Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Sitting in the desert now. On a blanket. Almonds, olives, chips, banana, cola and more within hand reach. 

The sun has just disappeared behind the horizon and flaming orange clouds grace the skies.

We are back at the desert lake we visited earlier today. It is not an oasis, in that there are no trees or big bushes. Just here and there some small shrubs between the bare sand.

Small water birds walk through the shallow spots. They are visible as black silhouets against the water which reflects the orange skies.

This shallow lake used to be much bigger. Maybe two or three times as big as now. Then, some five years ago it disappeared completely and the flamingo’s who used to live here left. But then a few years ago the water started coming back. And last year a flamingo family appeared.

There are many unknown cycles in nature. In Kenya we heard a similar story near Lake Bogoria.

Now it is dark and a host of stars shines down on us. Behind me is the big dipper. There are light clouds there but the stars win. Above us is a large hole in the clouds and Orion, my faithful hunter is brilliant. He always reminds me of the Everglades, where he shone so imposingly and grand when I crawled out of our tent on the beach at night.

Here too a warm wind gently blows over the warm sand, and when I lie down on our blanket my back is warmed.

This morning we also went to the large dunes. I still can’t figure out why this massive amount of fine pink sand lies here, and only here. It goes on for several kilometers (miles) but all around is black stoney desert. And even under it it seems that there is black flat terrain.

Our guide and our driver seemed surprised that we did not display more emotion and shout more as we wildly drive over the ridges. And everywhere we see four wheel drive vehicles racing over the beautiful pink sand. In fact there is hardly a spot without tracks .

But my thoughts are with the origin of this phenomenon. 

We insisted on only seeing nature and not humans. Not the music and not the Berber culture. And I am happy I insisted. Nature was plenty interesting.

Now there are millions and millions of stars overhead. Like our famous dutch literary author Louis Couperus wrote when he described the ancient Persian star watchers on their ziggurat in the deserts of Mesopotamia: the stars were like thick clouds in which you could walk and sink deep.

It is dark now, and still another hour before the full moon rises. We have to return home. 

We turn on the car lights and the rubble strewn desert becomes visible. We follow some tracks but when they lead too far north we off road and work our way through the stones and small shrubs. 

When we arrive at the inn, Mohammed is outside and he guides is to a parking place. He is always very eager to talk about his business, his son in the USA, his son Hassan who helps him here and his granddaughters. Yes, Mohammed is very happy with bis success and his good fortune.

And he is not the only one.

PS: earlier in the day, standing on a high point near the pink dunes, we can look far and see the mountains of Algeria. We can’t go there. The military controls both sides of the border. Why? At night silent camels carry moroccan hasjis into Algeria. If you get caught you disappear in jail for ten years. But still smugglers try…