Ali Allah Morocco, photo by J.Chapin
It is hot. It is so hot that deer lie panting under the tree in my back yard, birds are somewhere else but not in the trees, and everyone slinks along the sidewalk, darting from one shady patch to the other, heads down as though fighting against a primal energy. Which it is.
However, it is not as hot as it was when we visited Erg Chebbi many years ago, before tourism got too slick and modern in that region. Hot then had me lying prostrate in my bathtub breathing in the cool ceramic tiles. But....it was a dry heat:)
Within moments of our arrival we dumped all our stuff and sped across the desert in land rovers so that we could see the sunset. I am passionate about the desert, I love its raw and untamed beauty, its undulating and sensuous curves. This was a big trip for me.
Tuareg greeted us, and dromedaries, festooned with ribbons and bells, great cacophony. I look at these festivities with dismay. No thanks. I wasn't going to see the sunset this way.
A lovely man, seeing my distress, approached me. He was young and had the face of an angel. He bowed in front of me with his hand over his heart and told me that his name was Ali Allah. He asked me my name and then he said, "come." We waked along the crest of the dune, away from the others. The only comment that my guide made was for me to take my shoes off, so that the desert could heal me.
That hot day turned into a radiant and star filled night. We sat on a dune and I felt like I was in an Arabian dream. Ali Allah reclining on the desert floor, an integral part of the environment, the cooling night, and the stars so close you could reach up and touch them.
And then make a wish.
However, it is not as hot as it was when we visited Erg Chebbi many years ago, before tourism got too slick and modern in that region. Hot then had me lying prostrate in my bathtub breathing in the cool ceramic tiles. But....it was a dry heat:)
Within moments of our arrival we dumped all our stuff and sped across the desert in land rovers so that we could see the sunset. I am passionate about the desert, I love its raw and untamed beauty, its undulating and sensuous curves. This was a big trip for me.
Tuareg greeted us, and dromedaries, festooned with ribbons and bells, great cacophony. I look at these festivities with dismay. No thanks. I wasn't going to see the sunset this way.
A lovely man, seeing my distress, approached me. He was young and had the face of an angel. He bowed in front of me with his hand over his heart and told me that his name was Ali Allah. He asked me my name and then he said, "come." We waked along the crest of the dune, away from the others. The only comment that my guide made was for me to take my shoes off, so that the desert could heal me.
That hot day turned into a radiant and star filled night. We sat on a dune and I felt like I was in an Arabian dream. Ali Allah reclining on the desert floor, an integral part of the environment, the cooling night, and the stars so close you could reach up and touch them.
And then make a wish.