the guides watch over your camels. 

Back for tea and supper, then a night of drumming and dancing. We brought some champagne to drink under the stars, grab a blanket from the camp and spend time soaking in the setting before calling it a night. 

You’ll be up bright and early for the sunrise, make sure to bundle up to enjoy the cool morning air and Hicham Alsa‘a camel guides will take you to a lookout hard to forget. 

Pro Tips: 
Pack extra snacks for the bus ride. 
Eat lots of breakfast to save $$$ at lunches. 
Don’t feel pressured to shop, but be prepared to be marketed to.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech – Tinghir City

Stop At: High Atlas Mountains, 40000 Morocco
Take pictures
Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Ait Ben Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou, Souss-Massa-Draa Region
Visit Kasbah of Ait ben hadou
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate, Souss-Massa-Draa Region
Visit optional ( Kasbah of taourirte , studios of cinema )
Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Tinerhir, Tinerhir, Souss-Massa-Draa Region
Overnight at Tinghir city
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: hotel 4¤ : Hotel Bougafer or Similar

Day 2: Tinghir City – Merzouga

Stop At: Tinghir, Morocco
Visit Tinghir Ouasis with local guide
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Gargantas del Todra, Tinghir, Tinerhir 45800 Morocco
Visit Todra gorges with local guide
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Erg Chebbi, Erg Chebbi, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Camel ride in the sunset , Dinner , Ambiance music , overnight in Merzouga
Duration: 14 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at La Source Camp or Similar

Day 3: Merzouga – Marrakech

Stop At: Erg Chebbi, Erg Chebbi, Meknes-Tafilalet Region
Camel ride in the sunrise , Breakfast in the auberge
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ouarzazate, Ouarzazate, Souss-Massa-Draa Region
Stop in Ouarzazte
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.

Hiking Mount Marcy in New York State was an absolutely amazing experience. Located in the Adirondack Mountains, Mount Marcy is the highest peak in the state, standing at an elevation of 5,344 feet.

The hike to the summit of Mount Marcy was a challenging but rewarding one. It took us about 8 hours to complete the round trip, with a total distance of around 17 miles. The trail was well-marked and well-maintained, but it did have some steep and rocky sections that required careful footing.

The views from the summit were breathtaking. We were rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, as well as a clear view of nearby Lake Tear of the Clouds. The summit was also home to a small shelter, where we took a break to rest and have a snack before making our way back down the mountain.

Despite the challenging nature of the hike, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. The sense of accomplishment that came with reaching the summit was unparalleled, and the views from the top were simply breathtaking. I would highly recommend a hike up Mount Marcy to anyone looking for a challenging and rewarding outdoor adventure in the Adirondacks.

Discovering beauty in the everyday.

When travelling people expect utopia. There isn’t the logical tolerance for reality. People live here. People are living regular lives. It is precisely because of those lives which makes discovering new places so wonderful. That hits me as I sit here in the Atrium waiting for Stas to find a neck brace, you know, that fat foamy support tool that makes two day bus rides or 12 hour plane trips not so unbearable. I’ve been here so many times that its beauty has become invisible. However today is different, today we are officially leaving Toronto and starting our journey. It is precisely because of that the people sitting around me now seem so wonderful.

As a species we have to go to Europe to find beauty in the everyday. We journey the four corners of the planet to people watch and only then do we find beauty in struggles of everyday life. The fear of ‘The Other’ is so prevalent in our everyday life that we overlook how wonderful it all is.

Today I find myself feeling in awe over the group of friends eating noodles from a styrofoam plate. I gaze at the scene taking in every smile, their laughs, the plastic laminate tables and typical cafeteria lighting. Around them the ever to familiar mall begs my attention – I allow my mind to wonder through the room taking it all in

Not having distractions like work or demanding schedule has given me permission to look around and take more in. Beauty is spotted everywhere that way. That’s travelling, that’s what we save up for and buy. Not beaches, not all you can consume packages but the ability to find the everyday interesting.

Not having a destination forces you to look around and take more in. Beauty is spotted everywhere that way. 

When travelling people try to fill their schedules with everything that is interesting. They don’t want to or can’t find interesting things just by wandering. They want to make sure they see everything that was supposed to be seen. It reminds me of a quote that I think of often. There are two ways to become full. The first is to consume more and more until you’re fed up. The other, is to desire less.

Go out with no expectations and everything will be surprising. 

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

Woah did he really just start off a post with a quote? Real original. Oh and an Oscar Wilde one to boot, can’t wait to see the selfies and inspirational posts to follow. Close tab, unsubscribe, block! Ok relax peanut gallery, it’s going to get better from here on out I swear. This is the second post on my blog, so while I’m getting this new project going have patience and check back soon for… well I’m not sure yet but its going to have lots of adventure, architecture, design and people watching.

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This is an example post, a first draft, get your butt started, officially published and out in the universe type of post.

I woke up today and said it. You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how it looks. Don’t worry if I haven’t given it a name yet, or I feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell the world why I’m here.

Why did I do this?

• Because it will help me focus on my own ideas
• Because it get the messy part of starting something new out of the way
• Because it will begin the conversation of what I’d like to do. What I am doing here. What am I about? Why should others read my blog?

This post and the next few are going to be short, or maybe they are going to be long. One thing for certain is that they are going to have lots of spelling mistakes and the grammar will not be perfect. As I get these first few posts out there and that all too familiar fear of failure drifts away, and that desire to achieve perfection levels out to something much more achievable I am going to re-release that all too necessary mission statement, a manifesto for the future of the types of things I hope to publish.

To help get started, here are a few questions the internet said I should answer:

• Why am I blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do I think I’ll write about?
• Who would I love to connect with via my blog?
• If I blog successfully throughout the next year, what would I hope to have accomplished?

Before I get to answering those, and articulating my goals I want to remind myself that none of it matters. The wonderful things about life is how it constantly changes. Nothing stays the same. This blog will evolve as I learn, grow, and interact with the world. But, just for now, I am going to just let you know I am here and that it is only going to get more interesting.

Signing off,

.j