Laura Thompson Art

We didn't have any internet access in Morocco, but I kept up my three beautiful things blog for the two weeks we were away, so here it is:

13/01/13 Foresight, Lights and Amazing

I'm glad I thought to get something to eat before boarding the plane, because, once again, the airline don't do vegetarian meals.
Flying out at night and seeing little dots of light spread out below us.
I'm still amazed by the way aeroplanes stay up, it just seems so wrong!

14/01/13 Sounds, Nicknames and Sun

We learn that cous-cous was named after the noise women make to chase chickens away while they are making it.
Random Moroccans call Nick Ali Baba and Tarzan.... I did say he should have trimmed his beard!!
Feeling the sun on our back's as we eat our lunch on a roof terrace.

15/01/13 Changing landscapes, Food and Oasis

As we leave Marrakech, we drive through every colour of landscape, starting with pinkish red hills, then yellowish green, grey, black and orange squares of rock and great big purple rocks.
An enormous plate of salad to share: potato, rice, tomato, cucmber, pepper and beetroot, followed by a vegetable tagine, and delicious, fresh oranges.
Our first camp in the mountains, is like our own private oasis, full of date palms.

16/01/13 Porridge, Aromatic and Green

I'm not a big fan of porridge, but with some strawberry jam stirred in, our breakfast isn't too bad.
There aren't a lot of plants in the dried riverbed we are walking along, but the ones that are there, give off wafts of herby lavender smells.
Every now and then in the dry, dusty landscape, there are little terraces oasisses of bright green.

17/01/13 Zig zags, Colours and Nomad

Being able to see our route zig zagging up the hill ahead of us, and counting off each zig and zag as we walk it.
The walls of the canyon are orange, the gravelly stones covering the floor are green, and dotted about are big purple rocks.
As we go over the top of the hill, we see a Nomad camp, and a man brings us a freshly made flat bread, filled with onion, tomato and spices.

18/01/13 Cold, Tea and Summit

The frozen stream we passed in the morning when it was cold is still frozen, when we come back past it in the heat of the afternoon.
Getting into camp to be greeted by tea and delicious, fried doughnutty things with jam.
Standing on top of the mountain, with Morocco spread out around us - big sandy, rocky canyons, wide plains and snow capped mountains.

19/01/13 Rocks, Wind and Sparkles

Huge, tall, grand canyon-like rocks suddenly appear as we go over a hill.
The wind is so strong, we are nearly blown off the top a few times, but with all the sand blowing around, my skin feels nicely exfoliated!
The path goes over a rock full of crystal geodes, so we spend a few minutes hunting for sparkly rocks.

20/01/13 Safe, Trees and Salad

During a windy night that rips and collapses tents, we huddle together to stop ourselves being blown away.
A little oasis in the dry mountains, with a little stream and white trees, with yellow leaves and almond trees with blossom.
The most amazing salad for lunch, with the best bread yet, it is soft, and just a little bit chewy.

21/01/13 Toad, Desert and Accomodation

A tiny little toad, hopping around a dried up river bed.
Seeing our first glimpse of proper desert.
Instead of the wild camp we were expecting tonight, we arrive at a group of little mud huts, complete with plug sockets and hot showers.

22/01/13 Camels, Home and Caterpillars

Meeting our camels for the first time, they make the funniest noises as they are being loaded up with all our things.
Finally making it into our familiar, welcome camp, after a really long 8 hours of walking.
Who would have thought we would see caterpillars in the desert, but there are bushes full of them.

23/01/13 Keeping up, Treasure, Entertainment

Even though the group was moving quite fast this morning, I managed to keep up without feeling completely worn out.
Spotting the first fossil of the day.
Being given tea and pop corn when we get into camp, and watching 4 x 4's racing past.

24/01/13 Reward, Sketch and Birds

Sharing a packet of chocolate animal biscuits after a really long, tough day of walking.
Doing a quick little sketch of a camel and the reaction of one of the camel drivers, I've never seen someone looking so excited!
Tiny birds hopping in the sand dunes as the sun rises.

25/01/13 Clean, Cooking and Sun

Having a really good wash and putting clean clothes on after 9 days of trekking.
Being shown, by our cook, how to cook bread by burying it in hot sand with embers of fire on top - it's delicious, and not at all sandy.
The most amazing sunset for our last night in the desert, it just keeps getting better and better.

26/01/13 Audience, Calm and Not lost

As we drive towards a village, a group of boys stop us to tell us we have a puncture. By the time the tyre is changed, half the village as come out to watch.
Walking through the market in Ouarzazate is much calmer and quieter than in Marakech, and no one hassles us to buy anything.
4 x 4s come to pick us up from the desert, but have trouble finding their way out of the sand dunes for a while.

27/01/13 Wake up, Fed and Not too cold

The 3:30 am wake up call isn't great, but the hotel has provided a delicious breakfast of croissants and pastries, just for us, so it almost makes it ok.
After telling me on the plane that they definitely didn't get my request for a vegetarian meal and there is definitely no vegetarian food on board, I put on my saddest, hungriest face and suddenly they have a spare veggie meal.
I was expecting it to be snowy and horribly cold when we got home, but it's not too bad. I do miss the sunshine though!